When a baseball player is called up, collectors wonder when his first rookie card will arrive in a package.
For recent calls, we may have a good idea. Although it’s only May, it appears that any player who debuts between now and the end of the season will appear in 2027 products.
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Topps dropped a small hint with its recent Topps Now cards, which are daily cards that represent the best moments from the previous day and are only available for 24 hours.
The rookie cards naturally have the RC logo, but as of May 8 with Arizona’s Ryan Waldschmidt, instead of an RC logo, the card says “Call Up.”
In years past, this has meant that rookies who appear on cards with the “Call-Up” designation are retained for the next year’s products. That means players like Waldschmidt, the Yankees’ Spencer Jones, the Mets’ AJ Ewing, Seattle’s Colt Emerson and Oakland’s Henry Bolte won’t have Rookie Cards until 2027.
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Topps and MLB may need as many rookies as they can for next year with a possible lockout on the horizon.
More than a parallel
Some of the best 2026 Bowman cards have been paralleled with low numbers and autographs, and while they remain core chases, Topps has added some new elements that resonate with collectors.
One of the popular new inserts is Crystallized, whose design is reminiscent of the inside of a geode. A recent gold parallel with Shohei Ohtani sold for $21,249.
The Final Draft insert features graffiti artwork against a brick wall. A Jacob Misiorowski Black parallel recently sold for $1,000.
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While anime inserts aren’t new to this year’s release, they have been gaining attention. A Munetaka Murakami Anime Black parallel recently sold for $7,500.
It’s a nice change for collectors, who don’t always need to search for ink to find value.
Murakami makes money
Murakami is having an incredible first season in the MLB. He currently leads the American League with 17 home runs.
The White Sox first baseman is not only making Chicago fans happy, but also collectors who have been breaking out their MLB cards.
On May 20, a trade-in for an orange Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph 2026 refractor sold for $14,000. It’s their first card to sell for five figures, but it may not be the last.
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Low-number parallels, chase cards, and Japanese cards have all thrived on the secondary market.
To show the change in value, take a look at an ungraded authentic BBM Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2021 autograph that sold for $1,400 in November. In April, a Gem Mint version of the card sold for $6,000.
If Murakami continues to hit home runs, his card values ​​will likely rise along with them.