With the Major League Baseball season scheduled to begin in March, it’s an opportune time to look at some rookies who can make their mark in the upcoming campaign.
Baseball card collectors know the importance of rounding out their portfolios during the off-season. Snapping up prospective picks for affordable prices and selling high after they receive call-ups in the spring or summer is very lucrative.
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Anyway, here’s our list of minor-league players to watch as you wait for the new season.
1. Jackson Holliday
Target Card: 2022 Jackson Holiday Bowman Chrome Prospects 1st Bowman BP-61
Standing at a towering 6 feet, the 20-year-old is widely regarded as one of the highest-rated prospects in the MLB. As the son of former baseball powerhouse Matt Holliday, Jackson certainly has enormous expectations to live up to.
Check out our top Jackson Holliday rookie card picks, as now is a great time to buy.
However, the weight of expectation hasn’t hindered his ability on the field. The Baltimore Orioles shortstop and second baseman boasts impressive minor league career stats, including:
- .320 batting average;
- 84 RBIs; and
- .939 OPS
Holliday – who won the USA TODAY Sports’ 2023 Minor League Player of the Year award – is now expected to get the chance to make it onto the major league roster in February or March. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde echoed this public sentiment, stating:
“I’ve never seen a kid that young go that fast, have that much success this fast, especially at a high level like Triple-A at 19. The numbers he’s put up through his short minor-league career, especially for his age, are really incredible. I think we’re going to give him every look — as much looks as possible — at spring training, give him every opportunity.”
Picking up a few of Holliday’s cards could be worth the investment, especially as he draws closer to big league promotion.
Target Card: 2022 Bowman Draft Jackson Holliday 1st Bowman Chrome #BDC-168
2. Junior Caminero
Target Card: 2023 Junior Caminero 1st Bowman Chrome #BCP-61
The talented Dominican Republic in-fielder made waves for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023, earning his status as one of the top-ranked MLB prospects.
Junio Caminero’s rookie cards are ready to explode in 2024.
Caminero’s career trajectory has been eye-opening, to say the least, as he ascended through Tampa Bay’s farm system in the past year, going from High-A to the majors after skipping the Triple-A league in its entirety.
Playing as a shortstop and third baseman, Caminero is a .316 hitter with 51 home runs and an equally impressive 178 RBI with .093 OPS in just 223 career minor league appearances.
Although he’s expected to drop back to the minors, he’s shown enough ability to give the Tampa Bay Rays management something to ponder before the 2024 campaign begins.
It certainly would be a decent gamble to target Caminero in the off-season, especially because Wander Franco’s playing status for the upcoming season is unknown. Taylor Walls is recovering from hip surgery, which puts his season-opening availability in doubt.
With Caminero making his mark given limited opportunities, grabbing a few of his cards now and listing at call-up is a good idea worth considering.
3. Evan Carter
Target Card: 2020 Evan Carter Bowman Draft 1st Chrome Prospect #BD-126
21-year-old Evan Carter appears to have cemented his place as an outfielder for the MLB’s Texas Rangers in the post-season, but the man is yet to earn a spot on the spring training roster.
Having never played on opening day, picking up Carter’s cards would be a decent gamble considering the upcoming MLB campaign.
Here’s what Carter’s manager – Bruce Bochy – had to say about the player’s prospects:
“When a guy gets a chance to play in the major leagues and, of course, in the postseason, he has an idea what it’s about. The unknown factor is out now, and [Carter] knows he can play in the major leagues. He has shown that. Once you do it, you can do it again.”
His career regular-season stats show 5 home runs, 12 RBIs, and a .0306 AVG in 23 games, which is not too shabby.
Accompanying those figures with the combined experience of 40 regular season and playoff games gives Carter a fantastic chance of nailing down a starting spot in the spring, making his cards a potentially worthwhile investment.
4. Dylan Crews
Up next, we have the Washington Nationals’ talented 21-year-old Dylan Crews.
He was MLB Pipeline’s top-rated position player in the 2023 Draft, proving that an imposing 6-foot frame is not all that’s in his locker, as he can hit the ball hard and consistently with a well-honed right-handed stroke.
Having spent most of his time playing center field, Crews had an impressive 2023 with 5 home runs, 29 RBIs and 0.844 OPS in 35 games.
Although his chances of a spring call-up are not guaranteed, Crews will likely receive an invitation to join camp training in February. If you look at the current roster, no other players block Crews’ pathway to the majors outside of Lane Thomas and a free-agent signing.
Overall, Crews could be a shrewd pickup with the new season looming because the small sample size of games he’s played suggests he has all the skills to make it as one of the top prospects in the sport.
Target Card: 2023 Dylan Crews Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes Blue Auto #CNTS-DC
5. Jackson Chourio
Last but not least, we have the Venezuelan baseball outfielder Jackson Chourio. He plays for the Milwaukee Brewers in MLB and is another solid target whose cards may be worth picking up today.
The 19-year-old – who signed a staggering 82 million deal with the Brewers – ranks second on the top 100 MLB prospects on MLB.com, pitting him as a once-in-a-generation talent who could transform the fortunes of this franchise.
Chourio’s exceptional baseball ability is without question, as he managed 22 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 44 steals in 128 combined games with Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville in 2023.
More notably, his versatility makes him capable of playing anywhere in the park. For instance, his speed allows him to cover a lot of ground from center field, while his contact at the plate is loud when he thumps balls to the right or the left.
Now would be an opportune time to add his cards to your portfolio because any hype surrounding his potential call-up in 2024 is bound to lead to significant value spikes for his cards across the market.
Target Card: 2022 Jackson Chourio Bowman Chrome 1st #BCP-79
Final summary
So, there you have it! Those are our top five picks for MLB rookies you should target in the off-season.
We’re betting massively on Jackson Holliday being a standout performer, as there’s a high probability of him receiving a call-up for the majors.
If you decide to crunch down the numbers laid out for you, you’ll discover that these cards could present avenues to sell high when spring training begins in the new year.