Everyone wants to be first. Collecting MLB signatures is no different. Similar to the stock market, it is a all about when you got in and when you go out for a lot of sports memorabilia collectors and dealers. The memorabilia industry has always had a fascination with the rookies, the new crop of youngsters getting their first crap at the show. Oftentimes these first year pro’s signatures are not easy to come by. The best chance to acquire a signature prior to their first big signing is to follow them across middle America when they are no names trying their hand in the Minor Leagues. Companies can go bankrupt quickly and some can strike it rich after some time, rookies are no different. If we had a dollar, or let’s say fifteen dollars to cover the cost of a baseball, for every time a prospect fizzled out in the minors, we would not have bins full of “batting practice” baseballs in our warehouse. It is a fickle sport and picking which prospect will boom and which will bust is as accurate as aiming for bullseye after a couple Lites.
The 2018 Major League Baseball Rookie class has seen instant production from can’t miss prospects and surprising outputs from “no-name” prospects. The summer heat will put the pressure on these rooks, some who find themselves in the thick of divisional title races. Adjusting to MLB ball has been seamless them for these five newcomers. Current trends in the memorabilia industry has shifted to “hot market” sales where champions, rookies and breakout players are fetching the most clicks and sales. Every crop of rookies are different but with two of our top five crushing baseballs for the Bronx Bombers, lots of attention and dollars are being spent on them. Injuries certainly put a damper on the “Hype Train” but Shohei Ohtani still has dazzled the league enough to earn him the top spot on our list.
1. Shohei Ohtani has lived up to the hype for the 2018 Angels. Slugging over .535 while sporting a clean ERA around 3.00 is an accomplishment we have not seen in our lifetime. Spraining his UCL was the only thing to slow down the hype for Shohei autographs. His autographed baseballs are still fairly scarce on the market place and are selling for upwards of $500. With his arrival only a few weeks away, his stock will pick right back up across the industry. We expect Ohtani to be all the buzz at the this year’s National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
2. Gleyber Torres was known as the piece the Cubs chose to part with for a chance at a World Series run. Gleyber has proved to be worth every mile per hour of Chapman’s blistering heater as he is the frontrunner to take home American League Rookie of the Year. Torres, who could legally sip his first Moscow Mule six months has stole the show in the Big Apple. Since his April 22nd call-up, he has been arguably the most productive second-baseman in the American League. Fans are hitting the virtual polls in droves to get Torres to the Midsummer Classic in Washington DC this month. Gleyber’s autographed items could have been scooped up cheap last season when he was on the shelf with a knee injury, now his memorabilia cannot be placed on your shelf for less than $200 American Dollars.
3. Juan Soto has been the least heralded of this top five but arguably the most efficient since his call-up to the Nationals. His signature is interesting, resembling a math problem where you solve for Juan divided by Soto. With Algebra being the furthest Math course I have, the answer to that equation is a popular signed baseball that retails for $150+. Perhaps overshadowed by other star power in the Nation’s capital – Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and even Donald Trump, Soto is carving his niche on a team that could be changing come November. Soto is here to stay in the DC and projects to be a major national asset. In a little over a month of service, Juan Soto has kickstarted the Nats with an over 1.000 OPS. Soto’s plate discipline as a 19-year old is simply astonishing. At 19-year year’s old, the next election will be the first he can legally vote for so do him a favor and help vote Juan Soto into the All Star Game.
4. Ronald Acuna Jr. was the toast of Atlanta when he got the call in late April. Acuna Jr. proved himself worthy right off the bat, stroking a home run in only his second professional game. The Acuna moonshots kept coming, hitting five in his first month in the show. Currently on the DL, Acuna is preparing himself for a deep postseason run with the young Atlanta Braves. His signed baseballs were selling rapidly after each tape measure shot. If we have learned anything from the past, this would be the time to purchase his memorabilia because once healthy, it is only a matter of time until is among the best in the sport.
5. Miguel Andujar is the biggest surprise of this list. With the Yankees illustrious farm system, Andujar played the role of Babe – not the Bambino, the star of the 1995 film whose tagline reads, “A Little Pig Goes A long Way”. Miguel Andujar is no pig, but being overlooked in a stacked minor league system is exactly what he has been up until 2018. Andujar has found his power stroke in new Yankee Stadium, crushing 11 bombs in his first half season. Coming into the 2018 campaign, the hot corner was marked as a weakness for the Yankees, Andujar has not only filled the role but is thriving. Andujar’s signature is arguably the fullest of this group. His signed memorabilia will be a hot commodity if this group of Yankees makes a deep October rally.
Keep in mind, this list could change daily as these rookies are proving themselves on the most difficult stage on a nightly basis. For more information and many more signed baseballs, check out our current supply of authentic autographed baseballs.
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