When a baseball player is called up, collectors wonder when their first rookie card will arrive in a pack.
For recent call-ups, we may have a good idea. Even though it’s only May, it looks as though any player making his debut from now until the end of the season will appear in 2027 products.
Topps gave a little hint with its recent Topps Now cards, which are daily cards depicting the top moments from the day before, and are only available for 24 hours.
The rookie cards naturally have the RC logo on them, but starting on 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 featured on cards with the “Call-Up” designation are being held for next year’s products. That means players like Waldschmidt, Yankees’ Spencer Jones, Mets’ A.J. Ewing, Seattle’s Colt Emerson, and Oakland’s Henry Bolte won’t have Rookie Cards until 2027.
Topps and MLB may need as many rookies as they can get for next year with a potential lockout on the horizon.
More than a parallel
Some of 2026 Bowman’s top cards have been low-numbered parallels and autographs, and while they are still top chases, Topps has added a few new elements that are resonating with collectors.
One of the popular new inserts is Crystallized, where the design is reminiscent of the inside of a geode. A recent Gold parallel featuring Shohei Ohtani sold for $21,249.
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The Final Draft insert features graffiti artwork against a brick wall. A Jacob Misiorowski Black parallel recently sold for $1,000.
While the Anime inserts are not 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 chase ink to find value.
Murakami Moneymaker
Murakami is having an amazing first season in MLB. He currently leads the American League with 17 home runs.
The White Sox first baseman isn’t just making Chicago fans happy, but also collectors who have been pulling his MLB cards.
On May 20, a redemption for a 2026 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph Orange Refractor sold for $14,000. It’s his first card to sell for five figures, but it may not be the last.
Low-numbered parallels, chase cards, and Japanese cards have been thriving on the secondary market.
To show the change in value, take a look at an ungraded 2021 BBM Tokyo Yakult Swallows Authentic 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 smash home runs, his card values will likely rise along with them.