Market Update #2: The WBC Is Driving Baseball To New Highs
You're probably not buying enough Aaron Judge.
The World Baseball Classic is in full swing, opening day is right around the corner, and the baseball card market is hot. This post is going to break down some of the most profitable MLB cards you can buy now.
Previous posts have covered Shohei Ohtani and Konnor Griffin as key targets for us. Both remain targets and we’ll actually look at a couple more Ohtani cards below.
The remainder of the post will focus on other superstars like Aaron Judge and Mike Trout, as well as rising talent like Jac Caglianone and Junior Caminero.
You can read our previous analysis on Ohtani, Griffin, and plenty of other cards at the following links:
Analysis based on Expected Value (EV). Read the full EV tutorial here.
Expected Value = PSA 10 Value x Gem Rate + PSA 9 Value x (100% - Gem Rate) - Grading Costs - Selling Fees
Profitable Cards To Grade Now
1. Shohei Ohtani
We’ve bought a ton of Topps, Topps Chrome, and Bowman Chrome Ohtani rookies lately, but less of the other variations. With that said, profitability is strong on the 3 cards below, and we’ll be targeting all three going forward.
2018 Topps Finest #100
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $160
PSA 10 Value | $450
PSA 9 Value | $220
Gem Rate | 63.7%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $263.86
Expected Profit | $103.86
Expected ROI | 64.9%
Note: Technically, this also could be submitted in the Value service level (which would increase margins), but generally raw cards worth around $150 or more we bump up to the Value Plus tier for faster turnaround times. This is just a matter of preference.
2018 Topps Finest Refractor #100
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $1,250
PSA 10 Value | $3,200
PSA 9 Value | $1,350
Gem Rate | 60.9%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Regular
Expected Value | $1,991.96
Expected Profit | $741.96
Expected ROI | 59.4%
2018 Bowman Sterling Continuity #BS-SO
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $515
PSA 10 Value | $1,200
PSA 9 Value | $550
Gem Rate | 77.6%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $858.89
Expected Profit | $343.89
Expected ROI | 66.8%
2. Aaron Judge
We bought a lot of Aaron Judge cards in 2025, but less so far in 2026. With his market on the rise, this is a key target for us now. There’s also a lot of these on the market, so if you want to increase your grading profits this is a great place to focus.
Note that most of these grade really well, but the 2013 Bowman Chrome card is tough because most of them are off center. Pay extra attention to top/bottom centering on these.
2013 Bowman Chrome #BDPP19
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $290
PSA 10 Value | $1,000
PSA 9 Value | $335
Gem Rate | 39.4%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $459.50
Expected Profit | $169.50
Expected ROI | 58.4%
Note: Make sure you don’t accidentally buy the mini version of this card. It looks the same, it’s worth a lot less. It’s also worth noting, it has a different card number, so it’s easy to spot.
2017 Bowman Chrome Batting #56
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $160
PSA 10 Value | $575
PSA 9 Value | $180
Gem Rate | 76.5%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $351.60
Expected Profit | $191.60
Expected ROI | 119.8%
Note: This is a wake up call to me more than anything. This just went from a card I haven’t been targeting to one of my top targets. These Market Updates help me as much as they help you.
2017 Topps Chrome #169
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $155
PSA 10 Value | $400
PSA 9 Value | $200
Gem Rate | 78.8%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $256.11
Expected Profit | $101.11
Expected ROI | 65.2%
2017 Topps Chrome Refractor #169
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $490
PSA 10 Value | $1,150
PSA 9 Value | $490
Gem Rate | 79.7%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $823.90
Expected Profit | $333.90
Expected ROI | 68.1%
3. Mike Trout
Notes: This was one of our most bought cards in 2025. Despite the sub-50% gem rate and the age of the card, we grade very well on these (9 PSA 10s out of 14 submissions).
2011 Topps Update #US175
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $275
PSA 10 Value | $940
PSA 9 Value | $340
Gem Rate | 42.5%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $457.13
Expected Profit | $182.13
Expected ROI | 66.2%
4. Rising Talent: Bowman Chrome Autos
Notes: This section is for the young talent that hasn’t quite ascended to superstar status. Jac Caglianone and Jacob Wilson were big targets of ours last year, and we graded well on these. As their markets rise, they are emerging as targets again as the season approaches.
Kevin McGonigle is one of the top prospects in baseball and is a solid target right now based on Expected Profitability. We’ll see if he can crack the Tigers opening day lineup.
Junior Caminero rounds out this list as he’s the most proven player on this list coming off a 40 home run season in Tampa Bay.
In general, Bowman Chrome products tend to be well produced and one of our favorite products to grade. There’s lots of different refractors of these cards, which can be good targets as well (although we mostly buy the base cards).
2024 Bowman Chrome Jac Caglianone Auto #CPAJC
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $300
PSA 10 Value | $675
PSA 9 Value | $325
Gem Rate | 57.8%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $394.83
Expected Profit | $94.83
Expected ROI | 31.6%
2023 Bowman Chrome Jacob Wilson Auto #CDAJWI
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $125
PSA 10 Value | $380
PSA 9 Value | $135
Gem Rate | 50.1%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value
Expected Value | $186.24
Expected Profit | $61.24
Expected ROI | 49.0%
2025 Bowman Chrome Kevin McGonigle Auto
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $340
PSA 10 Value | $785
PSA 9 Value | $410
Gem Rate | 48.8%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Max
Expected Value | $459.12
Expected Profit | $119.12
Expected ROI | 35.0%
2023 Bowman Chrome Junior Caminero Auto #CPAJCR
Values & Gem Rate
Raw Value | $290
PSA 10 Value | $700
PSA 9 Value | $290
Gem Rate | 59.6%
Profitability
PSA Submission Tier | Value Plus
Expected Value | $400.65
Expected Profit | $110.65
Expected ROI | 38.2%
Question: When you grade cards with Auto, are you getting the card and auto graded? Or do you just get the card graded with auto athenticated? I know the 10/10 is ultimate but not sure if the Auto 9 grade is worse than auto authenticate. What is the best strategy when grading auto cards that you are reccommending?
If I missed this I apologize but how do you decide on what tier you use?