Corbin Carroll, the 22-year old rookie sensation for the Diamondbacks, has had the attention of card collectors since his call up late last season. Carroll backed up his cup of coffee last season with a campaign that could net him a Rookie of the Year award, if not a National League MVP. His odds of winning the latter went from +20000 to +2500 between June 8a and June 12. If he can do it, he’d become just the third player to earn both ROY and MVP honors.
Standing at 5′ 10″ and weighing 165 pounds, Carroll may not look like a prototypically dominant outfielder, but he is a true five-tool player.
Collectors have been spending quite a lot of money on his baseball cards, although the arrival of Elly De La Cruz seemed to generate a bigger buzz. In the last three months, over 19,000 Carroll cards have been sold on eBay alone, for a total of $639,000. A 2019 Bowman Chrome Draft Black Wave Refractor graded BGS 9.5 is the top selling card at $10,000, but so far only ten cards have sold for $2,000 or more on eBay, which suggests prices have yet to really explode.
All of that despite the fact that the 2019 first round pick doesn’t have a ton of cards to pick from quite yet. There are definitely some worth stashing away.
Here are five Corbin Carroll Prospect and rookie cards to consider and below that is a real time list of the most watched auctions for Carroll cards.
#5 – 2023 Bowman – Bowman Spotlights #BS-1
2023 Bowman featured some of the first rookie cards of Corbin Carroll. Bowman isn’t know for being the best rookie card to invest in, collectors typically save that for flagship sets. But, the Spotlights insert set is beautiful in its simplicity. Parallels of this set can go for a pretty penny, but the base version, graded or not, is a great inexpensive add to any collection.
#4 – 2023 Topps Series 2 Base #ARI-16 (& Mirror SSP)
Paper rookie cards can tend to be a dime a dozen, but for a player of Carroll’s caliber, having a few of these in your collection is never a bad thing. The Series 1, Series 2 and Update flagships sets will always feature the best paper rookie card of any player, and Carroll’s Series 2 base rookie is no different. It can be had for just a couple of bucks with parallels, including the Gold version numbered to 2023, for those who want something more limited.
A huge chase that Topps introduced starting with 2023 Series 1 is Golden Mirror SSP Base Variations for every player on the checklist. Carroll’s SSP is a huge chase in this product and may end up being his most sought after non-autographed rookie card this year. A few have emerged and one just sold for a pretty big price.
#3 – 2019 Bowman Chrome Draft Sapphire Edition #BDC-125
Carroll’s 2019 Bowman Draft Chrome Sapphire card is easily the most visually appealing on the list. Collector’s love Sapphire cards, and this one should be no different. Carroll is nearly unrecognizable in this 2019 set when compared to the photos on his rookie cards, but make no mistake, this is a top tier prospect card to collect and will be far more limited compared to most.
Regardless of whether you prefer a 1st Bowman card over a Rookie Card, there is no denying that Carroll’s Sapphire card will have long term appeal if he continues to perform at a high level. It’s still a relatively low cost gamble even at the highest end of the grading scale.
#2 – 2023 Topps Series 1 Autograph #88BA-CAR (& Baseball Stars)
When 2023 Topps Series 1 released, it was a bit of a surprise when collectors pulled Carroll rookie card autographs, especially since his base rookie was held out until Series 2. Topps’ decision to include him in this set as an autograph in its “Baseball Stars” subset only makes these cards all the more special.
My personal preference leans toward the 1988 35th Anniversary autograph since it features an on-card auto. But, if you’re lucky enough to own either the 1988 auto or the Baseball Stars sticker auto, then you officially have his first rookie autographs in your collection.
#1 – 2019 Bowman Draft – Chrome Draft Pick Autographs #CDA-CC
Whether you pulled or purchased this card in 2019, or picked one up before the season, there is something special about seeing someone in your collection blossom into a major league star. There are parallels, here, of course, and the lower the serial number the higher the cost.
By all accounts so far, Carroll is a can’t miss prospect turned rookie, and this one would be the crown jewel of any Carroll collection. The Bowman Draft Chrome autos are like a blue chip stock and Carroll’s rookie campaign has had these on an upward climb.
Carroll is a pretty easy guy to root for and he’s also connected with the hobby, even appearing as a guest at the Topps Industry Conference.
Below is a current list of the hottest auctions for Corbin Carroll cards. To see all of Carroll’s cards for sale and auction ending soon, click here.
