When playing baseball trivia if you were asked whom the player who reached ten career home runs the fastest was you might answer Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, or Barry Bonds. None of those answers would be correct, nor would the player of 
note be enshrined among them in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. The answer would be Rhys Hoskins, who before August 10 of this year would be found on the roster of the Triple-A Leigh Valley IronPigs. Called up by the last place Philadelphia Phillies, he went on a home run tear the likes of which baseball had never seen. His electrifying start have Rhys Hoskins baseball cards flying off websites.
Rhys Hoskins Prospect Cards
Hoskins’ path to the majors began in 2014 when he was selected in the fifth round of the MLB draft by the Phillies. He first appeared in the base sets of 2014 Bowman and Bowman Chrome Draft. Quantities of each are usually available on eBay. Hoskins was also part of a minor league team set issued by the Class-A short season Williamsport Crosscutters.
By 2016 Hoskins was playing for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils, where he batted .281 with 38 home runs and 116 RBI. This was also the year that Hoskins’ autograph cards arrived in Panini’s Elite Extra Edition. The market for these cards has been strong in recent days, approaching $200 for the Purple (#’d to 100) and Red (#’d to 75) parallels. He also has an autographed Contenders College Ticket card showing him in his 
Sacramento State uniform. Once available for $25-$35, recent sales have pushed well past $100 with most sellers opting for the auction route. The 1/1 auto from that subset recently surfaced on eBay and sold for $699.
For those looking for Rhys Hoskins on a Topps product the selection is few and far between, with no signed cards available. In fact, to date the only pack purchased Hoskins cards are in 2016 Topps Heritage Minors and 2017 Topps Pro Debut. While the Heritage card is from an attractive set with a retro feel, the lack of an auto results in this card still selling for $1.
2017 Topps NOW and Beyond
Hoskins’ arrival in the big leagues has been tailor-made for Topps NOW, with the company able to chronicle his headline-making arrival with multiple cards that are the first to show him in action during a major league game.
Collectors will have to wait a few months to own an official Rhys Hoskins rookie card. He’ll be part of 2018 Topps Series 1, due out at the end of January.
Below is a real-time look at the hottest Rhys Hoskins cards on eBay.
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