One of baseball’s more captivating stories in 2023 was the long-awaited debut of Cincinnati Reds super prospect Elly de la Cruz. As the year winds to a close, we’re getting a look at just how much of an impact he had on the collectibles market—along with some other data on what baseball card collectors were searching for.
The 21-year-old Dominican shortstop immediately turned heads after he was called up on June 6. He became the first player in the World Series era to collect 20 hits, steal five bases and his three home runs in his first 15 games. His ‘stolen base cycle’ against the Milwaukee Brewers in July– the first Reds player to steal all three in the same inning since Greasy Neale in 1919–proved to be one of the top moments of the year.
“Elly de la Cruz” was the most-searched athlete globally on eBay in June and the second most searched keyword in the sports card category. It was in that month that a PSA 10 Bowman Chrome Autographed Red Sapphire Refractor sold near $40,000.
In July, collectors were still clamoring for his cards. He ranked fifth on the list of most searched players during the month.
Over the last 12 months, eleven de la Cruz cards sold for $20,000 or more on eBay.
A few notes regarding other young players:
*During each month of 2023 (January – October), MLB rookie Julio Rodriguez made the top ten most-searched list in the sports memorabilia category on eBay globally, and was the top-searched keyword January – April 2023. Over 390,000 Rodriguez cards have sold in 2023 for more than $11 million. The 1/1 2022 Topps Update J-Rod SuperFractor autograph sold for $20,000 in November.
*Anthony Volpe reached his search peak in March 2023, the month he made his Yankees debut. During the year, 15 Volpe cards sold for $5,000 or more on eBay. However, the average sold price for Volpe cards dipped considerably by the end of May.
*Jasson Dominguez searches grew in September, when the long awaited Yankee burst onto the scene and became the youngest player in the modern era to hit four home runs in his first seven games.
*Corbin Carroll searches peaked in October 2023, the month he cemented his status as Rookie of the Year. Thirteen cards of the Arizona Diamondbacks star have topped $5,000 this year.
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