March Madness has begun, and we are not just talking about college basketball, which would make me “Captain Obvious.” Great college basketball games have been played and are still being played with upsets aplenty. If only these players were not “playing for peanuts,” they would have cards that we would see an increase in price. Also, Spring Training is winding down and roster spots are being filled, which leads to an increase in those players’ cards.
Puig has done it all this spring. He has hit for power, been stealing bases and is defending like a gold glover. Apparently, the only thing he can’t do is walk; he has drawn 0 in 55 plate appearances this spring. He is hitting .547 in Spring Training with 3 home runs. He is expected to start the year in Double-A, but if he tears it up like he has done this spring, we could soon see him in the big leagues.
With the Dodgers’ prospect hype and the impressive Spring Training, Puig’s cards have heated up. 2012 Leaf Valiant Autographs are up to $55, and a /99 parallel has sold for $100. His Leaf Valiant redemption (that can be up to 5 cards), sold for $150. A 2012 Leaf Memories autograph /25 sold for $225. The list goes on and on, and it’s not restricted to autographs.
The Miami Heat have been on fire by winning 25 in a row, but Jeff Green almost stopped that on Monday night. Jeff Green put up 43 points against the Heat, and they almost came away with the win. Kevin Garnett was out with the flu, so Green decided to be aggressive. He showed up big time.
After his impressive game on national television, many buy it nows were being hit for Jeff Green’s cards. Ones that were selling for $5 the previous week were being hit for $25-$30.
This guy can’t seem to stay off the hot list, but hey, what’s hot is hot. Bradley might have even locked up a roster spot today with a towering home run and Jacoby Ellsbury’s apparent injury. JBJ is the Red Sox’s future, and many Boston fans have taken notice.
His base 2012 Bowman Chrome Autograph has reached the $100 mark, and even his USA autographs are being hit for $40 plus. If his success can translate into the regular season, he will be a valuable piece for the Red Sox. The problem lingering in the Red Sox’s front office is whether to start his service time now or wait a few months.
Brandon Belt Autographs
Brandon Belt is a great baseball name, and he has been “belting” many home runs of late. Belt was a big-time prospect when coming up in the San Francisco Giants’ farm system, and he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype. His power is not what all expected when he only hit 7 home runs in 145 games last year in the big show. He has matched that number of home runs in only 19 games this Spring Training.
Belt’s hot streak has increased his card prices over the last week. They are not what up to what they were a couple of years ago when he was considered a prospect, but they are up nonetheless. His 2011 Bowman Chrome autographs are up to $32 from the $20 mark last week. His 2012 Topps Chrome autographs are up to $15, which is a $5 increase from the previous week. If you bought them for low prices this winter, it could be time to cash in.
High-End Julio Teheran Autographs and Parallels
So how does Julio Teheran celebrate his victory of securing the #5 spot in the rotation? He throws 5 innings of no-hit ball against the Astros with 10 strikeouts. Teheran also has the privilege of being on the hot list again for the second week in a row. Many of his high-end cards have been posted and sold, including a 2010 Bowman Chrome red refractor autograph /5 that sold for $1,000. Refractors /500 have sold for a solid $90 as well. A 2009 Bowman Chrome non autographed red refractor BGS 9.5 sold for $375.
Chris: It’s spring training, and that was the Astros. I think we all need to take a step back before these prices get any higher. He is coming off a season with a 5+ era in the minors.
Although he is only competing for a bench spot on the Brewers roster, Khris Davis has put up impressive numbers this spring. Hitting .316 with 6 home runs, Davis has put up a valid argument to have him pinch-hit in late innings.
Khris Davis’ autographed cards have been hot throughout the spring, but they have increased again over the past week. 2011 Bowman blue refractor autographs are up to $36 from $25 last week, and a gold refractor autograph was hit for $90.
