5 Baseball Card Sophomore Standouts to Watch in 2019

2018 was a big year for rookies in baseball. And not just the flash-in-the-pan type either. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto look to have the makings of potential generational stars. Shohei Ohtani brought a totally new aspect to the game. Even though he was injured for a chunk of the season and won’t pitch in 2019, he’s one of the biggest names in baseball on the international scene.

But they’re not the only players with Rookie Cards in 2018 products worth watching. There are lots to choose from and keep an eye on in the months and years ahead.

Here’s a look at five players who had Rookie Cards in 2018 that enter 2019 flying under the hobby radar to a certain extent and have some solid breakthrough potential.

Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres arrived with Yankees in 2018 surrounded by hype. Not long after his call-up, Torres’ 2018 cards were pretty much on the same level as comparable Ronald Acuna Jr. cards. Torres was doing fine until injuries killed his buzz. It was a deep year for Rookie Cards and even a Yankee got pushed somewhat into the shadows.

New York’s going to score a lot of runs in 2019. It’s probably not realistic to expect Torres to lead the way but he’ll have plenty of opportunity to contribute.

Playing for the Yankees will also make his star shine brighter if the numbers do come. Even if they’re not huge, there should still be a Bronx bump.

Rhys Hoskins

In his first full season in 2018, Rhys Hoskins was a slugger. That meant an impressive combination of 34 home runs and 96 RBI. It also came with 150 strikeouts and a .249 batting average.

The long ball is nice, but that alone can only take you so far in the collecting world.

But there’s a renewed buzz in Philadelphia now that Hoskins has a couple of new teammates. Andrew McCutchen is nice. Bryce Harper is huge. Expect Rhys and Bryce to make a dangerous combination.

Should Harper catch fire at the plate, it’ll give Hoskins plenty of opportunities to generate runs and team up for some big moments. That potential combined with a higher batting average won’t just make the young player a bigger threat on the field, but it should bring back some of the hobby buzz that followed him after his MLB debut in 2017.

Although Hoskins played 50 games for the Phillies in 2017, his Rookie Cards were held back until 2018 releases. So even though he wasn’t eligible for Rookie of the Year consideration, he’s here given the sophomore standing of his cards.

Ozzie Albies

Ronald Acuna Jr. is the big second-year player in Atlanta. But he’s not the only one.

Ozzie Albies had a strong rookie campaign as well. It just wasn’t Acuna-ian. In hobby circles, there’s a bigger difference between the two than on the stat sheets. Yes, Acuna had the better numbers, but not by a lot. Albies’ line includes 24 home runs, 72 RBI and a 3.8 WAR. Acuna hit two more homers, drove in eight less runs and had a 4.1 WAR. Granted Albies played nearly 50 more games and his batting average was significantly lower.

But if Acuna is a superstar, there’s nothing wrong with Albies being really good.

Ozzie Albies Rookie Cards are still largely affordable. Even the high-end stuff is relatively reasonable, especially compared to Acuna. He’s somewhat overshadowed, which isn’t likely to change. But this is the world of baseball cards and there’s definitely room for really good players, especially when they’re on a young team that appears to be headed for big things.

Tyler O’Neill

Tyler O’Neill flew under a lot of radars in 2018. One could argue that status began in 2017 while still slugging his way through the minors. O’Neill has plenty of power, something that a lot of collectors drool over. Like Hoskins, the Canadian is going to have to reel it in a little bit, hitting just .254 in 61 games with St. Louis in 2018.

Collectors will probably have to be more patient with O’Neill as well. He’s the fourth man in an outfield that also includes Marcell Ozuna, Dexter Fowler and Harrison Bader. O’Neill will get plenty of pinch hitting opportunities out of the gate, which could lead to some big late-inning dramatics.

But it’s going to take a regular spot in the lineup for Cardinals fans and the broader hobby to catch wind of this young slugger. It’s also worth noting that O’Neill has just 11 cards with the RC tag in the Beckett database. While not a small number, it’s tiny compared to the 40-50 a lot of other players from his rookie class have.

Rafael Devers

Rafael Devers is in a similar boat as Hoskins. He played enough in 2017 to make him ineligible for ROY consideration last year. But his debut came late enough that his Rookie Cards were held back for 2018 products so he’s here.

One full season in, one World Series ring down. He enters the season being just 22 as well.

Look for Devers to continue to be part of Boston’s impressive core of homegrown talent for a while to come. Part of a deep lineup, he has the makings of a perennial .300, 30 home run, 100 RBI threat. Like Torres, being a young player surrounded by several other superstars could work to the savvy collector’s advantage as a lot of attention is elsewhere at the moment.