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Final Up to date On: June seventh, 2025
Angels famous person Mike Trout has been thought-about the darling of contemporary baseball card gathering for a while now, together with his playing cards commanding high greenback and record-breaking gross sales. Since beginning his profession within the huge Los Angeles market, the 2012 AL Rookie of the Yr has accrued a trophy case filled with accolades and at present leads all energetic MLB players in career Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Nevertheless, the pastime is shifting, and so is Trout’s card market. The long run first poll Corridor of Famer has been plagued with accidents, declining numbers, and slim possibilities for postseason appearances or success.
On this article, I’ll discover why Mike Trout playing cards are dropping steam and why it’s time to dump his playing cards for extra reasonably priced alternate options.
What Do You Worth Most When Accumulating a Given Participant?
On the subject of a selected participant within the pastime, what drives your ardour to gather their playing cards?
Particular person accolades corresponding to All-Star appearances, MVP awards, and Corridor of Fame induction are main elements when choosing gamers for long-term card gathering. As analytics have change into extra related in baseball and sports activities playing cards, superior stats like WAR have additional influenced how the pastime values collecting sure gamers. It’s apparent many collectors extremely desired Trout’s playing cards for these causes.
One other standards consists of the quantity of team-oriented or postseason success they’ve accrued all through their profession. Profitable a championship is well known as the final word prize in skilled sports activities, and it constantly boosts demand for a participant’s playing cards over time. That is the place Trout misses the mark by a landslide, which we’ll get into shortly.
For me, as a St. Louis Cardinals and LA Rams fan, witnessing all-time greats like Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Aaron Donald as key contributors to championship groups has massively influenced how I want gathering successful gamers with related resumes.
Then again, collectors who primarily concentrate on flipping or investing are drawn to gamers based mostly on their collectability and liquidity within the pastime. The recognition of a retired participant’s playing cards will be fueled by childhood nostalgia, whereas rising costs, gross sales quantity, and total media consideration can affect present gamers.
Resellers of Trout playing cards through the pandemic growth noticed huge earnings because of the pastime’s surge in recognition and his card costs constantly rising. In fact, Trout’s trajectory was nonetheless comparatively on observe 5 years in the past. Quick ahead to right this moment, Trout’s observe document consists of harm after harm, with hopes of postseason success diminishing by the day.
Mike Trout Damage Historical past and Declining Stats
Staying wholesome on a constant foundation is essential to a participant’s longevity and lasting affect on the sport. As NFL Head Coach Invoice Parcells famously mentioned, “the very best skill is availability”, and recurring accidents have restricted Trout’s enjoying time in recent times. Not seeing his title within the beginning lineup repeatedly has additionally negatively affected the 11-time All-Star’s card costs.
The three-time MVP hasn’t been on the sphere for greater than 140 video games in a season since 2016; he’s missed virtually 60 % of the Angels’ video games since Could 2021. Right here’s an inventory of Trout’s harm historical past in recent times:
- 2021: Calf Pressure (missed 126 video games)
- 2022: Again Irritation (missed 43 video games)
- 2023: Damaged Hand (missed 89 video games)
- 2024: Torn Meniscus (missed 133 video games)
- 2025: Knee Bone Bruise (missed 26 video games to this point)
Trout’s restricted time on the sphere over the previous few seasons has translated into declining stats, averaging lower than 20 HRs and 50 RBI per season throughout that span. He additionally hasn’t posted a WAR over 6 in 4 of the final 5 seasons as a result of his well being points. Trout and the Halos even met this previous offseason to debate these ongoing well being points, agreeing to play proper subject and DH in 2025 to scale back the wear and tear and tear on his physique. Even so, Trout has already missed 26 out of 61 video games performed this season.
In the meantime, superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Choose have emerged because the faces of MLB and baseball card gathering. In contrast to the reigning AL and NL MVPs, Trout has nearly no playoff expertise all through his profession, recording solely 12 profession postseason at-bats in 2014. This has left an enormous void of iconic postseason moments or clutch performances that usually outline a participant’s legacy and long-term collectability.
Declining Mike Trout Card Costs
Mike Trout playing cards proceed their downward spiral in worth. In keeping with Card Ladder’s participant index, Trout’s index is down 47% over the past two years, whereas the baseball card index as an entire is just down 5% over that point.
Most notably, the worth of Mike Trout’s 2011 Topps Replace RC #US175 in PSA 10 graded copies has plummeted practically 70% since 2022. It’s wild to suppose it was promoting for as excessive as $7,500 in 2021 and is now value lower than $1,000. However based mostly on the relatively large number of PSA 10s on the market (round 7,000), I count on this downward development on his Topps Replace to proceed.
Even Trout’s uncommon high-end playing cards like his 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autos have seen values lower by greater than half over the previous three years.
So what do collectors do from right here? It’s clear Trout is on the tail finish of his profession. His lack of enjoying time and diminishing highlight make it a great time to think about exploring different gamers’ playing cards with extra upside.
Hottest Mike Trout Sports Cards on eBay: Live Auctions
Inexpensive Alternate options to Mike Trout
Listed below are a number of gamers who’ve the championship pedigree and clutch playoff moments that Trout’s profession is lacking, whereas nonetheless having comparable stats. The advisable playing cards supply collectors a extra budget-friendly choice and have a powerful potential for value progress based mostly on their successful legacies.
Freddie Freeman
Freeman’s rookie card values have usually been missed in comparison with Trout’s, however lots of his in style playing cards have seen an increase in gross sales and worth since capturing his second championship ring with the Dodgers in 2024.
Freeman was a key participant in LA’s victory over the Yankees through the World Sequence, taking residence MVP honors and setting a document for consecutive World Sequence video games with a house run. His final postseason second set the tone for the remainder of the sequence, blasting a walk-off grand slam to defeat the Yankees in sport one.
This wasn’t Freeman’s first style of postseason success both, anchoring the Atlanta Braves to their first World Sequence victory since 1995 and hitting .304 with 5 HRs throughout their 2021 postseason run. Freeman’s consistency and skill to carry out on the largest stage are what set his legacy other than Trout’s.
A sensible different to Trout’s 2011 Topps Replace is mockingly from the identical 12 months, besides I’d suggest grabbing Freeman’s 2011 Topps Diamond Anniversary parallel rookie card. With there being a lot much less of them on the market in comparison with the bottom model, it has the potential to be a extra precious choice than Trout’s sooner or later.
Hottest Freddie Freeman Sports Cards on eBay: Live Auctions
Mookie Betts
Much like Trout, Mookie Betts is a dynamic five-tool participant who excels in practically each side of the sport. Trout nonetheless outshines Betts in most particular person accolades, corresponding to All-Star appearances, Silver Slugger Awards, and MVP honors. And when evaluating their profession wins above substitute (WAR), Trout is roughly 14 factors larger than Betts’ present complete.
That mentioned, the primary distinction between the 2 future Corridor of Famers’ legacies is postseason success and World Sequence rings. Betts has performed in practically 75 profession postseason video games and was an integral a part of the Crimson Sox and Dodgers’ postseason runs to the title. The 2018 AL MVP can be a significantly better fielder than Trout, successful six Gold Glove awards for his stellar protection within the outfield.
Regardless of their comparable careers, Betts’ hottest PSA 10 rookie playing cards are considerably extra reasonably priced than Trout’s 2011 Topps Replace PSA 10, typically promoting for practically half the worth. Betts’ 2014 Topps Chrome Replace and Topps Replace are each nice alternate options and have considerably fewer PSA 10 graded copies than Trout’s most acknowledged rookie card.
Hottest Mookie Betts Sports Cards on eBay: Live Auctions
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter is broadly identified for his postseason success and thought to be one of many best leaders in baseball historical past. A five-time World Sequence Champion, Jeter performed in 158 profession playoff video games, hitting .308 with 20 HRs and 61 RBIs.
Trout might have outshone Yankees Corridor of Famer Derek Jeter statistically, however Jeter’s sturdiness, postseason heroics, and championships give his legacy the sting over the Angels’ famous person.
Whereas each gamers’ rookie playing cards are extremely coveted within the pastime, costs at present counsel that collectors worth Trout’s particular person accolades over Jeter’s clutch performances and crew success. The Yankee Shortstop’s 1993 Topps rookie card is amongst his most well-known and will be bought at round a 50% low cost to Trout’s high rookie card. To not point out, Jeter’s Topps rookie card has considerably fewer PSA 10 graded copies than Trout’s.
Hottest Derek Jeter Sports Cards on eBay: Live Auctions
Last Ideas
Regardless of Trout’s generational expertise, persistent accidents and the Angels’ continued struggles counsel his greatest days are behind him. Nevertheless, his profession remains to be but to be over, and a deep postseason run or securing a World Sequence title may reshape his legacy and long-term card costs. However with how issues look, collectors who purchased Mike Trout playing cards within the final 5 years ought to contemplate promoting now and placing their cash to higher use.
Some Trout defenders will argue that he ought to be ranked alongside gamers like Mantle, Mays, and Pujols — I’ve to disagree. Whereas I perceive that followers of WAR or MVP awards may maintain Trout’s legacy in the identical regard as these legends, I’d liken Trout extra to Ken Griffey Jr.: related stats, shared pastime recognition, harm woes, and the shortage of a playoff resume.
Hottest Ken Griffey Jr. Sports Cards on eBay: Live Auctions
Even so, if Mike Trout’s profession finally ends up resembling Griffey’s in the long run, that’s nothing to sneeze at given Griffey’s enormous collectibility and sustaining card values. Nonetheless, I personally place better emphasis on championship rings and clutch postseason efficiency versus particular person participant stats or accolades alone. Ideally, a participant with a mixture of each is the candy spot for card gathering — guys like Albert Pujols, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts deserve a more in-depth look over Mike Trout.
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