Ronald Acuña Jr.

Acuña Jr. returned to the Atlanta lineup in late April and showed little rust from his months-long rehabilitation resulting from knee surgery last year.  The one exception to this was his power stroke, but with 4 home runs so far in June, Acuña is back on track in this area as well.  At the time of writing, the Braves were playing their best baseball of the season, winners of 13 games in a row.  I look for the Braves to eventually overtake the Mets to win the National League East, setting up what should be a wonderful playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Acuña has a ton of rookie cards from which to choose.  One of the most sought by collectors is the short printed “bat down” card from 2018 Topps Series 2.  In PSA 9 condition, this card carries a price of more than $600.  If this is outside your budget, a more economical option is Acuña’s 2018 Topps Chrome #193, which will cost you around $45 for a PSA 9.

Jose Ramirez

This season at age 29, Ramirez is in the midst of another remarkable year.  So far in 2022, Ramirez has amassed wins above replacement of 3.0, has a chance to hit more than 40 home runs by season’s end, and leads the American League in runs batted in with 59.  I keep waiting for Ramirez to get old and his production to fall off, but that has yet to happen.  Realistically, he still needs at least four more All-Star level seasons to get into the Hall of Fame.  For Ramirez, maintaining productivity into his 30s will be important for his legacy and interesting for collectors to watch.

One of Ramirez’s most popular rookie cards is his 2014 Topps Chrome.  In mint condition, this card costs $75.  Also, on the prospect front, be aware of his 2012 Topps Pro Debut.  In PSA 9, this card is an affordable $40.

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