MLB Generation Next (Part 3)

Juan Soto

Club: Washington Nationals  

Position: Left Field

Age: 22

Verdict: Buy

I am a believer in Soto.  He is only 22, has 86 career home runs, and won a World Series title.  So far, 2021 has been considered a subpar year for Soto.  Even so, he was selected to the All-Star team and is trending toward a wins above replacement total of 5.75.  If Soto has “down” years like 2021 from now until he is 35, he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  

One of Soto’s most actively traded rookie cards is his 2018 Topps Chrome Update (pictured).  A PSA 9 copy of this card will cost you around $175.  If this is beyond your budget, consider Soto’s 2018 Topps Heritage or his 2018 Topps Archives.  PSA 9 versions of these cards can usually be obtained via eBay auction for $60 dollars or less.  The Topps Archives is especially appealing as only around 900 of these cards have been graded by PSA.   This is significantly less than the Topps Chrome Update.  PSA has graded more than 11,000 of Soto’s Topps Chrome Update cards currently.