MLB April Wrap-Up

With April now behind us, let's take a look at how some of the players faired on the card market.

• Alex Rodriguez (1994 RC) - ARod's SP RC has been a hot seller since the beginning of the season, when he began his HR onslaught. It peaked around 4/26, a few days after he hit his 14th HR. Since then, ARod has hit a small HR drought, and his SP RC has been slowly dropping in price. Below are some average selling prices so far this season:
  
• 3/10 to 4/1 - $56.33
• 4/2 to 4/26 - $83.68 (+48.5%)
  
• 4/27 to 4/30 - $74.68 (-10.8%)
  
• Vladimir Guerrero (1995) - Vlady has had a great start this season. He's batting .366 with 7 HR & 23 RBI. Surprisingly his Bowman's Best RC card went south on the market, despite his strong production. It averaged $51.70 in March, then dropped to $45.94 in April (-11.1%).
  
• Jake Peavy (2001) - Peavy has been an impressive pitcher from day one in the majors. Now that he's getting more consistent, his RC cards are starting to pick up the steam that they once had a few years ago. His Bowman Chrome Ref RC has been a strong seller, averaging around $52 in April. I saw one of his Topps Fusion Autos (the only RC year auto he has) sell for $67.44 about a week ago. Definitely a card worth investing in.
  
• David Wright (2001 & 2002) - Unfortunately Wright hasn't been able to pick up where he left off last season. Despite having a 14 game hitting streak, which began on game 1, he's hitting a disappointing .244, with 0 HR & 6 RBI. His RC card prices have been a reflection of his level of play. Below is a comparison of average selling prices from March to April:
• 01 UD Prospect Premieres XRC - $25.53 --> $21.77 (-14.7%)
• 02 Bowman Chrome Auto RC - $419 --> $357 (-14.8%)
  
• Ryan Howard (2001 & 2003) - Basically the same story as David Wright; a disappointing April, and falling RC prices to show for it. See March to April comps below:
• 01 UD Prospect Premieres XRC - $33.33 --> $29.33 (-12%)
• 03 Bowman Chrome Draft RC - $50.51 --> $40.66 (-19.5%)
• 03 Bowman's Best Auto RC - $580.83 --> $473.87 (-18.4%)
  
• Felix Pie (2003) - Pie made his long awaited MLB debut in April for the Cubs. He's only batting .233, but it seems like collectors are keeping in mind the upside potential of this 22 y.o. centerfielder, more than his current stats. His Bowman's Best Auto RC has averaged in the mid $80's, and his Bowman Heritage SOG Auto has been right around $30.
  
• Felix Hernandez (2004) - Felix was the hottest pitcher in the majors, with his back to back shutouts, then nearly fell off the radar when he went onto the 15-day DL. As of 4/28, his status showed that his elbow is recovering well, and that he was able to throw a 35-pitch bullpen session. Below is a chronological pricing average for his Bowman Chrome Auto & Bowman's Best Auto RCs.
• Mid March to 4/1 - BC $101.92, BB $51.25
• 4/2 to 4/10 (after 1st shutout) - BC $175.76 (+72.4%), BB $80.66 (+57.4%)
  
• 4/11 to 4/18 (after 2nd shutout) - BC $205.65 (+17%), BB $110.73 (+37.3%)
  
• 4/18 to 4/30 (after injury) - BC $156.42 (-24%), BB $76.70 (-30.7%)

Now might be a good time to pick up some of these guys' RC cards, while prices have temporarily cooled. A good price for ARod's SP RC would be in the $70's to $80's (Although the first one sold today on 5/1 that I saw went for $105.50; his SP RC has one of the widest selling price ranges of any cards that I track!). For Hernandez's Chrome & Bowman's Best Autos, $120's & $50's respectively. For Vlady's Bowman's Best RC, high $30's to low $40's. And for Howard's Chrome & Bowman's Best Auto, $30's & $300's respectively.

More to come!