Resurgence of Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard had a dismal start this season, batting .222 with 9 HR & 30 RBI through April & May. Then, Howard started to pick things up, hitting .280 with 10 HR & 27 RBI in June, and he's batting over .300 so far in July. His 01 UD Prospect Premieres XRC hit one of its lowest points last month, averaging around $20 TAC (they could be found for as low as $15 on some days). It's now starting to rebound, selling in the $20 to $25 range. His 03 Bowman's Best Auto RC was averaging around $375 TAC last month. I haven't seen any ungraded ones on auction yet in July, but I expect that they'll sell for around $400 (if not more) now. *Note: one 03 Bowman's Best Blue Auto sold on 6/10 for $870 TAC.

These two cards are my favs for Howard. I was tracking his 03 Bowman Chrome Draft RC also, but didn't think it was as unique or interesting as his XRC from 01. His 03 Donruss Elite TOTC Auto #'d 100 is just too scare (I've only seen a couple raw versions for sale this year).

I think that Howard's key RC's are still undervalued at current TAC levels, with quite a bit of upside potential. I'm holding on to the ones I have, and may even pick up a few more before he joins A Rod & Fielder in the HR race.