So many exceptional young players have come into baseball over the last five years that we sometimes forget how incredibly lucky we are. Several up-and-coming people today might be considered generational talents in less bountiful times. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is near the top of that list.
As a prospect, all the scouts were unanimous. Vlad had some of the best hitting tools they had ever seen. It also helped that the youngster had a remarkable bloodline. His father, Vlad Guerrero Sr., is a Hall of Famer and a 9-time All-Star.
And it didn’t take long before he turned theory into practice and dominated the MLB. 2021 was one of the best seasons a 21-year-old had ever had in the annals of the sport. Guerrero Jr. hit 48 homers, the youngest player ever to hit that many. But he isn’t just a slugger. The Blue Jays slugger is remarkably patient and can also hit for contact. So, he garnered a .311 average alongside a .401 on-base percentage. His OPS was an ungodly +167. Since then, he has retreated a bit, but Vlad’s 2022 and 2023 seasons were also strong, and he made the All-Star team in all three years.
Some issues with Vlad concern the experts. While a patient at his best, Junior can sometimes throw caution to the wind and swing at bat pitches. The player also hits far too many ground balls. And, of course, he isn’t much of a fielder. But because of his larger-than-average body type, he is expected to be a pure DH. That makes him a less valuable player in the long run.
Collecting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rookie Cards
Vlad was one of the biggest and most exciting names when he came into the game. But since then, so much new talent has come into the league. A new player steals the headlines every few months, from Wander Franco to Adley Rutschman to Elly De La Cruz. That takes the spotlight off more established youngsters like Vlad.
However, there is an upside to the wide selection of excellent young players in the MLB. The players who are not the flavor of the month lose some of their card value. That is where an eye for who is going to last in the league (and hobby) comes in handy. The point is, if you believe in Guerrero (and I certainly do), now is the time to invest in him. Grab the current flavor of the month when people forget about them, too. That is the way.
Vlad came up deep in the Bowman era. Therefore, we have an excellent selection of prospect cards for the player. That means there are a lot of good options for investment. That is why it's crucial to have a guide like this to find the best Vladimir Guerrero rookie cards. There are almost too many options, and you must be careful which ones you grab.
2019 Finest Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rookie Card #101
A PSA 10 sold for $27
The 2019 Finest Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rookie Card #101 looks nice. The design and background are well-conceived, with matching colors. No one wants to see Vladimir Guerrero Jr. try to play third base. But they capture him in a nice moment of seeming competence. But for whatever reason, they only have a base Vlad card in this release. That is a missed opportunity because Finest has some wonderful refractors for other players in the 2019 product.
2019 Topps Diamond Icons Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Autographs #AC-VGJ (PURPLE)
A PSA 9 sold for $350
One thing we try to do here at Cardbase is give you the best buys. I think 2019 Topps Diamond Icons Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Autographs #AC-VGJ (PURPLE) is a great play. Especially now when Vlad cards are criminally underrated. The last sale for one of these was in 2021 for the price seen above. I am certain they are worth more now. However, as a /10 auto it is certainly still undervalued. This one is also quite attractive, which will assist in guaranteeing future value. Thank us after you buy it. There is also a non-purple version 2019 Topps Diamond Icons #AC-VGJ Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. /25 if you can't grab the purple one.
2019 Topps Allen & Ginter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC #278
A PSA 10 sold for $60 / An auto PSA 10 sold for $450
The Allen & Ginter release, named after a classic early tobacco card set, specializes in vintage-looking cards. The 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC #278 card showcases this franchise at its best. The item looks classically timeless, yet somehow very much of our era. Furthermore, this is one of the most flattering pics of Guerrero. We are used to seeing his irresistible smile or his hard-working, concentrated face. but here, the player looks positively angelic! Look for an auto version of this card. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced.
2019 Topps Series 2 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC SP #NNO
A PSA 10 sold for $61
The 2019 Topps Series 2 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC SP #NNO is a perfect-looking rookie card. It has a beautiful action shot of one of the best-hitting prospects in recent memory. It is a genuine rookie card in the full sense of the word. Meanwhile, the design for the 2019 flagship may not be the most memorable ever made. However, it beautifully complements colorful pictures and is very well executed by Topps. The card is missing a number, which may be a valuable variation.
But all of these advantages are for naught. The lack of a number is promotional rather than a mistake or a variation. Since this is an excellent old-fashioned base card, it is worth very little. But for true collectors, this is an essential card.
2019 Bowman’s Best Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #26
A PSA 10 sold for $46 / a PSA 10 Gold Refractor sold for $202
The Bowman Best release brings a metallic background sensibility to baseball prospect cards. Sometimes it works very well. But to me, the 2019 Bowman’s Best Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #26 doesn’t pop, at least not in its base version of this rookie card. Some other versions, such as the Gold Refractor, look much better. The card has a nice action shot, although it does capture a bit of Vlad’s clumsiness. Still, isn’t that an indelible part of his charm?
The Bowman Best cards of the player are seriously undervalued. We know from other cards that they can reach good value. When Guerrero establishes himself further, these rookie cards will increase in asking price.
2019 Panini Immaculate Collection Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC #20 Autograph Patch /99
A raw copy of this card is selling on eBay for $300
Of course, Panini baseball cards are never our first choice. They come unlicensed and noticeably hiding the team affiliation. But there is no doubt that the company excels at making beautiful RPAs. Immaculate is not the most valuable of the Panini RPA brands, but it certainly makes some of the most attractive ones, especially if you prefer the larger patches. There is no arguing with the aesthetic appeal of the 2019 Panini Immaculate Collection Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC #20 Autograph Patch /99 card. It has decent value as well. But despite being numbered 99, it probably won’t be up much in value.
2019 Bowman Platinum Vladimir Guerrero Jr. SP #27
A PSA 10 sold for $275 / A PSA 8 Auto-Red Version sold for $369.95
The Platinum Topps Prospects is one of several Bowman prospect products that hasn’t quite carved out a niche in the hobby. The somewhat Prizm-reminiscent backgrounds are weak and don’t provide a particularly appealing selling point. Nonetheless, the 2019 Bowman Platinum Vladimir Guerrero Jr. SP #27 card has a dramatic and attractive picture of our hero taking his mighty swing. The release is also relatively hard to find because its 2019 iteration was Walmart only. So, attention to all shoppers!
2016 Bowman Family Tree #FT-GU Vladimir Guerrero / Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
An authenticated copy is currently for sale on eBay for $800
Call me an emotional trainwreck (it's ok, my ex-wife already did) but something about a father-son dual auto really gets me in the old ticker. The Guerrero’s could be in the remarkably unique position of being a Hall of Fame parent and son tandem. I also like how they used an early Montreal pic for papa Guerrero in the 2016 Bowman Family Tree #FT-GU Vladimir Guerrero / Vladimir Guerrero Jr. card. That way both are in their Canadian team uniforms. It also makes the Vlad Sr. pic look more vintage which is a nice touch. It also helps that the background is attractive and both signatures are well rendered. Therefore, the price these are going for right now seems very reasonable.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #201 (GOLD WAVE REFRACTOR)
A PSA 10 sold for $1,725.
While the Vlad Guerrero Series 2 card did not come in any exciting variations, the 2019 Topps Chrome version certainly did. Thank goodness for that, because this is one remarkably beautiful shot that deserves special attention. If you take even a cursory look at the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #201 (GOLD WAVE REFRACTOR) card, it's easy to see why this is such a favorite. The gold background looks absolutely spectacular. The numbers also speak well for long time value. There are 28 graded copies overall. 20 of them are PSA 10s, which is an indication of how well people take care of this gorgeous card.
2019 Bowman Chrome Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #73
A PSA 10 sold for $51 / A PSA 10 of the Orange Refractor sold for $2,750
Guerrero is a very photogenic guy with a wonderfully infectious smile. However, the 2019 Bowman Chrome Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #73 card catches him looking very serious. We don’t get a glimpse of his irrepressible charm. It also shows the Blue Jays player doing what he does worst: fielding. So, this is undoubtedly not his best-looking card.
Bowman Chrome is the primary Bowman card, the equivalent of a flagship card in their releases. That is both a good and bad thing from the value perspective. It guarantees that the cards will not dip beneath a certain level. Some of the other releases have a less firm floor. But it also means there are larger print runs for many cards. As you can see, the base card is worth very little, even by base standards, because everyone has one. The good news is that the refractors are going for reasonably low prices because Vlad isn’t currently in the spotlight.
2019 Topps Heritage Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rookie Card #504 (BLACK REFRACTOR)
A PSA 10 sold for $3,256
The price above is a bit of a fluke. It's the only sale above $1,500 that I have seen. But it does signify how popular this card is. There is a magic in the way the vintage look of Heritage meets the refractor sensibility in the 2019 Topps Heritage Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rookie Card #504 (BLACK REFRACTOR) card. There are only 30 graded copies of this. You can get it for a far lower price than this right now and should if you can.
2019 Topps Definitive Collection Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC Autographs #VGJ (PURPLE)
A PSA 10 sold for $4,017
The Topps higher end cards tend to be less attractive than their Panini counterparts. We all know that. But for baseball cards they are licensed and therefore have higher value. The 2019 Topps Definitive Collection Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC Autographs #VGJ (PURPLE) has a very Panini-like execution. It works on an aesthetic level. And because it's numbered /10, it should gain value.
Final Word On Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rookie Cards
The prices for these cards speak for themselves. Considering the ungodly talent possessed by our friend Vlad Guerrero Jr., his cards are hitting very reasonable price points. Some of those are doubts about the trajectory of his career. But I think most of us agree that the Blue Jays slugger is going to accomplish incredible things. Rather, it is the short attention span of baseball fans that is lowering the prices. People have moved on to shinier things. But that doesn’t mean Junior isn’t one of the most gifted hitters in baseball. But buy now before he reminds everyone else. The key is to buy low and sell high, after all.
