This article provides an overview of Mike Trout Rookie Cards and Prospect Cards, as well as current values and historical performance.
Mike Trout Player Overview
- Team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Position: Centerfield
- Rookie Card Year: 2011
- Prospect Card Year: 2009
- Date of Birth (Age): August 7, 1991 (29)
- WAR (through 2020): 74.4
Mike Trout is the best baseball player of his generation and one of the best baseball players of all-time. He is only 29 years old, but has put together an impressive resume:
- 3x American League (AL) MVP
- 8x AL All-Star
- 2x AL All-Star MVP
- 8x Silver Slugger
- 2012 Rookie of the Year
His career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is 74.4, already exceeding career WAR of many Hall of Famers such as Reggie Jackson, Frank Thomas, and Jim Thome.
Mike Trout was selected 25th in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft and has played his entire career for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He received the second largest contract in professional sports history in 2019 from the Angles and makes an average of $36M annually (Patrick Mahomes received a larger deal in June 2020).
His status as a top player is undeniable. The interest in and value of his sports cards reflect this. Most of his rookie and prospect cards sell for over $1K for a PSA 10 grade. Below the list of his most popular rookie and prospect cards, as well as a brief analysis of each.
2011 Mike Trout Topps Update #US175 – Rookie Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Rookie Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Topps
- Brand: Topps Update
- Year: 2011
- Type: Rookie
- Autograph: No
- Parallels: Cognac, Diamond Anniversary, Target Red Boarder, Wal-Mart Blue Boarder, Gold #/2011, Black #/60, Hope Diamond #/60, Platinum #/1, Diamond Anniversary Authentic Diamonds #/1, Canary Diamond #/1, #/1, Black Printing Plates #/1, Cyan Plates #/1, Magenta Plates #/1, Yellow Plates #1,
- Price (2020): ~$2.4K for base PSA 10
Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout Topps Update US#175 rookie card is Mike Trout’s flagship rookie card. This rookie card, including all parallels and conditions, has been exchanged more than any other Mike Trout card in 2020 with well over 1K transactions via auction on eBay from Jan – Nov 2020.
The card has seen a significant increase in value from 2012 to 2020. A base PSA 10 version of this card sold for ~$50 in 2012. The same card sells for ~$2.4K today, an impressive 54% annual growth rate, which is more than double the growth rate of Google’s stock price over the same period.
For collectors who are interested in buying their first Mike Trout rookie card, this is a great card to start with. A low-grade base version of sells for ~$400, while a high-grade parallel sells for over $10K, providing a variety of price points to purchase the card.
The card image features Mike Trout post-swing presumably looking at a ball he had just hit. He is wearing his white Angels jersey and blue baseball helmet.
2011 Mike Trout Bowman Chrome Draft #101 – Rookie Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Rookie Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Topps
- Brand: Bowman Chrome Draft
- Year: 2011
- Type: Rookie
- Autograph: No
- Parallels: Refractors, Blue #/199, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, Printing Plates, SuperFractor #/1, Canary Diamond #/1
- Price (2020): ~$1K for base PSA 10
Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout Bowman Chrome Draft #101 is among the most popular Mike Trout Rookie cards. This card, including all parallels and conditions, was the second most sold Mike Trout card in 2020 with close to 1K transactions via auction on eBay from Jan – Nov 2020.
The card has seen a significant increase in value from 2012 to 2020. Like the 2011 Topps Update #US175, a base PSA 10 version of this card sold for ~$50 in 2012. The same card sells for ~$1K today, a 39% annual growth rate. The card has not appreciated much as the Topps Update version, likely because this is not considered Mike Trout’s first rookie card.
For collector’s who are looking for a lower entry price point, to add to their existing Mike Trout collection, or simply prefer this card over the Topps Update, this is a great card for you. An ungraded or low-grade version of this card can be purchased for ~$200, though high-grade parallels can cost more than $5K. Regardless of which version you buy, this is a beautiful card.
The card features Mike Trout at-bat, stepping into a potential swing. He is wearing his grey Angeles uniform with high red sox and a red baseball helmet.
2011 Mike Trout Bowman Chrome #175 – Rookie Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Rookie Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Topps
- Brand: Bowman Chrome
- Year: 2011
- Type: Rookie
- Autograph: No
- Parallels: Refractors, Blue #/150, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, Printing Plates, SuperFractor #/1, Canary Diamond #/1
- Price (2020): ~$2.5K for base PSA 10
Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout Bowman Chrome #175 is among the most popular Mike Trout Rookie Cards. This card, including all parallels and conditions was the third most sold Mike Trout card in 2020 with over 300 transactions via auction on eBay from Jan – Nov 2020.
The card has seen a significant increase in value from 2012 to 2020. Like both the Topps Update #US175 and Bowman Chrome Draft #101, a base PSA 10 version of this card could be purchased for ~$50 back in 2012. The same card sells for ~$2.5K today, a 54% annual growth rate.
The card has appreciated at a similar rate to the 2011 Topps Update. Despite this not being Mike Trout’s first rookie card, there are only ~450 graded PSA 10 vs. ~1,150 graded PSA 10 for the Mike Trout Bowman Chrome Draft card, which is the likely driver of the 50%+ annual growth rate.
This card could be appealing to collectors who are looking to add to their Mike Trout collection or are looking for a lower entry point on a Mike Trout rookie card. An ungraded or low-grade version of this card can be purchased for under $200, though high-grade parallels can cost more than $5K.
This card features Mike Trout standing in the batter’s box waiting for a pitch. He is wearing a red Angels jersey with white baseball pants.
2011 Mike Trout Bowman Sterling #22 – Rookie Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Rookie Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Topps
- Brand: Bowman Sterling
- Year: 2011
- Type: Rookie
- Autograph: No
- Parallels: Varies
- Price (2020): ~$2K for base PSA 10
Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout 2011 Bowman Sterling #22 is another option for Mike Trout collectors. The card has a high price-point compared to other Mike Trout rookie cards because of the low pop count. Only 122 base PSA 10 cards have been recorded to-date.
The card features Mike Trout in a white Angels jersey and red angels hat winding up to throw a baseball.
2011 Mike Trout Topps Finest #94 – Rookie Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Rookie Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Topps
- Brand: Finest
- Year: 2011
- Type: Rookie
- Autograph: No
- Parallels: Varies
- Price (2020): ~$1.4K for base PSA 10
Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout 2011 Topps Finest #94 is also an option for Mike Trout collectors. An ungraded or low-grade version of this card can be purchased for ~$150, but a PSA 10 costs ~$1.4K.
The card features Mike Trout in a red Angels jersey and baseball helmet running the bases.
2011 Mike Trout Panini Playoff Contenders #17 – Rookie Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Rookie Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Panini
- Brand: Playoff Contenders
- Year: 2011
- Type: Rookie
- Autograph: No
- Parallels: N/A
- Price (2020): ~$650 for base PSA 10
Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout 2011 Panini Playoff Contenders #17 is one of the only rookie cards not produced by Topps. Panini does not have license to manufacture with MLB logos which is why no Angels logos appear on this card. An ungraded or low-grade version of this card can be purchased for ~$50, but a PSA 10 costs ~$650. The card features Mike Trout in a white jersey and red hat.
2009 Mike Trout Bowman Chrome Draft Autograph #BDPP89 – Prospect Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Prospect Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Topps
- Brand: Bowman Chrome
- Year: 2009
- Type: Prospect
- Autograph: Yes
- Parallels: Refractor #/500, X-Fractor #/225, Blue #/150, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, Printing Plates, SuperFractor #/1
- Price (2020): ~$8K for base PSA 10
Prospect Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft #BDPP89 is the holy grail of Mike Trout baseball cards. This card, including all parallels and conditions was sold less than 200 times via auction on eBay from Jan – Nov 2020.
The SuperFractor 1/1 of this card is also the most expensive sports card ever sold. The card sold for ~$3.9 million in August 2020, eclipsing the T206 Honus Wagner baseball card which sold for ~$3.1 million in October 2016. Watch Angels’ coach Joe Maddon react to the news of the sale.
The card saw a significant increase in value from 2012 to 2019. A base BGS 9.5 / Auto 10 version of this card sold for ~$450 in 2012. The same card sells for ~$18K today, a 51% annual growth rate which is roughly the same annual growth rate observed from the Mike Trout’s 2011 Bowman Chrome and 2011 Topps Update cards.
This is a great card for the Mike Trout collector with money to spend. It is the most expensive Mike Trout card and one of the rarest, less than 200 base PSA 10 cards have been recorded to-date.
The card features Mike Trout in a batting stance wearing an Angels uniform. The card includes an on-card autograph and a 1st Bowman Card logo, indicating this is the first prospect card of Mike Trout created by Bowman.
2009 Mike Trout Bowman Sterling Autograph #MT – Prospect Card (Buy on eBay)
Mike Trout Prospect Card Details:
- Manufacturer: Topps
- Brand: Bowman Sterling
- Year: 2009
- Type: Prospect
- Autograph: Yes
- Parallels: Refractor #/199, Gold #/50, Black #/25 copies, Red #/1, Printing Plates (set of 4) #/1
- Price (2020): ~$5.3K for base BGS 9.5 / 10 Auto
Card Analysis:
The Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Sterling Autograph is the second highest priced Mike Trout prospect card. A BGS 9.5 / 10 Auto costs ~$5.3K, while a PSA 8 sold for ~$2.2K in August 2020.
This card has a slightly lower price point to Trout’s flagship prospect card, the 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft #BDPP89, but it is still expensive. This would be a great card for existing Mike Trout collectors or collectors looking to buy a Mike Trout prospect card with an autograph at a slightly lower price point compared to the alternative.
The card features a white American League background with Trout in a red jersey and grey pants. The card also includes a “Prospects” title across the top and a sticker autograph just below the image of trout.
Other Mike Trout Rookie and Prospect Cards
- 2011 Mike Trout Topps Heritage Minor League Edition #44 – Rookie Card (Buy on eBay)
- 2009 Mike Trout Donruss Elite Extra Edition #57 – Prospect Card (Buy on eBay)
1 comment
Great site very helpful.