Juan Soto had no shortage of attention within the baseball card hobby, and his explosive start in the MLB, following his debut in 2018, only added to the hype and interest.
For me, and many others, the best Juan Soto card is his signed 2016 Bowman Chrome card, which is one of his key all-time cards, and the low-numbered Refractor parallels are his most expensive baseball cards.
Due to the timing of his MLB debut, a good deal of 2018 baseball card sets don’t include a Soto rookie card, but he is found in most sets released after August of that year, and I think he still has some good options.
He certainly doesn’t have as many first year cards as his fellow ‘18 rookies, like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani.
So, what are the best Juan Soto prospect cards and rookie cards? The list below takes a look at the top options, from readily available and cheaper cards, to the high-end and expensive cards. They’re listed in no particular order.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary - Top 3 Picks
The Best Juan Soto Rookie Cards
2018 Topps Update Series Juan Soto #US300
Collectors were made to wait for the flagship Soto rookie card, but it eventually arrived in the 2018 Topps Update set.
While it might be a bit more plentiful in supply than many of his other rookies, this one has the significance of being from the most popular line in the hobby, so it’s popular.
The card has a couple of valuable short print variations, featuring different images on Soto, as well as numerous parallel options.
The lowest-numbered parallel versions are among Juan Soto’s most expensive rookie cards, like the 1-of-1 parallel, which sold for $42k in 2023, graded BGS 9.
2018 Topps Chrome Update Series Juan Soto #HMT55
The 2018 Topps Chrome update followed not long after the regular update set, and included this Chrome version of the flagship Juan Soto rookie card, with the same image.
It gives a more premium feel to the regular Topps Update card, with the chrome finish.
Like the regular card, this Topps Chrome rookie has a number of parallels, for a tougher and more valuable chase.
A PSA 10 graded copy of the Gold Refractor parallel (/50) sold for $20.4k in 2022.
2018 Topps Chrome Update Series Autographs Juan Soto #HMT55
The 2018 Topps Chrome Update set also includes this autographed card for Soto, and for me, it’s his best rookie card option.
The slight downside is the fact the autograph is a sticker, instead of on-card, but it’s still an appealing feature, and it helps make it one of the most valuable Soto rookies.
There are Refractor parallel options for this one as well; A PSA 10 graded copy of the Gold parallel version (/50) sold for $28.8k in 2022.
2018 Bowman’s Best Juan Soto #29
Another Chromium option, with plenty of color in the design, is the 2018 Bowman’s Best Juan Soto rookie card.
It’s the only true base Soto rookie card under the Bowman brand.
The Refractor parallels offer further color and value, particularly the very low-numbered ones. The base card is sought-after, but overlooked, by those with a bigger budget, for the hard-signed autograph version.
2018 Panini Flawless Juan Soto #20
The 2018 Panini Flawless Juan Soto rookie card is a super-rare, and appealing option, with an embedded diamond featured within the card.
It’s numbered to just 20 copies, and it’s one of Soto’s most valuable base rookie cards.
A couple of very limited parallels takes the total number of cards to just 24.
2018 Donruss Optic Juan Soto #181
Found at the time in packs of Panini Chronicles, rather than a standalone set, the 2018 Donruss Optic card offers collectors a Chrome version of the regular Donruss Rated Rookie card.
The base card is a low-cost option, which is also accompanied by multiple parallels, with the low-numbered options holding the higher value.
2018 Topps Fire Juan Soto #181
Another inexpensive option for a Juan Soto rookie card is the 2018 Topps Fire release.
This one features a bold and colorful design, which can be appealing to some. It also has some parallel options.
2018 Topps Heritage Juan Soto #502
The 2018 Topps Heritage release took card designs in the set back to 1969 – Juan Soto’s 2018 Heritage rookie card offers a simple and budget option.
The various Chrome parallels are more sought-after, and valuable.
It’s a set that is more notable for including the first MLB Juan Soto autographs, following his Nationals debut.
2018 Topps Triple Threads Juan Soto Autograph #RA-JS
The 2018 Topps Triple Threads offers this classy looking premium Juan Soto rookie, with the appealing on-card signature being the main feature.
It’s numbered to 99 copies, with multiple lower-numbered parallels, so that rarity adds to its appeal and value.
2018 Topps Five Star Juan Soto Autograph #FSA-JSO
2018 Topps Five Star brings another premium Juan Soto autographed rookie card option. Like the Triple Threads auto card, this one features a classy design, and is one of Soto’s most valuable rookies.
It includes a hard-signed autograph, but the base version isn’t numbered, which is a bit of a shame – Exact print run is unknown for this one. However, there are six different numbered parallel options.
2018 National Treasures Juan Soto Autograph Patch #64
2018 Panini National Treasures continues the super-premium brand’s tradition of having RPAs with on-card signatures, jumbo patch, and low print run.
It’s no different for this Juan Soto National Treasures rookie patch autograph card, which is numbered to just 75 copies, with numerous lower-numbered parallels.
While the baseball National Treasures RPAs don’t hold the same weight as they do in other sports, like football, this is still one of the rarest Juan Soto rookie cards, and it holds good value.
There are some parallel options as well; A copy of the Gold parallel (/49) sold for $2.47k, back in 2021, graded PSA 8.
2018 Topps Dynasty Juan Soto Autograph Patch #AP-JSO1 - #AP-JSO3
There are 3 unique Juan Soto rookie cards in 2018 Topps Dynasty, all numbered to just 10 copies.
The 3 cards all feature premium and appealing characteristics, including on-card autographs and large patch pieces.
Even with the 3 print runs combined, and the addition of a couple of very low-numbered parallels, it’s a very small number of cards available – It goes without saying that these 3 cards are extremely hard to come by, and not cheap to buy.
The Best Juan Soto Prospect Cards
Soto’s first prospect cards came as early as 2016, with additional cards in some 2017 and early 2018 sets, before his rookie cards started to release.
Here’s a look at Soto’s top prospect cards:
2016 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autograph Juan Soto #CPAJS
Juan Soto’s most important and significant card is the 2016 Bowman Chrome Prospect autograph card; It’s his most valuable baseball card ever.
First Bowman Chrome auto cards have become a linchpin for virtually every player these days.
The brand prestige of Bowman Chrome, as well as the hard-signed autograph and images with MLB uniforms, makes the cards so desirable and sought-after.
The array of Refractor parallels offer added color and rarity; In 2022, a copy of the Red Refractor parallel (/5) sold for $192k, and there have been numerous sales of over $100k in the past.
A 1-0f-1 Superfractor version exists, which is the grail of Juan Soto cards.
Usually, Prospect Autographs are accompanied by an unsigned version in the set, but Soto’s first regular Bowman Chrome prospect card didn’t arrive until a year later, in 2017.
2016 Bowman International Ink Autographs Gold Juan Soto #II-JS
The 2016 Bowman Chrome auto card might be the most sought-after, but it wasn’t Soto’s first Bowman autograph – The 2016 Bowman baseball set included this International Ink insert card.
The insert comes in both signed and unsigned versions. The autographs cards are numbered to just 99, with an additional one-of-one Metallic parallel.
2017 Bowman Chrome Prospects Juan Soto #BCP180
For many, the cornerstone 2016 Bowman Chrome autograph Juan Soto prospect card is too expensive and unattainable – Usually those collectors would have the option of an unsigned version, but because Juan Soto didn’t have one in 2016 Bowman Chrome, this base 2017 Bowman Chrome prospect card holds a bit more significance, than it perhaps should.
Ultimately, it’s a second year card, and it’s very much affordable. It also comes with an extensive Refractor rainbow, which offers more scarcity and value.
When Was Juan Soto’s Rookie Season?
Juan Soto’s rookie season was the 2018 MLB season, with the Washington Nationals.
What Is The Most Expensive Juan Soto Rookie Card?
The most expensive Juan Soto rookie card to buy is his 2018 Topps Chrome Update Series autograph card; The Refractor parallels are where the value is found, with the lowest numbered parallels selling for tens of thousands of dollars before.
What Is The Most Expensive Juan Soto Prospect Card?
Easily the most expensive and desirable Juan Soto minor league card is his 2016 Bowman Chrome Autograph card; A Red Refractor version (/5) sold for $192k in 2022.
There have been numerous high-value sales of the card, over $100k.
