What to Expect from Carlos Correa's Deal with Topps
Carlos Correa is quickly becoming one of the most talked about rookies in the MLB due to his superb performance with the Houston Astros. In only 62 games Correa hit 15 home runs making him the third fastest player in MLB history to so before the age of 21. This feat puts his name up in the ranks with the only two players to ever reach this milestone quicker, Willie Mays and Frank Robinson. With a batting average of .279, 52 runs scored, 22 home runs, 68 RBIS, and 14 stolen bases during the regular season, this rookie shortstop is in the running for the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year award.
Correa’s success and popularity has made his autograph a hot commodity and now the only place to find an officially licensed MLB trading card for Correa is from Topps. Last month it was announced that Topps and Correa have signed an exclusive multi-year autographed deal which includes trading cards, jerseys, bats, balls, and wall art. While the terms of the contract were not made public it was released that the deal would reach seven figures over the course of several years. Most notably this deal was unprecedented for Topps, which as a company has been producing cards since 1951 but has never branched out into other autographed memorabilia.
Now we are starting to see the spoils of this contract as Correa’s first autographed card was released on September 4th in the 2015 Bowman Chrome followed by a second card in the 2015 Topps Triple Threads released September 16th. These cards are currently valued highly and selling well. While the 2015 Topps Chrome Carlos Correa RC #205 will probably continue to be the most popular Correa rookie card on the market there is a lot more to come from Topps and Correa to appeal to a wide base of fans and collectors. Keep a lookout for Correa’s autograph which will be found in the following sets this year:
2015 Topps Supreme
2015 Heritage High Number
2015 Topps High Trek
2915 Bowman’s Best
2015 Topps Heritage ’51
2015 Topps Strata
2015 Topps Update
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It’s safe to say that 2015 has been the year for Correa to shine. So it begs the question, is now the time to invest in this star studded rookie? It has been gratifying to watch this young player’s rise to the top this year and at only 21 years of age we are bound to see a lot more out of him in the future. However, it is never guaranteed that a rookie will be able to maintain such high numbers even if Correa does play with more fervor than most.
Correa rookie cards are selling at respectable prices now but they could skyrocket if he continues on this ladder to the top. For a savvy collector, picking up Correa cards at this early, and extremely successful, point in his career could profit in the long run. It’s always a gamble with a rookie, but some of these early cards are definitely worth consideration. Correa’s deal with Topps certainly bodes well for Correa considering that Topps also booked exclusive deals with young players Mike Trout and Bryce Harper in recent years with both players’ cards maintaining high value. By making Correa their new poster boy and experimenting with autographed memorabilia, Topps is certainly putting faith into Correa’s future. For the time being it looks like Correa could be the new fresh face the hobby needs. Regardless, his cards, and his play on the field, will certainly be worth watching in the coming years.