Fernando Tatis Jr. comes from a baseball family. His father, Fernando Tatis Sr., played in the Major Leagues himself. The elder Tatis even accomplished a weird feat, hitting two home runs in the same inning. The game has seen some father-and-son combinations over the years.
One of those family combinations, the Boone family, even had three generations play – Ray, Bob, and both Aaron and Bret. Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. even played on the same team one year. Hall-of-Fame slugger Vladimir Guerrero's son, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is one of the game's brightest stars.
Nearly every parent wants their child to do better than them, though, and early signs pointed to Tatis Jr. accomplishing that. Well, that was before he ran into some trouble and also a suspension. He finished third in the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year voting, behind Pete Alonso, and he displayed great power, hitting 42 homers in '21.
Then everything went awry. He had an offseason motorcycle accident after he had signed a 14-year $340 million contract with the Padres, and then he was discovered to have taken performance-enhancing drugs, which wiped out his '22 season.
The baseball card market still loves Tatis Jr., though. His card values are still very high and he can improve that even more if he has a great 2023 season. Doing that would put a lot of naysayer questions to rest.
There was some potential drama heading into 2023. The Padres, who Tatis Jr. plays for, signed free agent Xander Bogaerts, who is a shortstop. Since Manny Machado is entrenched at third, there might be a change of scenery in store for Tatis Jr. in the form of a trade – there were whispers that he might be sent to the Yankees.
Whether he lands in the Bronx or elsewhere or stays with the Padres, there will be more baseball cards made. As far as his having a lasting impact on the card market, we are certainly optimistic as we look through the most valuable Fernando Tatis Jr cards as fans get ready to start the 2023 season.
2019 National Treasures Rookie Patch Auto Card Gold/10 #DAPFTJ1-8
No, this card has nothing to do with a Nicolas Cage movie. That would actually be pretty cool if it did – maybe Cage could be convinced to bid on it. Instead, it has a picture of Tatis Jr on the top and there is a patch that is from one of his uniforms.
The nice thing about this is that these cards have different photos of Tatis on different cards. You need to move fast, though, as the prices are already in the thousands on auction sites. Expect to have to pay more if he winds up rebounding and getting on track again.
2019 Fernando Tatis Jr Panini Immaculate Collection RPA RC #FFT
This is a beautiful card with different uniform patches. It's a vertical card and there is a small picture of Tatis on the right of the card. There are several different versions, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to over $1,000 for a card. That is also because they come with his autograph on them. That will always drive up the price.
2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Auto #CAA-FT
If you want a card that Tatis has already signed, this is a great one. He puts his autograph on a great spot on the card. There may be other companies that have a stronger grip on the baseball card market than Topps does, but this is a great one to buy to boost your autographed card collection.
You are going to have to be willing to shell out some money for one of these cards. Some various late 2022 eBay listings were listing different variations of these cards for about close to $1000. If Tatis winds up having a monster '23 season, you could expect that price to get even higher.
2019 Topps Series 2 RC #410
This card is unique due to the fact that it is a landscape one, meaning that you turn it on its side. The photo is of Tatis rearing back to throw the ball, probably to the pitcher. If you get the Gold Card, you can get it for around $200.
There is a RC symbol on the upper left corner that denotes it as being a Rookie Card. Of course, in this day and age, it is just one of many “rookie cards.” Still, it's a good cardio have and it can be gotten for fairly cheap on some markets, providing you get a reputable seller that has a lot of good ratings.
2016 Bowman Chrome #BCP 17
As far as Ferrnando Tatis Jr rookie cards go, this is an amazing one to have. You can tell that he is young. Also, you can see that the team logo there is of the Chicago White Sox.
Yes, the White Sox drafted him and then traded him to the Padres in exchange for pitcher James Shields. If he gets back on track like he was in '21 before his motorcycle accident, he could make this trade be one of the all-time worst for the Pale Hose. Shields is already out of baseball, so the deal is looking iffy enough as it is.
Don't make any dumb trades with this card. Do your research before doing anything that you might regret.
This card can go for around $200 or more, depending on whether you get involved in an aggressive bidding war on a site like eBay. Do not get fooled by listings that start off at 1 cent. You will wind up having to pay a lot more.
2019 Bowman Heritage Fernando Tatis Jr Rookie Card #53VR
Here's another one of the best Fernando Tatis Jr rookie cards. It's a great action shot of him starting to run out of the batter's box after connecting on the pitch that was thrown. The card has the MLB-approved “RC” symbol on the top to note it as being a Rookie card. If Tatis has autographed it, it can sell for over $350 in mint condition.
Bowman has returned as a big player in the trading card market and some of their cards can fetch a pretty good price. You just have to see how Tatis Jr does for the rest of his career to see if it stays that way.
2019 Bowman Chrome Green X-Fractor Parallel #26
Tatis Jr is a flashy player. He even got in trouble for breaking the *gasp* unwritten rules of the game by homering during a blow-out. You would have thought the Padres manager was going to commit seppuku after the game after that grave insult. This card personifies the shortstop, though.
It's shiny and noticeable even from a distance. Bowman did a very good job designing this card. You don't have to apologize to anyone for putting this card in your very own collection. You can see it on the market for anywhere between $250 and $425 and possibly even higher, depending on the grade of the card.
2019 Topps Brooklyn Collection Gold/50 #13
There's a song by the Beastie Boys called “No Sleep Til Brooklyn.” Fortunately, you don't have to go without resting to get your hands on this Brooklyn Collection card from Topps. Instead, all you have to do is go online and search for it.
While it is among the most valuable Fernando Tatis Jr baseball cards, you don't have to break the whole bank to get it. It can be had for a couple hundred or just a smidgen more, which is way less than it could possibly wind up being in the future.
2019 Bowman's Best #58
Are you in the market for a refractor card? This one is a good one to target since some people don't like how it looks due to the flares on the right of the card. You can expect to pay around $80 or so for it, which is pretty good for a card of that type, though you might be able to buy lower if you find a seller who just wants to get some money for it.
The photo is also a good one, with him about to start his swing. That way, you can imagine that he is about to launch a pitch deep into the bleachers. Maybe he can start that habit up again when he plays in '23.
2019 Topps Finest Blue Refractor Auto #85
This is another affordable refractor card for you to contemplate adding to your collection. As of this writing, it could be found on sites like Amazon for just a shade under $100. That's not a bad gamble to take for something that could wind up greatly appreciating in value.
It's also a very interesting-looking card with blue on one side and yellow on the other. Tatis Jr is following through on a swing and looking to see whether it looks like it could be a hit. Think about getting this one.
2019 Stadium Club Auto #88
This is a very similar card to the one up top. It's a card that is in a landscape orientation, not a portrait. The pose is nearly the same, people could possibly mistake it for that. The two are very different.
If you can get this one autographed by Tatis Jr, the value could go up significantly and possibly make it one of the most expensive Fernando Tatis Jr baseball cards. Check the prices for it and see if you can swoop in on one that is priced on the lower end.
2019 Fernando Tatis Jr Topps Chrome Update RC #54
There are some Chrome Updates for Tatis that can cost thousands on auction sites, but they tend to have his autograph on them, which means that collectors managed to get him to sign the card. This one is much more affordable, costing around $100.
The card itself has a nice photo of Tatis early in his swing, his bat yet to cross the hitting zone and across the plate. If you like seeing how balanced these guys are when swinging, this is one for you. Overall, you could wind up making a good amount when eventually selling it.
2019 Fernando Tatis Jr Topps Heritage RC #517
If you find a refractor version of this card, you should consider yourself very lucky. That card can fetch a really good price. The regular ones can also be a really good investment, where you could pay $35 for this, though if you got an autographed version, that could significantly increase the price.
The card itself shows Tatis Jr. standing there, holding a bat up to his shoulder. It's a pretty tame pose compared to the other action shots of his. You could see it as a nice tame buffer between those.
2019 Fernando Tatis Jr Topps Rookie Card 150 Years 1984
This card, which is in the same design as the 1984 Topps Cards – remember when everyone wanted the '84 Topps Mattingly – with the team name running horizontally on the side, is a very affordable one. You could get it for about $20. That is, unless it's autographed – expect to pay more.
You see Tatis Jr. early on in his swing again, about to drive the bat through the hitting zone. If you are feeling nostalgic about the '80s, this is a nice card to have.
2019 Fernando Tatis Jr Topps Authentic RC #3D
This is one of those that you should be able to get for a good low price – though you might see some online auction listings where the seller goes way overboard with the price. If you do your research, you will likely be able to save a good amount of money.
The card itself is a vertical one, showing Tatis throwing. It's a good card that could wind up appreciating in value over the years.
If Tatis Jr. is going to succeed long-term in the Majors, he is going to have to mature… very quickly. Doing dumb things like getting into motorcycle accidents when you are on a contract that gives you generational wealth is something that he needs to stop. Otherwise, he could be hurt even worse – we just need to look at Jose Fernandez to show that being a young athlete doesn't shield you from mortal consequences if you do risky things.
All of this can make you wonder which number of these would make the best Fernando Tatis Jr rookie cards to choose from out of this batch. It's going to be a waiting game and time will tell which will be worth the most … or if they will become worthless.
As of this writing, Tatis Jr. is considered a blank page. He is far from writing his tale, which could be one of greatness or it could be one of squandered potential – whether it be from injuries, underperformance, or more PED usage and subsequent suspensions. We will have to see how 2023 and beyond play out for him – and his baseball card prices could ebb and flow due to how his career plays out.
There is no denying that he could be one of the most exciting players in the game if he can play up to what he is capable of. Right now, the only thing that people who hold Tatis Jr cards can do is wait. Some may see that as being the fun part of the collectibles market … and others may see it as agony. It’s all how you view it.
