The story for 2017 baseball cards is Aaron Judge’s torrid pace, and his insane spike in hobby value as the year has progressed. Up until this point, he has a had a number of cards, including many in products from 2013 and beyond. One thing he hasnt had as much presence is with some of the super premium sets, like Museum.

Check out the goods:

2017 Museum Collection Aaron Judge Auto /299

2017 Museum Collection Aaron Judge Gold Framed Auto /10

I have been a big fan of Museum in the past, mainly because of the framed autos and how great those have been over the years. Judge has one, and it might be one of the main cards people want to pull out of the product. He also has a number of autographs elsewhere, including a few other examples that are hard signed.

Museum really has a ton of nice stuff:

2017 Museum Collection Kris Bryant Gold Framed Auto /10

2017 Museum Collection Bryce Harper Jumbo Patch Auto /15

Being that I hate the Yankees as much as I do, I havent really gotten caught up in Judge or Bellinger for that matter, either. Not only is Mike Trout the same age as the new Yankee star, but we have seen insanity like this fizzle out quickly as pitchers figure out how to work around the players. Right, Yasiel Puig? These cards are quickly approaching levels we didnt even see with Bryant, who was similarly hot in 2016 as the Cubs marched to the title. The thing is, Im not convinced Trout and Bryant are anything more than glaring exceptions to a dismal outlook for career longevity of players that have a small sample size of work in the bigs.

Although I do enjoy watching breaks of Museum, Finest, and the other products to see what gems get unearthed, I do weave a cautionary tale in my mind that this could end up so much like it has for so many other players. Prospecting is not about buying in now, its about 3 months too late for that. Buying in now, you may be as close to the ceiling as you are going to get, and comparative value isnt looking to be in your favor.

I write a post like this every time something like this run happens, and every time I find it to be an exercise in patience more than anything. As sets like Definitive Collection and other ultra premium stuff hits the market, its worth considering that just buying what you want is a better proposition overall. Until then, bask in the rays of Judge’s flame, because they might not be a long term thing.