Prospecting is a huge part of Baseball cards these days, as there are a lot of collectors who do most of their buying and selling in players who have yet to make their MLB debut. As can be expected, its a risky game, as there is no guarantee that a top draft pick or low end prospect will ever get a shot the way they do in other sports. Two big prospects this year have recently been in the news for good reason, and their cards are going nuts.

Check out values on recently called up Yasiel Puig:

2013 Bowman Yasiel Puig Mini Red Refractor /5

2012 Leaf Metal Draft Yasiel Puig Purple Refractor Auto

2012 Leaf Ultimate Draft Yasiel Puig Auto

Here are some values on top prospect Jurrickson Profar, who has also played well so far:

2012 Bowman Chrome Jurrickson Profar Blue Refractor Auto BGS 9

2012 Bowman Chrome Jurrickson Profar Red Refractor BGS 9.5

2013 Bowman Lucky Redemption Number 2 – Jurrickson Profar

Jurrickson Profar is one of the top prospects in all of baseball according to many of the websites that rank their potential, and his major league debut, followed by 2 home runs in 10 games and a .324 avg along the way has led to major speculation regarding his potential as AL rookie of the year. On the other side of the league lines, Yasiel Puig of the LA Dodgers has been called up today to help fill injury holes left behind by Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford. His autographs are Leaf Exclusive, but he does have a lot of other Bowman cards that collectors are trying to chase down.

Here is the thing, I am not someone that really believes that either player is on track to be the next Mike Trout or Bryce Harper, two players that carried the hobby last year. I dont think their skill set is even close to where they need to be to really get the big bucks in their autos. However, if either or both of the guys ends up putting together a rookie of the year style campaign, that should help to fill a weak year for baseball cards.

Since 2010, there has been someone each year to build products around in ways that casual collectors will want to buy in. This year, with Trout and Harper not appearing in as many sets, and Panini securing the Stephen Strasburg exclusive, there is not much to float the licensed products the way there has been in previous years. Players like Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa are still a few years away, and their autographs can only be in a handful of products each year. Now that Puig and Profar has made the big league roster, they can be included in every product necessary.

My theory of prospecting is all based in relative success. When paying thousands for a player, are you over speculating than the best they can ever be? If I buy Byron Buxton at 800 bucks, is that more than someone who has BEST played his position over the last few years. If so, its too much, and the market is more based on new hotness rather than relative value potential.

Right now, we have no reason to believe that Puig or Profar will be the best at their position anytime soon, but they might be soon.