We're bringing back debates to Collectibles on SI. Who should collectors want to win the World Series? Our own Danny Shapiro and Jonathan Klinger debated who collectors should hope will win the World Series.
So, who should collectors want to win?
Jonathan Klinger: The Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are going to the World Series. By defeating the Cleveland Guardians, for the first time since 2020, the Rays will compete on the world stage. Facing the best record in baseball and a roster of standout players, the Rays will have an uphill battle against the Brew Crew from Milwaukee.
While the Brewers have star talent in the likes of their captain, Christian Yelich, Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and, of course, their Cy Young favorite, Jacob Misiorowski, in the other dugout, collectors will find more opportunities to make plays on players who receive less attention from the hobby. Let's look at some plays collectors should make to reap their rewards if the Rays secure a World Series ring.
Junior Caminero
This should come as no surprise. Arguably the Rays' biggest star, the power-hitting third baseman has already left a remarkable imprint on this playoff run. Indeed, Caminero has had an impressive season overall, starting with the World Baseball Classic, where he batted .350 for the Dominican Republic, with three home runs and seven total RBI. Despite this, his largest sale on record, his Debut Patch, which sold December 19, 2024, sold for $66,000. On the other side, Jackson Chourio, whose rookie season was also 2024, had his 2024 Topps Chrome refractor rookie autograph sell in February of 2025 for $78,000. That's $12,000 more than Caminero's Debut Patch, and both sales were done before the start of the 2025 season. Older comps, but they ring true.
Caminero has had three sales over $30,000, and only one of those was in 2026. By comparison, Chourio has had nine sales over $30,000 total, and three of those were in 2026. This point is not meant to minimize Chourio's sales, but rather show that the hobby does value Caminero's cards in that range, but with a World Series win under his belt we might expect to see those prices continue in that trend.
Drew Rasmussen
Rasmussen has shown more than just domination on the mound; his card prices are also currently peaking and doubling collectors' money. Look at his 2021 rookie card superfractor. On August 1st, 2026, the card sold for $799. Then, on October 17th, 2026, just over two months and two days later, the card sold for $1,699. This 110%+ increase in just over two months is astounding! His 2026 superfractor also sold on September 29, 2026, for $1,025. Collectors are capitalizing on the hype that is Drew Rasmussen. Imagine the upswing when he shuts out the Brewers in game one? (A very big hypothetical, but the guy is electric right now and has every reason to think he could.)
Smaller Names, Bigger Gains
With a team of names that don't hold as much recognition as their Milwaukee opponents, the Rays have more opportunities for collectors to take advantage of. Jonathan Aranda is currently selling for a fraction of what his first-base counterpart, Jake Bauers, is selling for. Aranda's last sale on his base chrome rookie was $15, while Bauer's was $35.
Similarly, Chandler Simpson and Richie Palacios offer major potential profits, even if the Rays just look competitive. Palacios leads the Rays in the playoffs, batting .364 with 8 hits, the fourth-highest on the team, despite having almost half the at-bats as the three Rays who have more hits than him.
Danny Shapiro: Milwaukee Brewers
For the first time since 2023, the Los Angeles Dodgers won't be the National League representative in the World Series.
Instead, it'll be the Milwaukee Brewers, who won 103 games in the regular season and steamrolled the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series to secure their second World Series appearance in team history.
The Brewers in the World Series provide a unique opportunity for collectors of all types. A title, the first for Milwaukee, would inevitably take markets for the team's best players to heights never before reached.
Jacob Misiorowski Is the Gem Of The World Series
No player in the World Series has a higher hobby ceiling than Misiorowski. Absent Paul Skenes making the World Series as a rookie, this is the peak for modern pitchers with real hobby hype.
Misiorowski, who is poised to win the NL Cy Young this season, still has rookie status in the card world.
Adding a title and potentially a World Series MVP honor to his résumé would only supercharge his market not only in the short term, but for years to come.
The 24-year-old has a top sale of $52,800, and two of his top 10 sales have happened since the start of the NLCS.
Misiorowski's most sought-after card hasn't even been released.
His debut patch in the 2026 Topps Chrome Update could threaten Skenes' ($1.11 million) record for the most expensive debut patch in history if the Brewers end up as champions.
Chourio, Yelich and the Established Stars
Jackson Chourio is still just 22 years old and was one of the most-collected rookies in the stacked 2024 class.
Chourio is now a star (4.9 WAR in 2026) and has one of the most memorable moments of the 2026 playoffs: a walk-off hit off San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller.
His 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autograph, graded PSA 10, sold for $500 at the start of the season. The most recent sale on Oct. 12 was for $875, according to Card Ladder.
Chourio's second-highest sale of all time came on Oct. 17 when a 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autograph Red /5 in a BGS 9.5/Auto 10 sold for $47,580.
It helps that all Chourio prospect and rookie cards are in a Brewers uniform, unlike Milwaukee's other major hitting star, Christian Yelich.
Yelich's career started with the now-Miami Marlins, where he made his MLB debut in 2013 and played throughout the 2017 season.
Yelich did win NL MVP in his first season in Milwaukee and has been with the organization for nearly a decade.
His 2010 Bowman Draft Chrome Base in a PSA 10 has increased 100% in value since June.
Yelich's top sale was for a whopping $111,000 in May 2020 for his 2010 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospect Autograph Superfractor in a PSA 9.
William Contreras, Brice Turang, and NLCS MVP Jake Bauers are other Brewers stars poised to see value hikes if Milwaukee wins the title.
More Collectible Brewers Rookies
The Brewers are getting major contributions from more rookies, not named Jacob Misiorowski.
Cooper Pratt is starting at shortstop, while Luis Lara is platooning in the outfield.
Both players are eventually going to have debut patches, and neither has yet to appear with their rookie cards, so their markets are still incomplete.
Even so, their prospect markets are booming.
Lara's highest sale came on Oct. 17 for his 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospects Superfractor in a PSA 9 at $5,063.
Pratt's highest sale came this June (2024 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autograph Red /5 in a PSA 10) for $7,500.
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