Aaron Judge is hurt again. The slugger has a broken rib that has sidelined him for about another month.
While fans are waiting for the New York Yankees superstar to return to the lineup, many collectors are wondering if his latest injury will affect the value of his cards.
The good news is there is already a blueprint in place on how injuries affect the card values of a generational talent.
Look at Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani has done amazing things on the field, hitting home runs with ease and stealing bases to become the first 50/50 player, all the while pitching in between.
But he’s been hurt — seriously — at times in his career.
Ohtani has had Tommy John surgery twice. And yet, the four-time MVP is still one of the most collectible and valuable baseball players in the card market.
Ohtani’s cards did see slight dips in 2018 and 2023, when he had his surgeries. According to Card Ladder, his index dropped from around 1,000 and stayed low (for him) until about 2021.
In 2021, he led the league at the All-Star break in home runs, was a contender for the Cy Young and earned his first All-Star selection. Ohtani finished with 46 home runs and won his first of four MVP awards.
But after his second Tommy John surgery, Ohtani’s card index did drop slightly again — going from almost 5,000 to a low of 4,091.
It’s only skyrocketed since, with Ohtani’s current Card Ladder Index sitting at 37,597.
That brings us to Judge, a three-time MVP and the American League home run record holder. He has also led the league in WAR in three of the last four seasons.
And he’s had just as many injuries as Ohtani, but hasn’t had to miss as much time.
If you’re worried about Judge’s card values, you don’t have to. Ohtani’s card values have shown the path Judge’s will likely take.
Judge cards may take a dip while he’s on the IL, but once he’s back, collectors should expect his cards to see another bump.
And if Judge could ever get a ring?
There’s no telling how high his card values will get.
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