The beginning of the 2025 card “season” saw most of the hype reserved for a pair of Nationals rookies, James Wood and Dylan Crews, as well as the A’s Jacob Wilson. While those players have proven to be rather collectible (particularly Wood), the story in baseball card collecting last year, in terms of rookies, was easily the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz.
After running away with AL Rookie of the Year following a season where he posted a .290/.383/.619 slash line with 36 homers, including a four-homer game, Kurtz burst onto the scene somewhat unexpectedly. Sure, he was a 2024 first-round pick that many were aware of, but few expected him to get to the big leagues so quickly.
As a result, the mad dash for Kurtz cards (particularly his rookies and Bowman 1sts) has been in full force, especially as he has begun to heat up again in 2026. In the scramble, a few of his cards have risen above the others both in terms of collecting demand as well as monetary value since Kurtz made his big league debut.
These are Athletics star Nick Kurtz's most valuable cards
In what is likely a futile attempt to head off the “comment section warriors” of the internet, this is not purely a ranking of financial value. Had that been the case, you would see a list of superfractors, red refractors, super duper short-prints, and 1/1s. While it's fun to see the sales data because "big number good", it isn't exactly useful or instructive for the vast majority of collectors.
Instead, the focus here is going to be on some of the valuable Kurtz cards out there that seem, at least to a degree, to be reasonably available out there in the world. This is also just a snapshot in time, with this sales data being pulled from Sports Card Pro (for consistency) on April 18, 2026. These average prices can and will change, but this should give collectors a good idea of some of the Kurtz cards they should be targeting if they are looking to invest.
2024 Panini Prospect Edition Kaboom #18
- Raw Price: $800
- PSA 10 Price: $3,152
It is very odd that an unlicensed, non-autographed, non-rookie card tops the list of Kurtz cards, but Kabooms are a special case. Extremely valuable in licensed NBA and NFL products, Kabooms are a super short-print in various Panini products, and Kurtz’s Kaboom from 2024 Panini Prospect Edition (an underrated product, especially if you just like action and aren’t overly concerned with resale value) currently takes the top spot here, even ahead of some of his Bowman 1st auto parallels.
2024 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect Autograph #CPA-NK - Refractor
- Raw Price: $588
- PSA 10 Price: $2,153
Speaking of Bowman 1st autos, they do feature prominently here, though we did omit all the parallels other than refractors. Refractor autos have been in demand for a long, long time, and Kurtz’s 1st auto is no exception, with sales data showing them as a very liquid card to buy and sell.
PSA 10s are very pricey to start the 2026 season, as they are over $2,000 at the moment. As is always the case with young guys, Kurtz’s performance during his sophomore season is going to determine a lot about the long-term value here.
2025 Topps Chrome Rookie Autograph #RA-KU - Refractor
- Raw Price: $555
- PSA 10 Price: $2,357
Surprise! Another refractor auto, but this time a rookie auto. Kurtz autos were pretty tough to pull from 2025 Topps Chrome, and their "redemption" status has also slowed the flow of these refractor autos into the marketplace. Combine that with refractors being a bit tough to get PSA 10 grades in, and you have quite a valuable card at the moment.
2025 Topps Chrome Rookie Autograph #RA-KU
- Raw Price: $318
- PSA 10 Price: $644
The base version of Kurtz’s rookie auto comes next, which is a bit of a surprise, but the drop-off in price recently has been significant. That could get worse as more and more of the rookie base autos get redeemed successfully and make their way through grading and into the marketplace, so just know that there is some added risk here.
2024 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect Base Autograph #CPA-NK
- Raw Price: $375
- PSA 10 Price: $989
Kurtz’s base Bowman 1st auto finally comes in here, but this might be the best combination of upside and availability on the list, if you can pony up the $400ish it currently costs to buy a raw copy. In terms of investing long-term, it is hard to beat 1st autos, and Kurtz is no exception here.
2025 Bowman Chrome CPA Autograph #CPA-NK - Refractor
- Raw Price: $248
- PSA 10 Price: $389
Surprisingly, neither a Bowman 1st nor a rookie auto, Kurtz’s second Bowman refractor prospect auto garnered quite a bit of attention during his torrid rookie run. While these will retain value, one may not want to buy at the top of the market here, as non-1st prospect autos tend to be less favored by collectors over time. Given that PSA 10s are only going for a bit more than raw copies, that market shift may already be under way.
2025 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Image Variation #93
- Raw Price: $206
- PSA 10 Price: $305
The second non-auto on the list, image variations have become all the rage, particularly for rookies, given their rarity and novelty. Kurtz did not have image variations in the standard Bowman releases, but he did have a mega box variation of his rookie card with the standard mojo background to identify them as mega exclusives. They were tough pulls, and chrome rookie image variations tend to hold their value, so buying raw copies when they pop up for a reasonable price may be worth a collector’s while.
2025 Panini Donruss Next Day Autograph #ND-NK
- Raw Price: $98
- PSA 10 Price: $434
Moving to the sub-$100 tier (for now), we have an unlicensed Kurtz auto from Panini Donruss. Unlicensed cards aren’t for everyone, but there are plenty of collectors who just want to have autographs of their favorite players in their collections or who want to play on a budget, which is great! Such collectors could do a lot worse than buying up these when they pop up at a reasonable price point.
2024 Panini Prospect Edition Holo Ticket Signature #143
- Raw Price: $82
- PSA 10 Price: $180
Remember Kurtz’s Kaboom in the top spot? Well, this is the Kurtz autograph from the same set, which does have a fairly robust rainbow of parallels to choose from for those so inclined. At less than $100 raw, these are pretty good looking autos for those wanting to collect Kurtz and who don’t want to have to refinance their houses to do so.
2025 Bowman Mega Futures #BMF-21
- Raw Price: $48
- PSA 10 Price: $116
This is a fun one, as super short-printed inserts have become all the rage in the hobby. Mega Futures are unique in that not only are they short-printed, but they can only be found in 2025 Bowman Mega Boxes. It doesn’t have the RC stamp; it would probably be twice as expensive if it did, but these are still desirable among collectors and represent a nice gateway into collecting Kurtz for beginners or those on a budget.
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