A weird thing happens sometimes in the game of baseball. While many of the game's biggest stars operate under a microscope and "who is better?" debates reign supreme, there are times when a player flies under the radar despite being awesome, even amongst the most eagle-eyed of collectors. Still, it is genuinely odd that Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson doesn't get more love from fans and card collectors alike.
Olson checks a lot of boxes. He plays for a high-profile team, so there isn't really much excuse for why he doesn't get enough attention. In some cases, like Jose Ramirez, a guy plays in a small market and goes unnoticed by the greater population, but that isn't Olson's situation. More importantly, Olson has been consistently awesome, and the type of production he provides is loud and flashy. This isn't a situation where you have to explain why a guy is good using advanced metrics. Olson is a power-hitter who crushes baseballs and does so often.
Whether it is a temporary oversight or the lingering shadow of Freddie Freeman that Olson has been forced to play in, collectors just don't value Olson's cards particularly highly. Given that there is a realistic path for Olson to not only win MVP this year, but potentially get into the Hall of Fame, it may be a good idea to get in on the ground floor before everyone else figures out he is worth investing in.
Matt Olson's current card prices simply do not reflect his talent and potential
Under normal circumstances, a player of Olson's caliber would be commanding big money in baseball card circles. Let's take a relatively similar player in Yordan Alvarez, for example. If you want Alvarez's Bowman 1st auto, it is going to set you back around $400, and his Topps Chrome rookie auto is currently around $125.
Again, very similar players and Olson has both been better, healthier, and plays in a slightly bigger market (which is admittedly debatable...Texas is a big state, after all). While Olson does have a true Bowman 1st auto, his 2013 Bowman autograph is currently trending around $65. What about his Topps Chrome rookie auto (again, same product as Alvarez's, just a different year)? Well, you can get one of those for around $75.
This is not an isolated example. Especially when looking at his early cards when he was with the A's, those in the hobby just have not pushed the demand for Olson's cards higher like you would think. There are sales, and prices are increasing a bit, but they still lag way behind his contemporaries.
The good news here is that if you are smart and have some free cash to put into some cards that you may need to hold for a while, betting on Olson seems like a very smart wager. Not only is he MLB's current "Iron Man", but there is a good chance he ends up with 500+ home runs and multiple high MVP finishes before his career is over. If he pulls that off, and Cooperstown comes calling, you will be glad that you got in when prices were as reasonable as they are right now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google