‘Big Dumper’ Cal Raleigh showing thump on card market with home run barrage
He’s nicknamed “The Big Dumper,” but for Cal Raleigh, “The Big Thumper” would work just as well.
The Seattle Mariners’ third-round pick in the 2018 MLB draft has shown impressive pop ever since his first full big-league season, 2022. He blasted 27 home runs that year, then followed up with 30 in 2023 and 34 in 2024. But who expected the barrage of homers he’s produced in 2025? Through mid-August, the switch-hitter has an MLB-leading 47 homers as he chases Salvadore Perez’s single-season record (48) for catchers. Besides Raleigh and Perez, the only other catchers to reach or surpass the 40-homer threshold were Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza (two times each) along with Javy Lopez, Todd Hundley and Roy Campanella.
Raleigh’s slugging puts him in the lead for AL MVP. Early-season favorite Aaron Judge—slowed up by an elbow injury and IL stint—has given way to Raleigh, who for the second straight season surpassed the 100-RBI mark.
Has the collectibles marketplace caught up with Cal? Raleigh has a ways to go before he edges into the territory inhabited by the likes of Judge. But he’s on his way up, as collectors have been digging back to fetch the 28-year-old’s rookie cards and later autographed issues.
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The first signs of Raleigh on cardboard were in 2019, when his most popular rookie cards appeared in Bowman Chrome’s set. But up until this year, values have paled in comparison to what buyers have been paying for key rookie cards of Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Paul Skenes, Mookie Betts, Elly De La Cruz, and a select few others.
But now the gains are coming, thanks to Raleigh’s remarkable 2025 season, which was punctuated by his performance in the Home Run Derby during All-Star Game week. Raleigh, with his dad pitching and kid brother catching, won the Derby, and follow-up interviews introduced legions of fans to a humble player who’s very easy to support.
Here’s a look at the hottest Raleigh cards sold on eBay in recent weeks, each preceded by its realized price:
• $14,555 on 64 bids for a 2019 Bowman Chrome signed Red Refractor. Marked #3/5, it earned a PSA 9 grade.
• $9,000 in a Buy It Now deal for a 2022 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary signed Aqua Refractor card. It was marked #10/150 and boasted a PSA 10 grade.
• $8,500 in a Buy It Now deal for a 2022 Bowman Chrome “Rookie of the Year Favorites” Superfractor. This 1-of-1 card had a grade of PSA 9.
• $5,456 on 61 bids for a 2022 Topps Finest autographed Superfractor, also a 1-of-1 issue. The card was graded PSA 9, with the autograph drawing a 10.
• $5,000 in a Buy It Now deal for a 2022 Topps Dynasty signed 1-of-1 patch card.
• $3,650 on 45 bids for a 2022 Topps Dynasty Black autographed game-used logo patch card. The ungraded card was one of only five made.
• $3,500 on 39 bids for a Blue Refractor variation of the first card listed above—a 2019 Bowman Chrome signed card. It was graded PSA 10 and marked #79/150.
• $3,450 on 58 bids for a 2022 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor with an autograph. Marked # 4/5, the card was graded PSA 9.
• $3,250 on 64 bids for a 2022 Topps Chrome signed Red Refractor rookie marked #5/5. It carried a grade of PSA 10.
• $2,929 in a Buy It Now deal for a 2022 Topps Chrome Red Refractor “Logofractor” card. Marked #1/5, it carried a grade of PSA 10.
And here’s an apropos throwback card for an old-school player: a 2025 Topps Series 2 Chrome Mojo card designed after Topps’ 1990 set. A 1-of-1 Superfactor variation of Raleigh’s card recently sold for $2,800 on 28 bids. The photograph fittingly captures Raleigh’s grind-it-out game: his uniform is covered in dirt.
Less scarce variations of the 2025 Topps card can be had for far lower prices. Example: A signed non-Refractor example marked #29/50 sold for $400. Refractor variations without autographs go for $50 to $125.