Auctions
New Bronx Bomber talk of the town for Yankees, collectors
Quick quiz: Without looking at our Top 10 chart—no peeking!—answer this question: Which Yankee appears on a baseball card that sold for $68,989 in an eBay auction in the past month (March 2026)?
A. Babe Ruth
B. Mickey Mantle
C. Derek Jeter
D. Aaron Judge
E. Ben Rice
An easy one, right? Because the least likely choice is the obvious answer: Ben Rice, the latest toast of the town in New York.
Intuitively, the other pinstriped powerhouses above are more likely answers. Each is a regular in this space.
But the biggest price paid for a Bronx Bomber collectible in this survey period goes to a one-of-a-kind Rice rookie. It’s as rare as they come: a 2025 Topps Update card bearing not only Rice’s autograph but the Rookie Debut Patch from his first MLB jersey.
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The $68,989 price is surprising. After all, Rice does play in the towering shadow of Captain Judge. Plus, he seemed to come out of nowhere in mid-2024, sneaking into the big-league picture by leapfrogging other Yankee prospects, notably Jasson Dominguez (now at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) and Everson Pereira (now with the White Sox).
A year and a half later, Rice is hitting his way into Yankee lore.
The 6-2, 228-pound first baseman is an easy player to root for—a baby-faced lefty with a sweet swing, textbook mechanics and team-first approach (he happily serves as Austin Wells’ backup catcher). No one looks happier—or more surprised—after hitting a homer than Rice—as you can see on any number of his cards with game-action shots.
In 2023, Rice busted out, fast-tracking from Low-A to High-A to Double-A. Along the way, he hit .324 with 18 homers. And in 2024, he tore up Double-A and Triple-A pitching, muscling 24 homers and earning a June call-up to the Yankees. On July 6 of that season, young Ben won the hearts of Yankee fans with a three-homer game vs. Boston.
Rice broke camp with the Yankees in 2025 positioned to serve as Paul Goldschmidt’s backup, but his hot bat kept him in the lineup—a little first base, some backup catching, some DH time. By season’s end, he had 26 homers, 28 doubles, four triples and 65 RBI in 467 at-bats.
In 2026, as the Yankees’ starting first baseman and cleanup hitter, Rice picked up where he left off, batting .370 with three homers and 11 RBI through seven games. He’s got Yankee fans salivating—and collectors, too.
That $68,989 signed patch card on our chart is the high-water mark for now. The good news: No other Rice items have come close to that, so you won’t need to spend five-figure sums to get cream-of-the-crop items. The bad news: Rice memorabilia overall is on the rise, pushing into four-figure sums.
Let’s look at examples of prices realized in recent eBay auctions:
• $3,400 on 18 bids for an ungraded 2024 Topps Chrome autographed Red Refractor marked #3/5.
• $2,297 on 21 bids for a 1-of-1 ungraded 2025 Topps Museum Archival Emerald.
• $2,025 on 16 bids for a signed 2025 Topps Chrome Sapphire marked #1/5.
• $1,525 on 7 bids for a 2025 Topps Chrome Red Wave Refractor marked #/5/5 and graded PSA 9.
• $1,226 on 32 bids for an ungraded 2025 Topps Update signed Golden Mirror.
• $810 on four bids for an ungraded 2025 Topps Geometric Red Refractor marked #4/5.
Prior to March, dozens of other signed Rice rookies auctioned on eBay for prices between $1,000 and $2,000. Clearly, he’s on the rise in more ways than one.
TOP 10 CHART
Top online card sales on eBay:
1. $79,000 on 161 bids: 2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani, auto (PSA 10)
2. $70,000 on 1 bid: 2018 Topps Brooklyn Collection Shohei Ohtani Purple, #4/5, auto (PSA 10, auto 10)
3. $68,989 on 63 bids: 2025 Topps Update Ben Rice Rookie Debut Patch Autograph, #1/1, auto with game-worn MLB Debut patch (ungraded)
4. $65,100 on 79 bids: 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan #101 (BGS 8.5)
5. $56,999 on 1 bid: 1969-70 Topps Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) (SGC 9)
6. $56,600 on 54 bids: 2019 Bowman Chrome Gunnar Henderson Red Refractor, #4/5, auto (BGS 9.5, auto 10)
7. $51,100 on 28 bids: 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Championship Rookie Ticket, #24/100 (ungraded)
8. $45,301 on 65 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (BGS 9.5)
9. $43,600 on 40 bids: 1996 Pinnacle Select Certified Edition Derek Jeter Mirror Gold (PSA 8)
10. $42,000 on 45 bids: 2013 BBM Shohei Ohtani stadium event promo with “pink wing” nameplate (PSA 10)
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
The next 10 items beyond our Top 10 list:
• $40,100 on 44 bids: 2018 Topps Chrome Shohei Ohtani Blue Refractor, #12/150 (BGS 9.5, auto 10)
• $37,988 on 43 bids: 2013 BBM Shohei Ohtani pitching promo (PSA 10)
• $37,600 on 49 bids: 2009-10 Topps Chrome Stephen Curry, #724/999 (PSA 10)
• $35,650 on 50 bids: 2017 Topps Transcendent Aaron Judge Topps Magazine Star Rookie, #1/1, auto (BGS 10, auto 10)
• $35,098 on 52 bids: 2018 Topps Heritage Shohei Ohtani, #29/69, auto (red ink) (PSA 8)
• $35,000 on 50 bids: 2025 Bowman JJ Wetherholt Padparadscha Sapphire, #1/1 (PSA 10, auto 10)
• $31,867 on 40 bids: 2012 Panini Prizm Rob Gronkowski Gold, #/10 (BGS 9.5)
• $31,601 on 45 bids: 2018 Panini Flawless Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Vertical, #3/25, auto patch (PSA 9)
• $30,200 on 19 bids: 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson (PSA 6)
• $30,100 on 45 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
