Konnor Griffin, the undisputed number one prospect in baseball, officially got his call to the big show today. The 19-year-old phenom will make his highly anticipated MLB debut at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home opener on Friday.
His minor league resume leading up to this moment is nothing short of video-game numbers. In just five games in AAA this season, Griffin averaged .438 with a staggering 1.196 OPS. Even more impressive? Across the four different minor league teams he suited up for on his rapid ascent, he never batted below a .325 average. He’s finally getting the chance to show the rest of the world exactly why he earned that number-one ranking.
As for me? I have regrets.
The Mistake
Griffin’s highly coveted 1st Bowman card was released in the 2024 Bowman Draft set. At the time, he was one of the absolute top chases in the product, headlining a loaded class alongside guys like Travis Bazzana, Jac Caglianone, and Cam Smith.
During the initial release hype, I got incredibly lucky. I managed to hit two Konnor Griffin 1st Bowman Autographs.
And then, regrettably, I sold them shortly thereafter for around $150 for the pair.
Looking at the market today is a tough pill to swallow. A single PSA 10 of that exact base autograph is today selling for almost $2,000. If you’re lucky enough to hold a low-numbered parallel version of Griffin’s 1st Bowman auto, you are sitting on an asset that is currently moving for upwards of $25,000 on the secondary market.
Konnor Griffin 2024 Bowman Chrome Draft Gold /50 Refractor Auto PSA 10
The Call-Up Conundrum
In the sports card hobby, it is a well-known fact that the “best” time to sell a prospect is the week he gets called up to the majors. That’s peak hype. That’s not to say a card will never increase in price after a debut, but when a 19-year-old is already priced by the market as if he’s guaranteed to be the next Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani, those are almost impossibly big shoes to fill.
Knowing exactly when to sell a prospect card is brutal. It’s an inexact science.
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Not everyone who gets a 1st Bowman card even makes it to the majors.
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Of those who do make it, even fewer manage to stay there.
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And a fraction of that group actually becomes All-Stars.
Furthermore, with over 100 prospects featured in each release of Bowman Draft, figuring out who to invest your money in can feel like throwing a dart at the wall with your eyes closed and just hoping you hit a bullseye.
The Reality of the Hobby
That’s just the nature of the beast. No matter how much research you do, how many minor league box scores you check, or how closely you watch spring training, there are always going to be surprises. For every Konnor Griffin-type card I’ve sold way too early, I’ve held onto two other “can’t-miss” prospects who completely fizzled out and never panned out at the major league level.
So, while I look around the internet today and see the jubilation of the collectors who held onto their Griffins (or bought in early) reaping the financial rewards, it’s admittedly hard for me to celebrate this amazing accomplishment by the kid.
Ultimately, though, it’s fine.
The difference between the highs and lows of collecting can be vast. Getting too invested in the pure ROI and making money absolutely sucks the fun out of the hobby. So while I may feel a sharp sting of regret at the moment, I can look at the cards I do have, the cards that connect me to my childhood, to a specific memory, or to a legendary moment, and be grateful that this hobby still makes me feel something.
Even if, today, that feeling is just wishing I had a time machine.
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