Aaron Nola Rookie Card: 2016 Topps #133 and How to Spot It

Aaron Nola's rookie card is the 2016 Topps Series 1 #133, which carries the RC (Rookie Card) logo, per Cardboard Connection's checklist. Nola made his MLB debut on July 21, 2015 and went 6–2 with a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts that season (Wikipedia), and he does not appear in the 2015 Topps Update checklist, so 2016 Topps is where his rookie card is. Other rookies in the same Series 1 checklist include Kyle Schwarber #66, Miguel Sano #78 and Greg Bird #188.

• Photo: the base #133 shows Nola pitching; the super short print (SSP) variation shows him running onto the field (Cardboard Connection).
• Code on the back: in 2016 Topps Series 1, Cardboard Connection reports that base cards end in code 7075, SP photo variations in 7123 and SSP photo variations in 7125. Read the small code on the back; it is the quickest way to confirm a variation without comparing photos.
• Parallels (colored borders, foil or serial numbers) are separate cards with their own prices. Our parallels guide explains how to tell them apart.

The Phillies drafted Nola seventh overall in 2014 out of LSU (Wikipedia), and his first cards came that year in 2014 Bowman Draft. They are prospect cards, not rookie cards, but collectors often want them. Per Cardboard Connection:

• Draft Pick base card #DP4, with parallels including Blue numbered to 399 and Green to 75.
• Bowman Chrome Draft autograph #BCA-AN, with Blue Refractor /150, Green Refractor /99, Gold Refractor /50 and a SuperFractor 1/1.
• 1989 Bowman is Back Silver Diamond Refractor #89BIB-AN insert.

The 1/1 SuperFractor autograph is the rarest Nola card from this product, because only one exists.

The base 2016 Topps #133 is an inexpensive card. Collectibles.com's sales data, read on Sept. 25, 2026, shows:

• Ungraded: $1.50.
• PSA 10: $27.02 average across 6 recorded sales, $162.10 in total. The latest four were $26.75 (Sept. 13, 2025, auction), $11.50 (Aug. 13, 2025, auction), $36.52 (July 14, 2025, fixed price) and $29.99 (April 27, 2025, best offer).
• Other grades: PSA 9 $5.50, PSA 8.5 $12, PSA 8 $10.50, PSA 7 $10, SGC 100 $59.99.

The PSA 9 figure sitting below PSA 8 shows how thin this market is: each grade rests on one or a few sales, so a single sale moves the number. With PSA's cheapest open tier at $59.99 in September 2026 (SI, Sept. 9, 2026), grading a base Nola costs more than even a PSA 10 has sold for. We could not open SportsCardsPro's page for this card (it refused automated access on Sept. 25, 2026), so it is not compared here.

To price your own copy:

• Match the exact version first: base, SSP photo variation, or a parallel. The figures above are for the base card only.
• Look at completed sales, not asking prices, for the same version in the same grade.
• Serial-numbered and autographed cards sell on their own markets; the 2014 Bowman Chrome Draft autographs are not priced like the 2016 base card.

For context on his career: a 2018 All-Star, third in the 2018 NL Cy Young vote, starter of Games 1 and 4 of the 2022 World Series, and signed to a seven-year, $172 million extension in 2023 (Wikipedia).

No source measures 'hot' directly, but two data points help. By price, among the modern rookie cards on our site, SportsCardsPro's PSA 10 values on Sept. 25, 2026 were highest for the 2009 Topps Stephen Curry #321 ($19,242), the 2017 Prizm Silver Patrick Mahomes #269 ($7,476) and the 2003 Topps LeBron James #221 ($7,000). By activity, GemRate's 2025 count (SI, Jan. 4, 2026) shows football grading up 11% while basketball fell 23% and baseball 14%. The full list with prices is on our sports card price guide.

• Card number and set on the back must match: 2016 Topps #133 for Nola.
• Print quality: genuine cards have crisp text and a regular dot pattern under magnification; reprints blur, especially in small type.
• Stock and size: compare thickness, gloss and corners with a common card from the same set.
• Grading is a separate step; see our PSA grading scale before you pay a fee.

Take one straight photo of the front and one of the back, so the year, set and card number are readable. StarLens reads the player, set and number from the photo. Then match the result against the checks on this page before you trust any price.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every price names its source and date. Some sites we wanted to cite (PSA, SportsCardsPro product pages, eBay, GameStop) refused automated access on Sept. 25, 2026; where that left a gap, the page says so instead of guessing. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.