Harrison Bader Rookie Card: 2018 Topps #21 and Chrome #40

Harrison Bader's rookie card is the 2018 Topps #21, which shows him with the St. Louis Cardinals and carries the RC designation. Topps released 2018 Series 1 on Jan. 31, 2018, with a 350-card base set that includes 44 rookie cards (Cardboard Connection). He had debuted on July 25, 2017 (Wikipedia), so his rookie cards came out the following year.

His other 2018 rookie cards:

• 2018 Topps Chrome #40 RC, released Aug. 1, 2018, in a 200-card base set (Cardboard Connection).
• 2018 Bowman Platinum, 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen on-card autograph RC and 2018 Topps Now Rookie Cup autographs, all seen for sale at SportsMemorabilia.com.

Cards from before his debut are prospect cards, not rookie cards: the 2015 Contenders Red Ink prospect autograph #36, the 2016 Topps Heritage Minor League autograph #88 and 2017 Bowman Chrome prospect refractors.

2018 Topps Chrome has a base Refractor plus Prism and Negative refractors, numbered Purple /299, Blue /150, Green /99, Gold /50, Orange /25 (hobby-exclusive) and Red /5, a SuperFractor 1/1, printing plates 1/1, retail-only Sepia and Pink refractors, and hobby-only Wave refractors in Green /99, Blue /75, Gold /50 and Red /5 (Cardboard Connection). Check the serial number and the finish against the base #40 to see which one you have.

We could not read SportsCardsPro, eBay or Sports Card Investor sold data for his cards on Sept. 25, 2026, so we do not quote a market value. These are dealer asking prices at SportsMemorabilia.com that day, not sale prices:

• 2018 Topps Now Rookie Cup Autographs Red, BGS 10 (population 1): $2,370.99.
• 2018 Topps Now autograph /99, BGS 9: $582.99.
• 2015 Contenders Red Ink SSP prospect autograph #36: $120.99.
• 2017 Bowman Chrome Prospect Purple Refractor /250: $93.99.
• 2016 Topps Heritage Minor League autograph #88: $67.99.
• 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen on-card autograph RC: $65.99.
• 2018 Bowman Platinum rookie card: $38.99.

We saw no price for the base 2018 Topps #21 that day; for a sale price, search completed listings for the exact card, parallel and grade.

Bader has moved teams often since leaving St. Louis (Wikipedia):

• Traded to the Yankees for pitcher Jordan Montgomery on Aug. 2, 2022.
• Claimed off waivers by the Reds on Aug. 31, 2023.
• Signed with the Mets (one year, $10.5 million) on Jan. 5, 2024, then the Twins (one year, $6.25 million) on Feb. 7, 2025, and was traded to the Phillies on July 31, 2025.
• Signed a two-year, $20.5 million deal with the San Francisco Giants on Jan. 30, 2026.

In late July 2026 he hurt his left foot in a scooter accident in San Francisco and was ruled out for the rest of the season after an MRI. He had played 30 games for the Giants, batting .170 with five home runs and 14 RBIs (Wikipedia).

Sports Illustrated's collectibles desk (Danny Shapiro, updated Sept. 22, 2026) listed the top recent sales for the players expected to win this season's MLB awards. The biggest:

• Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs): 2024 Topps Dynasty Rookie Patch Autograph 1/1, $66,000 (Aug. 28, 2026); 2024 Topps Chrome Superfractor rookie in BGS 9, $48,000 (Sept. 6, 2026).
• Kevin McGonigle (Tigers): 2025 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Auto /5 in PSA 10, $48,000 (April 30, 2026).
• Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers): 2026 Bowman Anime Superfractor, $45,600 (June 19, 2026); 2026 Topps Chrome Black Superfractor Auto in PSA 9, $30,400 (Sept. 13, 2026).
• Sal Stewart (Reds): 2026 Topps Chrome Superfractor Auto, $20,000 (Aug. 20, 2026).
• Yordan Alvarez (Astros): 2018 Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor Prospect Auto /25 in PSA 10, $17,690 (June 6, 2026).

Almost all of these are one-of-one or low-numbered parallels and autographs, not base cards.

It depends on which card you count as the rookie. If the 1952 Topps Mantle counts, it is the top at $12.6 million for an SGC 9.5 (Heritage, Aug. 28, 2022); Wikipedia's list calls the 1951 Bowman Mantle his only recognized rookie card, and that sold for $3,192,000 in PSA 9 (Memory Lane, Dec. 3, 2022). Among modern cards, the 2013 Bowman Chrome Aaron Judge in BGS 9.5 sold for $5.2 million on March 12, 2026, a modern baseball card record, and the 2009 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout in BGS 9 sold for $3,936,000 (Goldin, Aug. 23, 2020). Our most valuable rookie cards page has the full list.

No single card is worth $1,000,000 by default; a card reaches that level only in a top grade and only if it is one of the hobby's key cards. Baseball cards that have sold for about $1 million or more, from Wikipedia's list of most expensive sports cards:

• 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311, SGC 9.5: $12,600,000, Heritage Auctions, Aug. 28, 2022.
• 2013 Bowman Chrome Aaron Judge, BGS 9.5: $5,200,000, March 12, 2026, a record for a modern baseball card.
• 2009 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout, BGS 9: $3,936,000, Goldin, Aug. 23, 2020.
• 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle, PSA 9: $3,192,000, Memory Lane, Dec. 3, 2022.
• 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente, PSA 9: $1,107,000, June 3, 2021.
• 2024 Topps 50/50 Shohei Ohtani, PSA 9: $1,067,500, Heritage Auctions, March 29, 2025.
• 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson, PSA 10: $1,005,600, Heritage Auctions, Feb. 28, 2021.

Take one straight, flat photo of the front in daylight with all four corners visible, then one of the back so the year, set name and card number can be read. For chrome and refractor cards, add a second front photo tilted toward the light so the finish shows. StarLens reads the player, set and card number from the photo; use the checks on this page to confirm the exact version before you trust a 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 the date it applies to. SportsCardsPro, eBay and Sports Card Investor refused automated access on Sept. 25, 2026. Where that left a gap, the page says so instead of guessing. Prices change; treat them as a reference, not an offer. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.