Are Juan Soto rookie cards among the most popular buys in the whole hobby?

Well, yeah … but what else would you expect from a guy with nearly 100 home runs and 18 WAR before his 23rd birthday, as well as a growing reputation as maybe the best all-around hitter in the game?

But the hobby love affair with La Fiera began well before he ever even stepped foot on a major league diamond, thanks to a quick start in the minors and the current baseball card landscape.

To wit, Soto signed as an amateur free agent with the Washington Nationals in July of 2015, when he was just 16 years old, then made his pro debut the next summer, hitting .368 in Rookie and Low-A ball.

Topps (via its Bowman line) and Panini celebrated his arrival with an array of prospect cards that found an immediate home among prospecting collectors and Nats diehards.

In his 2017 follow-on, the youngster continued to hit, raking at a .351 clip in 32 games, still on the lower rungs of the minor league ladder.

Though it was an abbreviated showing, Soto was the subject of several 2017 baseball cards (more Bowmans, mostly).

And then, in 2018, Soto found his power stroke and hit the “up” button on the elevator of his career.

Beginning at High-A Potomac, the budding slugger made stops at Double-A and Triple-A en route to a .362/14 HR/52 RBI line … in just 39 games!

Based on that rocket-launch of a performance, the Nationals promoted Soto to the bigs, and he made his debut on May 20, 2018. In 116 games with Washington, the rookie hit .292 with 22 home runs and 70 RBI, good for 3 WAR and a second-place finish in National League Rookie of the Year award balloting (behind only Ronald Acuna Jr.).

And he was still just 19 years old.

By stepping up to MLB, Soto also unlocked his rookie-card eligibility, with Bowman, Panini, and Topps all answering that bell.

The next season, in the wake of Bryce Harper‘s departure, Soto helped the Nats win their first-ever World Series crown and catapulted his name into every “best player in the game” conversation, right alongside luminaries like Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and Harper, and part of a new crop of superstars that also includes Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Acuna, and others.

If Soto were able to take his defensive game up a couple notches, he might end those arguments in a hurry.

As things stand, Soto is developing into one of the greatest, most complete hitter most fans will ever see, and there seem to be few hitting accomplishments that are beyond his reach, given his talent, continued improvements, and youth.

And, of course, fans and collectors continue to eat up offensive prowess, making Soto’s first cards among the most sought-after in the entire hobby.

As evidence of that, take a look at the list below of the hottest, most watched Juan Soto rookie cards on eBay right now — and come back soon, because we update these listings frequently!

Also: Check out the rest of our series listing the Hottest Baseball Cards on eBay.

(NOTE: The section below contains affiliate links to eBay listings for the card shown.)

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2022 Topps CHROME BLACK ON CARD ADRIAN BELTRE /50 GOLD

Watchers: 29  
# of Bids: 11
Current Bid: $41
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 02:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 10 GEM MINT Nationals (38)

Watchers: 28  
# of Bids: 15
Current Bid: $51
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

2018 Topps Chrome Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #HMT55 BGS 9.5 GEM MINT

Watchers: 22  
# of Bids: 21
Current Bid: $61
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 10 GEM MINT Nationals (31)

Watchers: 21  
# of Bids: 12
Current Bid: $51
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 10 GEM MINT Nationals (89)

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 7
Current Bid: $51
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 10 GEM MINT Nationals (25)

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 7
Current Bid: $51
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

JUAN SOTO 2018 Topps Chrome Update Baseball Rookie Card #HMT55 PADRES Not Mint

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 6
Current Bid: $12.62
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 01:03
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2018 Topps Chrome Juan Soto PSA 10 GEM MINT Rookie Card HMT55

Watchers: 17  
# of Bids: 10
Current Bid: $47
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 16:03
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Juan Soto 2018 Topps Chrome Update #HMT55 Rookie Card SGC 10

Watchers: 16  
# of Bids: 13
Current Bid: $71.58
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 00:03
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2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 CSG 10 GEM MINT Nationals

Watchers: 16  
# of Bids: 17
Current Bid: $28
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 10 GEM MINT Nationals (85)

Watchers: 16  
# of Bids: 7
Current Bid: $51
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 10 GEM MINT Nationals (08)

Watchers: 15  
# of Bids: 8
Current Bid: $53
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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Josiah Gray 2022 Topps Clearly Authentic RC On Card Red AUTO /50 SP NATIONALS

Watchers: 15  
# of Bids: 10
Current Bid: $11
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 02:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

(3) 2021 Bowman Mega Box (50 Cards) Sealed Lot Of 3 w/ 2 Chrome Packs Per Box

Watchers: 14  
# of Bids: 7
Current Bid: $90
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 02:03
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2018 Topps chrome Juan Soto PSA 10 Gem Mint rookie card RC #HMT55 Update

Watchers: 14  
# of Bids: 1
Current Bid: $15
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 00:04
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2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 9 Nationals MINT

Watchers: 13  
# of Bids: 2
Current Bid: $1.5
Auction Ends: 29-Mar-2023 01:03
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2018 Topps Chrome Juan Soto PSA 10 GEM MINT Rookie Card HMT55

Watchers: 12  
# of Bids: 6
Current Bid: $96
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 12:03
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2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 PSA 10 Nationals

Watchers: 11  
# of Bids: 4
Current Bid: $51
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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(30)Gunnar Henderson 2023 Topps Rookie Card #206 RC Baltimore Orioles

Watchers: 11  
# of Bids: 6
Current Bid: $33.67
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 00:03
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(4) Brendan Donovan 2022 Topps Chrome PURPLE REFRACTOR Rookie Card #USC140 RC

Watchers: 11  
# of Bids: 7
Current Bid: $3
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 00:03
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2021 Topps Finest Luis Garcia RC Orange /25 Refractor PSA/DNA 9 On Card Auto 10

Watchers: 11  
# of Bids: 6
Current Bid: $10
Auction Ends: 02-Apr-2023 00:04
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2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 9 Guarantee

Watchers: 10  
# of Bids: 8
Current Bid: $7
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 16:03
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(2) Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Rookie Card #78 and PHOTO VARIATION RC Blue Jays

Watchers: 10  
# of Bids: 4
Current Bid: $2.82
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 00:03
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2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card RC #US300 Nationals Padres

Watchers: 9  
# of Bids: 4
Current Bid: $4.75
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 01:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)