A rare baseball card featuring New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge has shattered modern collecting records after selling for an unprecedented $5.2 million.
The sports memorabilia company Fanatics Collect revealed Thursday that it facilitated the private transaction involving a 2013 Judge Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractor card. This unique item bears the player’s signature and represents the only card of its kind ever produced. Both the purchaser and seller have chosen to keep their identities confidential.
“We’re incredibly honored to have brokered this record-breaking deal and to be part of such a momentous moment in hobby history,” Fanatics Collect said in a statement.
This sale surpasses the previous modern baseball card record of $3.936 million, which was paid in 2020 for a singular 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor card signed by Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout.
Another notable recent sale involved a Shohei Ohtani card featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star, which fetched $3 million this past December.
The Judge collectible has experienced explosive growth in value since its last transaction through a Fanatics Premier auction in 2022, when it sold for $324,000. This card was produced four years prior to Judge’s official rookie card releases, coinciding with the Yankees’ selection of Judge as their first-round pick (32nd overall) in the 2013 MLB Draft.
The 33-year-old Judge first appeared in the major leagues during August 2016. His impressive career achievements include earning 2017 American League Rookie of the Year honors, capturing three AL MVP awards (2022, 2024, 2025), and making seven All-Star appearances.
During his most recent season, Judge dominated offensive statistics across Major League Baseball, posting a .331 batting average, .457 on-base percentage, and .668 slugging percentage while leading the American League with 124 walks.
While this represents a record for modern baseball cards, it doesn’t claim the top spot among all sports collectibles. According to Card Ladder, the highest-priced card sale ever recorded was $12.9 million for a 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant dual NBA Logoman patch autograph card, sold through Heritage auction on August 23, 2025.
The most expensive baseball card remains a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle graded SGC 9.5, which commanded $12.6 million on August 28, 2022, ranking second among all card sales.
Judge’s card, currently tied for seventh place overall, may not maintain its modern-day record status for long. Fanatics Collect is presently conducting an auction for a 2025 Topps Chrome Dual MVP Ohtani & Judge Gold MLB Logoman Auto 1/1 card. The auction concludes March 19, with current bids already surpassing seven figures.
