After procrastinating for a year on getting Miggy’s signature, I finally got it done. Another awesome addition to the rookie case. Thanks, Matt!
Top 5 Baseball Autograph Signings That Need to Happen in 2022 - How did this guy get on the list?
Well today we are going to have a bit of fun by talking about the Top Five Baseball Signings That Need To Happen In 2022. Specifically, I'm talking about send-in signings and public signings, and I've been talking about this a bit on Instagram lately and we've definitely tackled this subject in the past for various sports as well, so it just felt like the right time to hit this topic for 2022.
Additionally, this list will only include names that haven't been seen in the signing world for a while now. That means no Koufax, Jeter, Griffey Jr., or any of those kinds of guys today. Also, I share what percentage chance I think there is of these signings happening.
Oh, and before we dive in, I'll give you a hint about one of my picks today. This pick is NOT a baseball player, but they have been a big name in the baseball community for a long time.
So getting started at #5 is Bryce Harper.
First off, can somebody tell me why everyone seems to think so highly of Harper? I'm not throwing dirt on the guy, he is pretty great and has had some good seasons with 2 MVP's, 6x All-Star, and 2012 NL ROY, but in terms of age and years, he is pretty similar to my guy Mike Trout, but people still seem to talk about Harper like he's the G.O.A.T.
Comparing Harper to Trout, here are some interesting stats to think about. Harper is currently in his 11th year of the game, but has only had 3 years above .300. In 2016 for instance, he was hitting a .243. On the other hand, Trout is in his 12th year and he's had 6 years above .300. That's 2x as many years above .300 than Harper within pretty much the same time frame! Plus, the lost Trout has ever hit was a .281.
Trout has 319 Home runs to Harper's 276 and is 30 years old compared to Harpers 29. Still, when you look at the cost of autographs, Harper is still higher up there than Trout. Now, Harper is a bit of a tougher signer, so maybe that has something to do with it, but feel free to comment below and let me know what you think on the subject.
Harper is also a Fanatics exclusive athlete which is at least a good thing because we all know he will be signing often enough because of Fanatics. A lot of the time these guys do their signings in the early Spring season, so that's always a great time to keep an eye out for signings and what have you.
When it comes to Harper, I'd give it about a 75% that he does a signing in in the near future. He's been a pretty up and down kind of guy in terms of his stats, so when he hits that down year again, Fanatics will be trying to sell those autographs like hot cakes. Right now, he's actually having a pretty good season, so we might be looking to next year for signings, but they should be coming soon.
Moving on to #4, he's another Fanatics guy, it's Shohei Ohtani.
Now getting Ohtani to do a signing, that would just be insane. He's been having a pretty solid year so far with a sub 3 ERA. Hitting .260 which isn't honestly great, but that's pretty much what he was doing last year when he got his MVP.
Like I said, this guy would be massive for signings right now. I hear, see, and get so many Ohtani cards from people looking to get autographs, the desire is so huge for this guy. People love getting items signed from him with some Japanese on them as well. It just looks sharp.
Again, signing chances all depend on how he does. He's been historically a bit like Harper so it can be hard to tell, so we'll all just have to keep our eyes open on this one too. Definitely be mindful during the early Spring seasons as always. This is why I'd give it around a 40% that he does a signing. It's honestly kind of 50/50 because it all depends on how he and the Angels do this season.
#3, our mystery man, Vin Scully.
Obviously he's not a baseball player, but his name is iconic in the industry, and it would be so awesome to get some items signed by him. Maybe some baseballs, tickets, or photos of some kind.
I think he did a signing about 5 years ago, and back then it was around $500 for an autograph, so not very cheap. Back then I had a lot of baseballs get sent in but he was having a hard time handling the signing of the balls and ultimately we had to pass on like 95% of them. It's definitely a bit of a let-down, but that's just how it goes sometimes. He's 94 now, so he was 89 back then, I mean, it makes sense, right?
That's why I don't really see a signing happening for him, maybe a 5% chance. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see him do a signing! It would be great! But I also can't blame the guy for not doing one. Would you want to sign a ton of baseballs and other items later in your life when you just want to relax and enjoy yourself? I probably wouldn't, but still, we can all hope.
Time to move onto one of my favorite players, #2, Barry Bonds!
I'm sure you hear me talk about Bonds all the time on my Instagram, I've definitely made a few videos on the channel over the years. He's baseball's all-time home run leader, and yes, I am saying that correctly. To date, nobody has taken that title from him, neither players nor any official baseball association/representative. He's had 762 home runs in his time, but unfortunately, he didn't land that Hall of Fame spot this last year.
Last time I saw Bonds sign was 8 years ago in 2014, so it has definitely been a while and at least in terms of timelines, we could be about due for one. Now, do I think it'll happen? That's hard to say, but it would be great if he did. Back then it was a pretty popular signing, and actually it was just a public signing. I think I got a few jerseys signed because it was like $300 back then which was a bit rich for my blood at the time.
Nowadays though, boy, he would probably be $500+ per autograph. I realize some people probably wouldn't agree with numbers like that given his history, and of course there's all those debates about Bonds and his career, and I understand both sides of that argument for sure, but the fact of the matter is there are a lot of collectors out there that would want some items from Bonds for the 500+ home run collections.
I mean, imagine getting a baseball or tickets or something signed by Bonds, that would just be great. Rookie cards weren't so huge back then like they are now, so you can do one of those. There are tons of options for sure. To get Bonds to do a signing though would probably take an Elon Musk level of cash though, so don't get your hopes to high yet.
And if you think the demand for Bonds just isn't there anymore, I'd have to say your wrong. He even has his own website which already has trouble staying stocked because people are buying it out all the time. So the demand is there. People want a piece of this iconic legend, which is why I'd put the chances of him signing at a 76.2% (see what I did there).
Ending here on our #1 pick, Barry Bonds Godfather, it's Willie Mays.
And I just love Willie. He's such a cool guy, but if I'm being honest from the beginning here, I don't really think he is ever going to sign again, but I can keep hoping!
I think his last signing was around 2006 in New Jersey, and I know even then he was starting to have a hard time signing because of his age. It just wasn't easy for him to see what he was doing, he even had to autograph the baseballs in Sharpie because of it, which I realize is a huge no-no, but what can you do? I'd still definitely rather have a Mays autograph than no autograph, and those Sharpie autos can still look pretty sharp.
Keeping in mind his last signing was 16 years ago and cost $700, just imagine what it would cost now. Thousands, no doubts. Plus, we have to consider if Willie even wants to sign anymore. Again, similar to Scully, some of these legends are getting up there in age. Autograph signings are laborious and difficult and who would really want to do these things in their later years anyways?
So yeah, I don't really see Willie Mays signing, probably ever. I don't think he really cares about the money as much anymore, of course he cares about money, but you know what I mean. Also, there isn't really anymore in his ball-pit, so to speak, that has the kind of pull necessary to convince him to want to do a signing. If any of you know a way to get him to do a signing, please let me know, we can do whatever it takes to make it happen, but I just don't think it'll happen anymore. So just for argument's sake, I'll say there's like a 1% chance, but I think we all know it might not even be that.
Lastly, just to leave a little final note on Mays. If you're out there looking for signed stuff by him, make sure you look for the autos with that big exaggerated autograph, not the small boxy one. There are definitely fakes out there so you have to be careful! Also be suspicious of any of those "Say Hey" authentication stickers, because again, there are definitely fakes out there.
So there you go, those are my top 5 picks I'd like to see autograph signings for. Again, some of these guys it's pretty unlikely, but we can always hope. If there are any other guys you'd love to see signings for that just haven't signed in a while, comment below!
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Frank Thomas 1990 Topps Signed Baseball Rookie Card #414B Auto Graded Beckett 10
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Fernando Tatis Jr 2019 Topps Baseball Rookie Card RC #410 Graded PSA 9 MINT
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