With the MLB season moving into its closing stretch, award races are becoming a major driver of hobby attention. The National League Rookie of the Year picture has sharpened, and two names stand out for collectors watching both on-field production and card-market momentum: Cincinnati infielder Sal Stewart and New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean.
Both players entered the year with real prospect credibility. Both have delivered strong rookie campaigns. But their hobby cases are not identical. Stewart is gaining steam as a middle-of-the-order bat with broad collector appeal, while McLean is putting together the kind of pitching season that earns attention but also comes with the usual long-term volatility tied to arms.
Here is a closer look at where each player stands in the Rookie of the Year race and what their recent card movement says about collector sentiment.
Sal Stewart has turned a strong rookie profile into a hobby catalyst
Stewart came into the season with meaningful momentum after establishing himself late last year and carrying that visibility into the postseason. He was respected entering the season, but he was not universally viewed as the clear favorite for the Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year Award.
For more collector background, read 2026 Topps Update Series Baseball Pre-Order Date, Box Format, and Early Rookie Cards to Know.
That has changed.
As the season nears its finish, Stewart has put together a standout line of .270 with 31 home runs, 107 RBIs and an .816 OPS. That production has helped push him to the front of the Rookie of the Year conversation. It has also strengthened a hobby profile that was already healthy before Opening Day.
Collectors tend to respond quickly when a rookie combines power, counting stats and national visibility. Stewart checked those boxes early with a hot start and added to his profile with an All-Star selection. By the time the second half settled in, he was no longer just an intriguing young Reds bat. He had become one of the most important rookie stories in the National League.
That matters in the card market because award races often create a bridge between prospecting interest and mainstream hobby demand. A player does not have to become an MVP candidate overnight to benefit. Sometimes it is enough to prove that the early scouting hype can translate into immediate big-league production. Stewart has done exactly that.
Why Stewart's cards are gaining strength
Stewart's hobby market was not starting from zero. His prospect cards already had an audience, and his name carried weight with collectors who follow first-year player products closely. What has changed is the level of confidence behind the buying.
One of the clearest examples is his 2022 Bowman Chrome Draft autograph, which has shown a steady upward sales trend since the middle of June based on Card Ladder sales data. Rather than a single isolated spike, the movement has looked more like a sustained climb, which is often a healthier sign for a developing market.
That kind of pattern usually tells collectors a few things:
buyers are still entering the market even after the initial breakout window,
the player is maintaining enough performance to support rising prices,
and the hobby is beginning to treat the card as a key early benchmark piece.
Stewart also benefited from strong inclusion in 2026 Topps Chrome, where he emerged as one of the notable chase names. That matters because mainstream flagship-adjacent products can significantly expand visibility beyond dedicated prospect collectors. Once a player becomes a chase in a widely opened release, the audience often broadens from Bowman-focused buyers to a much wider pool of baseball collectors.
For Stewart, that crossover effect appears to be working. He has prospect credibility, current production and enough release-calendar relevance to stay in conversations across multiple segments of the hobby.
The Reds factor in Stewart's long-term outlook
Market size is always part of the conversation, but team context can be more nuanced than simply big market versus small market. Cincinnati does not operate with the hobby scale of New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, yet the Reds have an engaged fan base and a history of producing collector interest around homegrown talent.
That gives Stewart a useful foundation. He is not relying solely on short-term national hype. He also has local and regional support that can help stabilize demand, especially if he continues to develop into a core lineup piece.
Age and projection matter too. Award recognition can move prices in the short run, but sustained hobby growth usually depends on whether collectors believe there is still another level ahead. Stewart's profile suggests there may be room for that. A rookie season built around power and run production creates a strong platform, especially if the market sees more growth in batting average, on-base skill or all-around offensive consistency in future seasons.
That is one reason many collectors may view him as more of a hold than a quick flip at this stage. If the market believes his best years are still in front of him, a Rookie of the Year push can become a launch point rather than a peak.
Nolan McLean is giving collectors a classic pitching dilemma
McLean's season is easier to appreciate when separated from the disappointing year around him. The Mets have struggled badly in the standings, but the rookie starter has emerged as one of the few genuine bright spots on the roster.
McLean has posted an 11-9 record with a 3.24 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 184 strikeouts across more than 166 innings. For a rookie starter, that is an impressive workload and an even more impressive strikeout total. Those numbers reflect both performance and durability over a long season, two qualities collectors always want to see from a young pitcher.
Like Stewart, McLean was not an unknown entering the year. He had already debuted last season and carried real preseason expectations. He has largely met them, and in some areas exceeded them, by showing he can handle a meaningful major league role right away.
The problem, at least from a card-market standpoint, is that pitchers live under a different set of hobby rules.
Even excellent young arms often struggle to maintain the same long-term pricing strength as impact position players. Injuries, workload concerns, year-to-year performance volatility and the general risk profile of the position all tend to cap enthusiasm. That does not mean elite pitchers cannot command real money. It means their markets usually require a more careful approach.
McLean's recent sales show real growth
Despite the caution that usually follows pitching prospects, McLean's market has still moved up during the season. His 2023 Bowman Chrome Draft autograph has reportedly climbed into the $140 range after sitting closer to $80 to $90 near the start of the year based on Card Ladder sales data.
That is a meaningful gain and a sign that collectors are rewarding the production. Strong strikeout totals, quality run prevention and a major market uniform remain a powerful combination in the short term, particularly when a pitcher is performing well during his rookie season.
The New York factor also helps. Even in a disappointing season, the Mets carry one of the hobby's more visible collector bases. A rookie pitcher who breaks through there can draw more attention than a similarly productive arm on a less scrutinized club.
Still, price appreciation and risk can coexist. In fact, they often do for pitchers. A card can move nicely over several months while remaining vulnerable to a fast correction if the player gets hurt, loses command, sees velocity changes or simply posts a rough stretch. That is why many collectors treat pitching cards differently from hitting prospects, even when the stats are excellent.
Comparing Stewart and McLean from a collector standpoint
Both players have done enough on the field to justify hobby interest. The difference is in how the market tends to value their paths forward.
Stewart offers a more traditional offensive upside play. He is a productive rookie hitter with 30-plus home run power, a central offensive role and a growing presence in key modern products. That profile tends to give collectors more flexibility. Buyers can pursue his cards for award momentum, for long-term upside or for team-based collecting.
McLean offers a more specialized investment case. His numbers are strong and his season deserves attention, but his market remains attached to the risk that follows nearly every young starter. For collectors who like to trade on performance windows, McLean's rise makes sense. For those building longer-term positions, the decision is more complicated.
In simple terms, Stewart's appeal is broader while McLean's is more conditional.
Buy, sell or hold for each rookie?
Sal Stewart: Hold with upside
Stewart looks like the stronger hold of the two. His current production supports the market, and his rookie-year breakout does not feel entirely maxed out if collectors believe more growth is coming. A likely Rookie of the Year finish near the top of the ballot only adds to the visibility.
His 2022 Bowman Chrome Draft autograph remains the key measuring stick, but interest tied to 2026 Topps Chrome adds another layer of demand. That combination of prospect-era anchor card plus current flagship-era chase status can be a healthy formula for a young hitter's hobby trajectory.
Collectors who already own Stewart may see little reason to rush out unless prices jump to unsustainable levels. Those looking to buy should understand they are no longer early, but they are still dealing with a player whose market has multiple support points beyond one hot month.
Nolan McLean: Strong season, but the usual pitcher caution applies
McLean's rise has been earned. The production is real, the strikeout volume is notable and the New York stage gives him strong visibility. But from a pure hobby management standpoint, pitcher risk remains hard to ignore.
Collectors who are already holding McLean cards may view this as a reasonable point to take profits, especially if they are not specifically collecting the Mets or building around young pitching. That does not diminish his season. It simply reflects the reality that the market can turn quickly on arms, even after excellent rookie campaigns.
For buyers still interested, the appeal is easy to understand. A rookie starter with a 3.24 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 184 strikeouts has real collecting juice. The key is recognizing that this is usually a higher-volatility position than a comparable hitter.
Key cards drawing the most attention
Sal Stewart 2022 Bowman Chrome Draft autograph - A core early card that has shown sustained strength during the second half of the season.
Sal Stewart 2026 Topps Chrome rookie cards - Important for broader collector visibility as Stewart became one of the notable chase names in the release.
Nolan McLean 2023 Bowman Chrome Draft autograph - The clearest benchmark card for tracking his season-long hobby rise.
What collectors should watch next
The next movement in both markets will likely depend on three factors: award voting momentum, offseason expectation and how the hobby prices future ceiling versus current production.
For Stewart, a Rookie of the Year win or a near-win could keep the momentum going into the offseason, especially if collectors begin treating him as more than a one-year story. If that belief takes hold, his important early cards may continue finding support even after the season ends.
For McLean, the offseason will test how much of his current pricing is tied to rookie-year excitement versus durable conviction. Pitchers can absolutely carry value through the winter, but the market often becomes more selective once regular-season performance is no longer refreshing the story every five days.
At this point in the calendar, Stewart appears to have the stronger all-around hobby runway, while McLean has delivered enough to reward backers but still fits the classic sell-into-strength profile that many collectors prefer with young pitchers.
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