If we’re on the subject of top MLB prospects, Curtis Mead rookie cards are starting to attract multiple bids at auction. Mead looks set to make his first start in 2023, so we’ve taken the opportunity to look at his best early options.
As of December 2022, Curtis Mead is a top prospect, and looks increasingly likely to make his debut in 2023. He has a strong sporting pedigree, as the son of Australian Baseball Leaguer Tim Mead. Of course, Australians don’t have a rich history within the majors, but that could all change this season.
The jump to MLB isn’t always easy, especially for a player who split time between football and baseball as a youth. Here’s a rundown with five of the best Curtis Mead rookie cards to collect.
Top Curtis Mead Rookie Cards
Mead has been included as a prospect in a variety of 2022 sets released by Topps and Panini. Here are five of the best cards to chase.
5. 2022 Topps Pro Debut Curtis Mead RC #PD-57 (eBay)
Mead has three options in the 2022 Topps Pro Debut collection. This stickered auto is highly affordable, as an MiLB card from his time with the Durham Bulls. It’s never going to compare to the Bowman cards seen below in terms of values, but it’s a great entry-level option with six numbered parallels to chase. If you don’t mind the minor league logos and the lack of MLB branding, it’s a great place to start. You’ll see the Green /99 parallel in the image above.
- Parallels: Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/10, Black 1/1
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4. 2022 Bowman Sterling Curtis Mead RC #PA-CMD (eBay)
2022 Bowman Sterling Baseball is another great place to start if you’re on the lookout for cheap Curtis Mead prospect autos. There are two Mead cards within the set, and we’re focusing on the signed option seen above. This time, the baseman is found in a Rays jersey, and the card has a crisp full-bleed design. The Rose Gold Refractor is a new addition for this season, and is numbered to 15 copies.
- Parallels: Refractor #/150, Wave #/125, Speckle #/99, Orange #/75, Gold #/50, Blue #/25, Rose Gold #/15, Black Atomic #/10, Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1
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3. 2022 Panini Immaculate Curtis Mead #PPA-CM (eBay)
The premium 2022 Panini Immaculate Collection Baseball set contains one Curtis Mead prospect card. The card has a hard signature and a large player patch. This horizontal RPA is found in the Prospect Patch Autographs subset. One slight drawback is that it’s an MLBPA card, so there’s a lack of logos that do make the fronts seem a bit bare.
- Parallels: Jersey Number, Red #/49, Holo Silver #/25, Black #/10, Button #/8, Pink #/8, Green #/5, Holo Gold #/2, Platinum 1/1, Tag 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1
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2. 2022 Bowman Chrome Sapphire Edition Curtis Mead RC #BCP10 (eBay)
2022 Bowman Chrome Sapphire Edition is an online-exclusive release with two valuable Mead prospect cards found inside. They share the same design, with both a signed and an unsigned version to look out for. The set is essentially a limited edition release of the flagship 2022 Bowman Chrome collection seen below. It features a simple image of Mead in a batting stance.
- Parallels: Aqua #/55, Orange #/50, Purple #/25), Red #/10, Padparadscha 1/1
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1. 2022 Bowman Baseball Curtis Mead RC #CPACM (eBay)
2022 Bowman Baseball is where you’ll find the auto which takes the top spot on this list. The same image as the card seen above, this time there’s a range of different shimmer parallels to look out for.
These autos have proven to be the most popular Curtis Mead XRCs on the market. As for why, it’s his true 1st Bowman, and comes with a stickered signature. Prices are slowly starting to creep towards the four-figure mark, but that’s based on hype as he has yet to make a major league appearance.
- Parallels: Base Refractor #/499, Speckle #/299, Purple #/250, Blue #/150, Atomic #/100, Green #/99, Green Shimmer #/99, Yellow #/75, Gold #/50, Gold Shimmer #/50, Orange #/25, Orange Shimmer #/25, Red #/5, Red Lava #/5, SuperFractor 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1
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Are Curtis Mead Rookie Cards Worth The Hype?
There’s always an element of hype when a popular prospect makes the step up to the major leagues. Mead certainly has the necessary tools to be an effective baseman. He has visibly bulked up as he aims to make an impact when given the opportunity.
It’s probably smart to reserve judgement until he gets a solid run of games, even if scouts continue to sing his praises. For now, Mead is seen as a defensive liability, but he was undeniably one of the top offensive talents in all of the minor leagues.
Curtis Mead Rookie Cards: Final Thoughts
He seemed destined to star at the highest level of Australian rules football just a few years ago, but his career is now on a drastically different path.
Mead has a long way to go, especially as he split training each week to one day of football and one day of baseball as a youth player. The AFL is one thing, but Aussie players haven’t always managed to make the jump to MLB smoothly. The same goes for his countrymen, but that doesn’t mean that Mead won’t be able to break the mould.