The wait for an Aaron Judge card to jump into the $1 million category is over. Way over.
Judge’s one-of-one 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Autographs Superfractor sold for an eye-popping $5.2 million through a private sale brokered by Fanatics Collect, the auction house announced Thursday. This is the highest publicly known sale of a modern baseball card ever, topping the $3.84 million paid for Mike Trout’s 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects autographed Superfractor in 2020. And what about Shohei Ohtani? His highest sale is $3 million, which occurred in December.
The Judge card last sold for $324,000 through a Fanatics Premier auction in May 2022. Before Thursday, that sale was the New York Yankees outfielder’s most expensive, according to card sales database Card Ladder. This latest transaction is tied for the seventh-highest publicly known sale across all sports cards.
Photo courtesy of Fanatics Collect
Neither the buyer nor the seller has made their identities publicly known yet.
“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.
Judge’s first baseball cards as a pro appeared in the 2013 Bowman sets, four years before his official rookie cards (produced once he reached the majors) landed. Although such cards usually carry a version of the “1st Bowman” branding, 2013 was the last year that it wasn’t used. Collectors view 1st Bowman cards as particularly valuable, often more so than a player’s rookie card.
Another Judge card up for auction would’ve become his most expensive card ever, and still might compete even with the new record.
The 2025 Topps MVP Gold Logoman one-of-a-kind autographed card of Judge and Ohtani hit the auction block last week through Fanatics Collect. It features the special gold MLB logo patches from jerseys worn by each reigning MVP. As of Thursday morning, bidding has reached $1.2 million. The auction ends March 19.
Top 10 sports card sales of all time
1. $12.9 million: Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite dual NBA Logoman patch autograph one-of-one, PSA 6 card/10 auto grade (Aug. 23, 2025, Heritage auction)2. $12.6 million: Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps, SGC 9.5 grade (Aug. 28, 2022, Heritage auction)3. $10 million: Michael Jordan/LeBron James 2006-07 Upper Deck Exquisite dual NBA Logoman patch autograph one-of-one, ungraded (Sept. 26, 2025, private sale)4. $7.25 million: Honus Wagner 1909 Sweet Caporal T-206, SGC 2 grade (Aug. 4, 2022, private sale)5. $7.2 million: Babe Ruth 1914 Baltimore News, SGC 3 grade (Dec. 3, 2023, REA auction)6. $6.6 million: Honus Wagner 1909 Sweet Caporal T-206, SGC 3 grade (Aug. 15, 2021, REA auction)T7. $5.2 million: Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps, PSA 9 (Jan. 14, 2021, private sale)T7. $5.2 million: LeBron James 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite rookie patch autograph numbered to 23, Beckett 9 card/10 auto grade (April 26, 2021, private sale)T7. $5.2 million: Aaron Judge 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Superfractor autograph one-of-one, Beckett 9.5 card/10 auto grade (March 12, 2026, private sale via Fanatics Collect)10. $5.1 million: Honus Wagner 1909 Sweet Caporal T-206, PSA 1 grade (Feb. 21, 2026, Goldin auction)
via Card Ladder
Meanwhile, Judge’s freshly unearthed, non-autographed 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractor one-of-one card will be available for auction starting in July through Heritage.
According to Texas-based card dealer Jug Rohlich, a collector stopped by his table at the Dallas Card Show in January and said he had a large collection he’d like to have evaluated. Rohlich agreed to visit his home to take a look. After making a deal on some vintage cards, the collector said he had some modern cards he’d like Rohlich to view, too. Rohlich admitted he isn’t a “modern (card) guy” but agreed to check them out.
“The first card he pulled out was the Judge 1/1,” Rohlich wrote on Instagram. “My jaw hit the floor as even I knew what I was looking at! He said he couldn’t find comps but believe it to be a $10-$15k card. I asked if he would take $25k cash for the card. He smiled and before he answered I said, “Don’t do it. … I recommended three good auction houses to send to but also told him to do it discreetly.”
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