Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card and Key Prospect Card Guide
With his first season in the books, the Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card lineup has taken shape. From easy-to-find base cards to tough autographs, there are plenty of options for collectors to choose from.
The athletic shortstop is young and has plenty of tools. Tatis, the son of the former Cardinals slugger, can hit for power like his dad and cause general chaos at the plate. He’s also solid with his glove and arm.
Tatis spent most of 2017, then 18-years old, with Single-A Fort Wayne. He hit 21 home runs for the team, setting a franchise record. He made a brief appearance at the Double-A level where he stayed for 2018. The infielder stayed consistent at the plate, hitting another 16 homers to go with a .286 batting average.
Entering 2019, he was just 20-years old. Both MLB.com and Baseball America have Tatis ranked as the second best prospect in the game, trailing only Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The first Tatis Jr. cards came out in 2015 Elite Extra Edition Baseball. His first MLB cards followed in 2016 and have continued to appear in the ensuing years. Collectors already have lots to choose from, including autographs.
5 Most Valuable Fernando Tatis Rookie Cards
- Topps Chrome Sapphire #410
- Topps Dynasty #DAP-FTJ1 to #DAP-FTJ8 AUTO PATCH /10
- Diamond Icons #AC-FTJ AUTO /25
- Topps Triple Threads #RFPAR-FT AUTO TRIPLE MEM /99
- Topps Five Star #FSA-FTJ AUTO
Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card Guide
The following is a list of Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Cards listed with the RC tag in the Beckett Database. These are base cards, not inserts or parallels. Cards are listed alphabetically.
2019 Bowman Chrome Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #26
Any conversation about Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bowman Chrome starts and pretty much ends with his 2016 autograph. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t interest in this one, but it’s definitely not among the more popular. With Prospect Autographs commanding so much attention, the actual Rookie Cards when they arrive often get lost in the shuffle.
Parallels: Refractors (/499), Purple Refractors (/250), Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5), Superfractors (1/1)
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2019 Bowman Heritage Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #53VR-30
Hailing from an online-exclusive that came at the end of the calendar year, 2019 Bowman Heritage came out of nowhere without any warning. It’s that exclusivity — and lower production numbers — that gives this card a bit of a bump. The design has its roots in 1953 Bowman Baseball.
Parallels: Black and White
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2019 Bowman’s Best Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #58
If Bowman Chrome is a little too subtle in the design department, there’s Bowman’s Best. This still has the chromium stock but it’s a standalone design and one that has a lot more going on. For some, it may be a little hard to handle. For others, flair is a good thing. That’s one of the benefits of choice. As far as the Fernando Tatis Jr. RC value spectrum goes, this one falls towards the lower end as a lot of collectors busting the product are digging for autographs, Refractors and prospects versus traditional Rookie Cards.
Parallels: Refractors, Atomic Refractors, Purple Refractors (/250), Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/10), Superfractors (1/1)
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2019 Donruss Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #254
If you’re searching for this one in packs, you won’t find it in 2019 Donruss. Rather, it’s one of ten Rated Rookie updates included in 2019 Panini Chronicles Baseball.
Parallels: Career Stat Line (/254), Red (/99), Blue (/50), Pink (/25), Light Blue (/10), Green (/5), Black (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
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2019 Donruss Optic Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #84
Design-wise, 2019 Donruss Optic is a chromium version of Donruss. However, when you compare Tatis’ cards in the two sets, they have different photos. For action fans, this is definitely the more dynamic of the two. Also, this being Optic, there are lots of funky parallels to chase that go beyond just color.
Parallels: Holo, Carolina Blue and White, Lime Green, Pink, Red Wave, White Sparkles, Pink Velocity (/199), Red, White and Blue 150th Anniversary (/150), Purple Stars (/125), Orange (/99), Pandora (/99), Blue Pandora (/99), Purple Pandora (/99), Red Pandora (/99), We the People (/76), Blue (/75), Red (/60), Carolina Blue (/50), Teal Velocity (/35), Black (/25), Gold (/10), Blue Cracked Ice (/7), Green Cracked Ice (/7), Red Cracked Ice (/7), Green (/5), Gold Vinyl (1/1)
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2019 Finest Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #85
Since its debut in 1993, Finest has done its own thing. For a short while, it was the only chromium baseball card set. That’s certainly changed but when you look at this card, it’s unmistakable. That’s because 2019 Finest continues with the traditional bold design that has lots going on. It’s not the most colorful year for the brand, but the various lines and blocks moving in all sorts of directions will keep you looking.
Parallels: Refractors, Purple Refractors (/250), Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5), Superfractors (1/1)
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2019 Immaculate Collection Fernando Tatis Jr. RC Auto Patch #38 /99
The swatch on the 2019 Immaculate Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card might not be as big as the one on National Treasures, but the price tag isn’t either. There’s still a clean design and on-card autograph.
Parallels: Gold (/49), Buttons (/10), Blue (/5), Brand Logo (1/1), Platinum (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Tags (1/1)
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2019 Panini Flawless Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #56 /20
If you’re looking for the rarest Fernando Tatis Jr. RC, 2019 Panini Flawless is where you’ll find it. Limited to just 20 copies, the other focal point is the diamond that’s embedded on the front.
Parallels: Holo Gold (/10), Holo Platinum Blue (/5), Black (1/1)
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2019 Panini Leather and Lumber Fernando Tatis Jr. RC Autograph #140 /149
2019 Panini Leather and Lumber Baseball has a lot going on as far as card styles and elements go. Rookie Card, like Tatis’, head for the sweet spot with an autograph on a piece of ball material. It might not be game-used or memorabilia but it still makes for a distinct design feature. Parallels not only have the traditional mix of colors but other materials as well like glove leather and wood for bats.
Parallels: Leather Signatures (/149), Lumber Signatures (/149), Baseball Signatures Black (/125), Baseball Signatures Blue (/99), Leather Signatures Dark Brown (/99), Lumber Signatures (/99), Baseball Signatures Pink (/75), Baseball Signatures Light Blue (/35), Baseball Signatures Black Gold (/25), Leather Signatures Black and Silver (/25), Lumber Signatures Holo Silver (/25), Baseball Signatures Gold (/10), Leather Signatures Black and Gold (/10), Lumber Signatures Black (/10), Baseball Signatures Green (/5), Baseball Signatures Red and Blue (1/1)
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2019 Panini National Treasures Fernando Tatis Jr. RC Auto Patch #35 /99
When it comes to Panini’s 2019 baseball lineup, this ranks as the most premium Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card. Of all of his RCs, it’s one of the top as far as high-end elements go. Customary for National Treasures, there’s the jumbo patch, on-card autograph and low print run of 99 copies. The brand might not carry the same clout or share the same history as basketball or football but there’s still a lot of nice and plenty of fancy happening here.
Parallels: Gold (/49), Holo Gold (/25), Holo Silver (/10), Brand Logo (1/1), Platinum (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Tag (1/1)
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2019 Stadium Club Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #88
2019 Topps Stadium Club is driven by strong photography. This isn’t one of those cards, though. With not a lot to choose from by the time the product went to print, the shot here is about as mundane as it gets.
Parallels: Black and White, Black Foil, First Day Issue, Members Only, Photographer’s Proof, Red Foil, Rainbow Foil (/25), Gold Rainbow (1/1)
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2019 Topps Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #410
If you’re looking for the most popular Fernando Tatis Rookie Card, this is it. Being part of the flagship line, history and tradition trumps rarity. Despite being one of the most common Tatis RCs, prices are strong considering its easy availability. The card is part of a strong 2019 Topps Series 2 Baseball checklist.
Parallels: 150th Anniversary, All-Star Game Foil, Purple, Rainbow Foil, Gold (/2019), Factory Set Foilboard (/162), Advanced Stats (/150), Vintage Stock (/99), Independence Day (/76), Black (/67), Father’s Day Blue (/50), Mother’s Day Pink (/50), Memorial Day Camo (/25), Clear (/10), Platinum (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
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2019 Topps Allen & Ginter Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #183
Historically, Allen & Ginter ranks among the more popular baseball releases each season. However, it’s not necessarily the base set that drives things. So while from a widely collected set, Rookie Cards such as this are somewhat overlooked.
Parallels: Hot Box Gold Border, Mini, Mini A and G Back, Mini Black Border, Mini Gold Border, Mini No Number (50 Copies), Mini Brooklyn Back (/25), Glossy (1/1), Mini Glossy (1/1), Mini Framed Printing Plates Black (1/1), Mini Framed Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Mini Framed Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Mini Framed Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Mini Wood (1/1)
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2019 Topps Allen & Ginter X Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #183
Part of an online-only release, this one is noticeably more rare than Tatis’ regular Allen & Ginter card so expect to pay a premium by comparison. The black background and additional border make for a more striking and distinct design.
Parallels: Mini, Mini Red (/5), Mini Silver (1/1)
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2019 Topps Archives Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #75
Simple and classy describes the Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card found in 2019 Topps Archives Baseball. The posed shot works well with the somewhat minimal 1958-inspired design. One for throwback fans, this ranks among the more affordable options.
Parallels: Purple (/175), Silver (/99), Blue (/25), Gold Foilboard (1/1)
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2019 Topps Brooklyn Collection Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #13
Looking for a Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card that’s overlooked? 2019 Topps Brookyn Collection Baseball may just fit the bill. Not a lot of collectors got a chance to sample it outside of the secondary market. Not only is it part of an online-exclusive, but Brooklyn Collection was only offered to 582 Montgomery Club members. The set’s primary focus is autographs but there’s a nice combination of fresh and vintage with the base cards, not to mention limited availability.
Parallels: Black (/75), Gold (/50), Orange (/25), Red (/5), Platinum (1/1)
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2019 Topps Chrome Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card #203
Although historically it’s the Refractors and autographs that get much of the attention with Topps Chrome, Rookie Cards hold up well, particularly when you’re honing in on more affordable options of top players.
Parallels: Refractors, Negative Refractors, Pink Refractors, Prism Refractors, Sepia Refractors, X-fractors, Purple Refractors (/299), Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Green Wave Refractors (/99), Blue Wave Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Gold Wave Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Orange Wave Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5), Red Wave Refractors (/5), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Superfractors (1/1)
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2019 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #410
2019 Topps Chrome Sapphire sold out almost instantly as an online-exclusive. Factor in the popular design and smallish production run and you’ve got one the most valuable Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Cards. It even outpaces many of his rookie autographs despite the lack of signature and even serial number.
Parallels: Orange (/25), Purple (/10), Red (/5), Superfractors (1/1)
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2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #CAA-FT
The layout might be familiar to the flagship Topps line, but there are big changes here. It starts with a different photo, but that’s pretty minor when you take the autograph and acetate stock into account. So while some things are the same, Tatis’ 2019 Clearly Authentic RC still stands out in some major ways.
Parallels: Green (/99), Black (/75), Red (/50), Blue (/25), Purple (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (1/1)
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2019 Topps Diamond Icons Fernando Tatis Jr. RC Autograph #AC-FTJ /25
Hailing from one of the company’s highest leaning products, the 2019 Topps Diamond Icons Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card has two key features: an autograph and a tiny print run of 25 copies. Being on-card is another plus as far as the signature goes.
Parallels: Purple (/10), Red (/5), Gold (1/1)
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2019 Topps Dynasty Fernando Tatis Jr. RC Auto Patch #DAPFTJ1 to DAPFTJ8 /10
There are eight different Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Cards in 2019 Topps Dynasty. All have on-card autographs, jumbo patch swatches and a print run of just ten copies. Needless to say, it’s a luxury-level card. The difference between each version can be found in the photos.
Parallels: Silver (/5), Gold (1/1)
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2019 Topps Fire Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #157
Bunting doesn’t normally mean a lot of action. 2019 Topps Fire‘s bold design more than makes up for it. This card, a Target exclusive, may be somewhat divisive with its look but that can also work to help it stand out.
Parallels: Blue Chip, Flame, Gold Mint, Onyx, Orange (/299), Green (/199), Purple (/99), Magenta (/25), Inferno (1/1)
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2019 Topps Five Star Fernando Tatis Jr. RC Autograph #FSA-FTJ
2019 Topps Five Star Baseball is an all-autograph release. That includes this Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card. Traditionally, the broader autograph lineup is what most are chasing with the product. So if you’re looking for something signed — and you can find one — this is one high-end issue that could also be considered a little overlooked.
Parallels: Purple (/50), Blue (/25), Green (/15), Gold (/10), Orange (/5), Red (1/1)
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2019 Topps Gallery Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #56
2019 Topps Gallery takes an art approach. For this Fernando Tatis Jr., it means an original piece by Josh Trout. As with other recent GGallery sets, 2019 was exclusive to Walmart.
Parallels: Artist Proof, Private Issue (/250), Canvas, Green (/99), Blue (/50), Orange (/25), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Red (1/1)
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2019 Topps Gold Label Class 1 Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #100
Two photos on the front and a foil backdrop — that’s what the 2019 Topps Gold Label Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card has to offer, at least at its most basic. Before you even take traditional parallels into account, it has three different versions — Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3. Each tier has a different rarity. Class 1 is the most common so it’s considered the base RC.
Parallels: Black, Blue (/150), Red (/75), Gold (1/1)
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2019 Topps Heritage Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #517
Heritage is one of those perennial brands on the baseball card calendar. This RC is found in High Number packs, which is essentially like a Series 2. If the design looks familiar, it is. 2019 Topps Heritage has its roots in 1970 Topps.
Parallels: French Text, Silver Metal, Mini (/100), Black Border (50 copies), Reverse Stock (5 copies)
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2019 Topps Museum Collection Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #87
If you’re looking for something that’s quality in production, relatively affordable but not overly plentiful, the 2019 Topps Museum Collection Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card is a place to look. Museum Collection leans towards the high-end. However, it’s not obscenely expensive, either.
Parallels: Copper, Sapphire (/150), Amethyst (/99), Ruby (/50), Emerald (1/1)
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2019 Topps Transcendent Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #49 /100
It’s not just the print run that makes the 2019 Topps Transcendent Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card one of his most valuable. It’s the fact that it’s part of a product that runs five figure per box. The premium construction is topped off by a metal frame.
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2019 Topps Triple Threads Fernando Tatis Jr. RC Auto Triple Relic #RFPARFT /99
Triple Threads is a product that’s more about big hits than chasing RCs. That said, with 99 copies, an on-card autograph and three swatches, there’s a lot going on here. And taking all those thing into account, it’s reasonably priced.
Parallels: Amethyst (/75), Emerald (/50), Onyx (/35), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Ruby (1/1), Wood (1/1)
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2019 Topps Walmart Holiday Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #HW126
The flagship Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card gets a festive makeover for this Walmart-exclusive release. The holly border and winter accents make it distinct and a relatively affordable alternative.
Parallels: Metallic, Metallic Gold (1/1)
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Key Early Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
This list covers only the key earliest Fernando Tatis Jr. cards from 2015 and 2016. He also has lots of other cards and autographs in ensuing years from Topps, Panini and Leaf that are also popular. Here’s a full checklist of Fernando Tatis Jr. cards.
2015 Elite Extra Edition Prospect Autographs Fernando Tatis Jr. #175
2015 Elite Extra Edition Baseball is the first product to include Fernando Tatis Jr. cards. In fact, it’s the only 2015 set to have him at all. While he has a base card, it’s the Prospect Autograph that gets more of the attention. It’s important to not that even though 2015 Elite Extra Edition uses ink color variations for some of its parallels, the base versions of Tatis’ autograph have red signatures.
For those looking for something more reasonably priced than his first Bowman Chrome autograph, this is certainly an option.
Parallels: Aspirations Die Cut (/100), Status Purple Die Cut (/75), Status Blue Die Cut (/50), Red Ink (/25), Status Emerald Die Cut (/25), Green Ink (/10), Status Orange Die Cut (/10), Status Gold Die Cut (/5), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Status Black Die Cut (1/1)
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2016 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Fernando Tatis Jr. #CPA-FT
This is the cornerstone Fernando Tatis Jr. card as far as his early stuff goes. Found in packs of 2016 Bowman Chrome Baseball, there are a few things that make this card so popular. First, it’s his debut autograph in a MLB uniform. That ties into the fact that it’s part of the Bowman Chrome line, a brand that carries tremendous clout (and a decent history) among collectors. The on-card signature is also a cherry that isn’t found with all early Tatis autographs.
Parallels: Refractors (/499), Purple Refractors (/250), Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Orange Shimmer Refractors (/10), Red Shimmer Refractors (/10), Red Refractors (/5), Blue Twitter Refractors (/3), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Superfractors (1/1)
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2016 Bowman Chrome Prospects Fernando Tatis Jr. #BCP17
Virtually identical in appearance to the autographed version, the regular 2016 Bowman Chrome Prospects Tatis Jr. card comes with a much lower price point. At this point, his autograph is already much higher that a lot of collectors are willing to pay. This card has the MLB uniform and the brand, not to mention lots of colorful Refractors. Tatis also has a regular Bowman Prospect card in the same set that is even more affordable.
Parallels: Refractors (/499), Purple Refractors (/250), Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Green Shimmer Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Orange Shimmer Refractors (/25), Blue Twitter Refractors (/15), Red Refractors (/5), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Superfractors (1/1)
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2016 Bowman Family Tree Fernando Tatis/Fernando Tatis Jr. #FTT
Baseball has long been romanticized through the bond between fathers and sons. 2016 Bowman Family Tree makes it a little more concrete, tracing modern baseball lineage. One of those combos is Tatis Jr. alongside his dad, Fernando Tatis. The elder Tatis hit 34 home runs and drove in 107 runs for the Cardinals the year his son was born.
Parallels: Blue (/150), Green (/99), Orange (/25), Red (/5), Metallic (1/1)
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2016 Bowman International Ink Autographs Gold Fernando Tatis Jr. #IIFT /99
This is actually a parallel of a regular insert set looking at international prospects. Visually, it might not be the most exciting card. There are a lot of logos at play and the shot is very casual. The use of a sticker for the signature isn’t ideal for some, but it is limited to 99 copies. It’s that numbering that gives it a hefty price tag.
It’s worth noting that it’s in packs as a redemption. The final cards are live, but the actual redemption card expired in 2018.
Parallels: Metallic (1/1)
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Topps had that “Topps X Tatis Jr 0.23” online release that had rookies in it as well. Not sure if the set isn’t considered “base” however…
@James – There are lots of 2019 Tatis cards but this one only highlights the ones with the RC tag in the database. My guess is that the team deemed that set not necessarily “mainstream” to warrant it. Lots of gray area and discussions among them with the various online offerings now.
Why is Topps Total omitted from the list? You have several other online exclusives listed.
@Tyler – The team that makes the RC calls opted not to give Total cards the RC tag in the database. From my understanding the non-traditional distribution with the various waves had something to do with it. I checked in myself last year. I still picked up some for a couple of other players for my collection (slept on Tatis, though).
I don’t get how his Topps Big League #6 missed the list. Or Topps Sticker #193 where he is obviously shown on the card side. The definition of a RC is too random here.
@John – The Big League is a variation, therefore insert. Going back to the ’80s, sticker backs have never been traditional RCs. It hasn’t changed the other times you’ve brought it up as well, so I think the team that decides it have been pretty consistent in this regard. If you’re a fan of stickers, collect them. Labels in a database shouldn’t change your enjoyment.
How about the 2019 Topps 1984 style (84-8). Carries the RC badge.
It’s an insert. Inserts are not listed in this article.
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