Jeremy Peña Rookie Card Guide and Other Key Early Cards
Jeremy Peña Rookie Card interest has risen significantly, even after a solid 2022 regular season with the Houston Astros. Winning ALCS and World Series MVP honors will do that.
With a lot of eyes on the likes of top-tier Julio Rodriguez, Spencer Torkelson and Bobby Witt Jr. heading into the year, there wasn’t much talk about Peña, Carlos Correa’s replacement.
A third round pick in 2018, Peña hit 22 home runs and drove in 63 in his rookie season. But it was during the playoffs that the overlooked shortstop took the spotlight. First, there was the 18th-inning blast that got the Astros past the Mariners in the Division Series. Against the Yankees in the ALCS, Peña hit .353 with two homers and four RBI. Against Philadelphia, he became the first rookie shortstop to hit a World Series home run. In the six-game series, he crossed the plate five times, drove in three and hit .400, good enough for the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award.
Jeremy Peña Rookie Cards are found in 2022 products. However, with a production schedule that has seen a lot of delays and checklists that have been slow to add early debuts, there aren’t a lot of base RC options thus far. There will be more as the baseball card year hits its home stretch, though, including more high-end choices.
Jeremy Peña Rookie Card Guide
The following list includes only base Rookie Cards with the RC tag in the Beckett database. Inserts and parallels are not. More cards will be added as the remaining 2022 baseball card products come out. Cards are listed alphabetically.
2022 Panini Mosaic Jeremy Peña Rookie Card #270
Mosaic is one of several chromium brands in Panini’s portfolio. Peña’s Rookie Card is in the line’s second standalone baseball release. Collectors will find a large parallel lineup of more than 25 different versions, however instead of adopting a rainbow background like Prizms and Refractors, virtually all of these have a bright pattern that’s distinct to Mosaic.
Parallels: Mosaic, Blue Camo Mosaic, Blue Reactive Mosaic, Genesis Mosaic, Green Mosaic, Orange Reactive Mosaic, Peacock Choice Mosaic, Pink Camo Mosaic, Red Mosaic, Red and Yellow Choice Fusion Mosaic, Silver Prizm, White Spark Mosaic, Yellow Reactive Mosaic, Blue Mosaic (/99), Purple Mosaic (/49), Orange Fluorescent Mosaic (/25), White Mosaic (/25), Blue Fluorescent Mosaic (/15), Green Swirl Mosaic (/12), Pink Swirl Mosaic (/12), Gold Mosaic (/10), Green Fluorescent Mosaic (/10), Pink Fluorescent Mosaic (/10), Black Gold Choice Mosaic (/8), Black Holo (1/1), Black Mosaic (1/1), Nebula Choice Mosaic (1/1)
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2022 Panini Prizm Jeremy Peña Rookie Card #17
Prizm might not be the juggernaut in baseball that it is in basketball and football but it’s still one of Panini’s core chromium releases. Like Mosaic, the 2022 Panini Prizm Jeremy Peña has a lot of parallels. In addition to colors, some of these bring in additional background patterns. Tiger Stripes and Giraffe Prizms opt for something different entirely, using animal prints.
Parallels: Blue Prizms, Blue Velocity Prizms, Carolina Blue Prizms, Cosmic Haze Prizms, Giraffe Prizms, Green Donut Circles Prizms, Green Prizms, Navy Blue-Carolina Blue Prizms, Pink Prizms, Purple Prizms, Red Prizms, Red Velocity Prizms, Red/White/Blue Prizms, Silver Prizms, Teal Wave Prizms, Tiger Stripes Prizms, White Sparkle Prizms, White Wave Prizms, Blue Donut Circles Prizms (/199), Blue Mojo Prizms (/199), Red Mojo Prizms (/149), Lime Green Prizms (/125), Neon Orange Prizms (/100), Red Donut Circles Prizms (/99), Red Wave Prizms (/99), Power Plaid Prizms (/75), Blue Wave Prizms (/60), Snake Skin Prizms (/50), Bronze Donut Circles Prizms (/40), Navy Blue Kaleidoscope Prizms (/35), Burgundy Cracked Ice Prizms (/25), Gold Donut Circles Prizms (/10), Gold Prizms (/10), Purple Shimmer Prizms (/7), Red Shimmer Prizms (/7), Shimmer Prizms (/7), Forest Green Flash Prizms (/5), White Donut Circles Prizms (/5), Black Finite Prizms (1/1), Black Velocity Prizms (1/1), Gold Vinyl Prizms (1/1)
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2022 Panini Three and Two Jeremy Peña Rookie Card #123 /99
The big draw of this one is the print run of just 99 copies for the base RC. 2022 Panini Three and Two is the debut release for the brand, spinning out of Panini One Football and One and One Basketball. The product is largely hits-driven, although there are some regular inserts as well as the tough base set.
Parallels: Full Count (/32), Gold (/25), Holo Silver (/15), Holo Gold (/12), Black (/8), Red (/6), Emerald (/5), Bases Loaded (/3), Two Strikes (/2), Holo Platinum Blue (1/1)
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2022 Topps Archives Jeremy Peña Rookie Card #280
If you’re looking for a Jeremy Peña Rookie Card, that’s steeped in nostalgia, there’s 2022 Topps Archives. Overall, the product uses several past Topps Baseball designs. Here, it’s 1987, one of the most popular and reused designs.
It’s worth noting that Peña also has a similar 1987 Topps Baseball insert that’s a part of 2022 Topps Update Series Baseball. Besides the photo on the front and card number on the back, the insert also has a 35th Anniversary stamp on the front that’s easy to differentiate between the two.
Parallels: Rainbow Foil (/199), Green (/125), Silver (/99), Red (/75), Red Hot Foil (/50), Blue Foil (/25), Orange Hot Foil (/15), Foilfractor (1/1)
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2022 Topps Fire Jeremy Peña Rookie Card #71
For something with a bolder, almost over-the-top design, there’s the 2022 Topps Fire Jeremy Peña Rookie Card. It’s colorful and almost looks as though it’s from an intro reel to a game or something that might flash by on a scoreboard. Topps Fire is a retail release. That said, it’s not difficult to track down.
Parallels: Flame, Onyx, Gold Minted, Orange (/299), Green (/199), Purple (/99), Magenta (/25), Inferno (1/1)
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2022 Topps Gallery Jeremy Peña Rookie Card #2
Another retail release, 2022 Topps Gallery uses art as its focal point. That’s more apparent in its inserts than in the base set. Peña’s RC does evoke a matted photo, though, and has some clean lines to go with it.
Parallels: Printer Proofs, Green (/125), Green Pattern (/99), Blue (/75), Blue Pattern (/50), Orange (/25), Orange Pattern (/10), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
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2022 Topps Update Jeremy Peña Rookie Card #US253
It’s not rare, it isn’t the most valuable, but the 2022 Topps Update Jeremy Peña Rookie Card will go down as one of his most important no matter how his career plays out. Tradition and baseball card collecting go together. There’s no greater tradition than the flagship Topps line. It’s not rare (far from it, in fact) but something to typically consider for Update is that it has a smaller production run compared to Series 1 and Series 2. There’s still lots to go around, just not quite as much. For those looking for a more modern chase, the card has several parallels as well.
Parallels: Gold Foil, Rainbow Foil, Gold (/2022), Green Foilboard (/499), Advanced Stats (/300), Orange Foilboard (/299), Red Foilboard (/199), Vintage Stock (/99), Independence Day (/76), Black (/71), Father’s Day Powder Blue (/50), Mother’s Day Hot 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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Key Early Jeremy Peña Cards
While Jeremy Peña Rookie Cards are found in 2022 base sets, the shortstop has several cards that came out prior to his debut with the Astros. By definition, they’re not Rookie Cards but they are still important. Here’s a look at some of his key early cards. This is not a definitive list. A comprehensive Jeremy Peña cards checklist is available in the Beckett database.
2018 Elite Extra Edition Autographs Jeremy Peña #143
If you’re looking for the first Jeremy Peña cards, they’re found in 2018 Elite Extra Edition. Panini was the only card maker to product cards of the shortstop in his draft year. Although there’s an unsigned version, it’s the autograph that is the clear collector favorite here. Despite coming out about two years earlier, it’s also noticeably more affordable than Peña’s first Bowman Chrome autograph.
Parallels: Aspirations Purple (/100), Status Die-Cut Red (/75), Aspirations Blue (/50), Aspirations Emerald (/25), Status Die-Cut Emerald (/25), Aspirations Tie-Dye (/10), Tie-Dye (/10), Status Die-Cut Tie-Dye (/5), Aspirations Gold (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Status Die-Cut Gold (1/1)
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2020 Bowman 1st Edition Jeremy Peña #BFE61
2020 Bowman 1st Edition Baseball offered a slightly different spin on regular Bowman. At a glance, it’s pretty much the same as Peña’s regular Bowman card with with the added 1st Edition icon. Sold primarily as an online-exclusive, the product initially caused quite the stir but it turns out that there’s a fair bit of it out there. It’s certainly less than the main Bowman card but it’s not rare.
Parallels: Sky Blue Foil, Blue Foil (/150), Yellow Foil (/75), Gold Foil (/50), Orange Foil (/25), Red Foil (/5), Platinum Foil (1/1)
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2020 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Jeremy Peña #CPA-JP
In case you’re wondering what the “best Jeremy Peña card” is, most will answer his first Bowman Chrome Autograph. It’s a go-to for baseball prospects today, combining the signature element, the brand and MLB logos and marks. Peña is the lone Chrome Prospect Autograph for the Houston Astros in 2020 Bowman Baseball.
Parallels: Refractors (/499), Speckle Refractors (/299), Purple Refractors (/250), Blue Refractors (/150), Atomic Refractors (/100), Green Refractors (/99), Green Shimmer Refractors (/99), Yellow Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Gold Shimmer Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Orange Shimmer Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5), Red Shimmer 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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2020 Bowman Chrome Prospects Jeremy Peña #BCP61
2020 Bowman Baseball has Peña’s first unsigned Bowman Chrome card as well. And first Bowman for that matter, although more collectors gravitate towards the upgraded look and feel of Chrome. Bowman Prospect cards are considered inserts by traditional definitions so this isn’t a Rookie Card but it’s treated as such by many. Obviously, there’s not the same sizzle as the autograph, but this one has a far more accessible price tag.
Parallels: Atomic Refractors, Refractors (/499), Speckle Refractors (/299), Purple Refractors (/250), Blue Refractors (/150), Blue Shimmer Refractors (/150), Aqua Refractors (/125), Aqua Shimmer Refractors (/125), Green Refractors (/99), Green Shimmer Refractors (/99), Yellow Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Gold Shimmer Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Orange Shimmer Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5), Red Shimmer 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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2020 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Prospects Refractors Jeremy Peña #BCP61
Topps gets a lot of mileage out of their Bowman Prospect cards. Yet, all seem to enjoy a strong level of popularity. This Jeremy Peña card came in special blaster-style boxes that mixed regular Bowman packs with a couple of Mega Box-exclusives. These are instantly recognizable for their interlocking background pattern, which is often referred to as Mojo.
Parallels: Purple Refractors (/250), Pink Refractors (/199), Blue Refractors (/150), Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5), Black Refractors (1/1)
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2020 Bowman Chrome Sapphire Prospects Jeremy Peña #BCP61
Another special edition Bowman Chrome release? Yep, this one an online-exclusive. Sapphire has emerged as one of the most popular of Topps’ Chrome off-shoots, offering a bright look, shard pattern that’s distinct from the usual Refractors and more limited numbers.
Parallels: Orange (/75), Purple (/20), Red (/15), Papradascha (1/1)
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2020 Bowman Chrome Sapphire Prospect Autographs Jeremy Peña #BSPA-JP
Sapphire is another place to find a Jeremy Peña autograph. Much more scarce than its regular Bowman Chrome counterpart, all of the parallels combined have 91 total copies. By comparison, the regular Bowman Chrome autograph has more than 1,736 total parallels in addition to a generous (albeit unknown) base print run.
Unlike the regular Sapphire card, Peña’s autograph doesn’t have the trademark shard pattern. Instead, there’s a Sapphire notation under the Chrome logo on the front. The reasoning for this is unknown.
Parallels: Green (/50), Orange (/25), Purple (/10), Red (/5), Papradascha (1/1)
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2020 Bowman Heritage Prospects Jeremy Peña #BHP61
There’s that photo again. This time it’s part of the nostalgia-driven 2020 Bowman Heritage Baseball. Another online-exclusive release, this one is styled after the popular 1992 Bowman Baseball set that really helped the brand find its place in the modern hobby.
Parallels: Black and White
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2020 Bowman Heritage Chrome Prospects Jeremy Peña #92CPJP
Adopting the modern Bowman approach, 2022 Bowman Heritage has Chrome versions of its prospects in packs as well. This changes up the nostalgia somewhat as it’s a new look for the familiar design. But it also allows for Refractors. Chrome cards are also available in smaller numbers with two in every 10-card pack.
Parallels: Refractors (/199), Blue Refractors (/99), Yellow Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), 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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2020 Bowman Platinum Tops Prospect Autographs Jeremy Peña #TOP52
While Jeremy Peña does have autographs in several 2020 Bowman products, there are several that his signature isn’t in. That makes for fewer options compared to some of the other big names from the 2020 “1st Bowman” class. 2020 Bowman Platinum is where you’ll find his cheapest autograph from the season. There are a couple of reasons for this. The big one is that on the Bowman hierarchy, Platinum is probably at or near the bottom. It’s also a sticker when his other main 2020 autographs are all on-card.
Peña has a standard Top Prospect card in the retail-only 2020 Bowman Platinum Baseball release.
Parallels: Purple (/199), Blue (/150), Green (/99), Ice (/50), Orange (/25), Red (/10), Foilfractor (1/1)
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2020 Bowman Sterling Prospect Autographs Jeremy Peña #BSPA-JP
The 2020 Bowman Sterling Jeremy Peña autograph comes from a product that’s considered more high-end than Bowman Chrome. It has an on-card signature and pictures the shortstop in his MLB gear. While the print run for the base version isn’t known, parallels suggest there are fewer copies of Sterling as well. Yet, it’s a fraction of the price. If you’re looking for a more affordable early Jeremy Peña autograph with all the fixings, this fits the criteria.
The shortstop doesn’t have a standard Prospects card in the product, just the autograph.
Parallels: Refractors (/150), Wave Refractors (/125), Speckle Refractors (/99), Orange Refractors (/75), Gold Refractors (/50), Blue Refractors (/25), Black Atomic Refractors (/10), Red Refractors (/5), Superfractors (1/1)
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2020 Topps Pro Debut Jeremy Peña #PD146
This is far from the most valuable Jeremy Peña cards, even when you only look at his prospect cards. Still, it’s his first as a minor league. That corner of the hobby might not be the biggest but it’s still a niche. Another thing to consider is the print run. Pro Debut sets have smaller numbers than most Bowman sets.
Among the parallels are a handful of Chrome versions. These are exclusive to 2020 Topps Pro Debut jumbo boxes.
Parallels: Chrome, Blue (/150), Chrome Refractors (/99), Green (/99), Chrome Gold Refractors (/75), Gold (/50), Chrome Orange Refractors (/25), Orange (/25), Chrome Red Refractors (/10), Red (/10), Black (1/1), Chrome Superfractors (1/1)
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