CGC Cards Featured Card of the Month: 2018 Topps Update #US300 Juan Soto

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Sport: Baseball

Set: 2018 Topps Update

Card: #US300 Juan Soto

What makes it special? After only seven years in the league, and with numerous accolades already under his belt, Juan Soto became the hottest commodity in all of baseball during the offseason. Several teams vied for his services, as the Dominican-born outfielder moved across town to the New York Mets, signing a massive 15-year, $765 million contract.

With the addition of Soto, the Mets are hoping to have locked down an anchor for their lineup for years to come. His MLB career began with the Washington Nationals, who signed him as an international free agent in 2015. He made his pro debut in 2018, earning runner-up honors for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

By his second season, Soto became a vital contributor to the Nationals' first-ever World Series championship. The young outfielder had such an impact during the postseason that he earned the Babe Ruth Award for the best performance in the playoffs that season. In 2020, Soto continued to dominate at the plate, winning the NL batting title with a .351 batting average.

Soto's first few seasons in the league established him as one of the brightest talents in all of baseball. After being traded to the San Diego Padres in August 2022, he was later traded to the New York Yankees in December 2023. In his lone season with the Yankees last year, Soto helped his team reach the World Series and finished third in AL MVP voting. Now with the Mets and heading into his eighth MLB season, Soto will look to lead the Mets to their first World Series title since 1986.

Did you know? At only 26 years old, Juan Soto has already racked up so many awards that his trophy cabinet would make even longtime MLB veterans jealous. In seven seasons to date, Soto is a four-time All-Star, three-time All-MLB First Team selection, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, an NL batting champion and World Series champion. He has also earned career statistics that include a .285 batting average, 934 hits, 201 home runs and 592 RBIs, making him one of the most consistent threats at the plate in the Major Leagues.

Total graded by CGC Cards: There are several examples of Juan Soto's 2018 Topps Update #US300 rookie card, including a handful of different colored parallels and a pair of image variations. Of the base Topps Update #US300 version, there are 579 graded examples of the standard card in the CGC Cards Population Report, as of early February 2025. CGC Cards has also graded 5 different parallels of the same card: Gold (5), Rainbow Foil (2), Mother's Day Hot Pink (1), Variation - In Dugout (13) and Variation - Gatorade Bath (1).

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CGC Cards median grade: CGC Gem Mint 10

CGC Cards highest graded: Out of 601 total graded examples, the majority are Gem Mint 10s, with an additional 3 cards earning the coveted grade of CGC Pristine 10. There are 339 base examples graded CGC Gem Mint 10, and four of the parallel cards earned grades of CGC Gem Mint 10, as well: Gold (2) and Variation - In Dugout (2).

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Sales highlights: Eighteen examples of the Topps Update #US300 base rookie card graded CGC 9 to CGC Gem Mint 10 have sold through Fanatics Collect, with the top sale realizing $34 in December 2024. In addition, a Rainbow Foil parallel graded CGC 9 realized $79 through Fanatics Collect in June 2023 and a Mother's Day Hot Pink parallel graded CGC 9 (pictured above) realized $870 through Fanatics Collect in June 2023.

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