2017 Panini Donruss Optic - Rated Rookies Aaron Judge #38 RC
This is Aaron Judge's official Rated Rookie card — #38 from 2017 Panini Donruss Optic — issued during the exact season he unanimously won AL Rookie of the Year, led the AL with 52 home runs (shattering the rookie record at the time), and became the first rookie ever to win the Home Run Derby. Judge went on to win the AL MVP in 2022 after breaking Roger Maris's 61-year-old AL home run record, then won a second unanimous MVP in 2024. The player on this card is the New York Yankees' captain and the most decorated power hitter of his generation.
2017 Donruss Optic is Panini's chromium-stock answer to Topps Chrome — same Rated Rookies design as the flagship Donruss set, but printed on solid metallic-finish stock with the mirror-bright shine collectors demand. The set carries a deep parallel rainbow including Holo, Pink, Purple, Aqua /299, Blue /149, Red /99, and rarer short-prints down to a Gold Vinyl 1/1. The base Rated Rookie is the entry point to the entire rainbow — the most-collected version of this card.
- Card: 2017 Panini Donruss Optic Rated Rookies #38 RC — Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Card stock: Chromium/metallic finish with full Donruss Rated Rookies design
- Parallel rainbow: Holo, Pink, Purple, Aqua /299, Blue /149, Red /99, Carolina Blue /50, Black /25, Gold /10, Green /5, Gold Vinyl 1/1
- PSA 10 comp: Base RC last sold at $292; market-active with consistent demand across grades
- Why it matters: Two-time unanimous MVP, AL HR record holder, Yankees captain — Judge's rookie-year chrome cards are a modern cornerstone collection piece
Raw copies move reliably, and PSA 10s hold firm in the $275–$300+ range with upside tied directly to one of baseball's biggest active stars. If you're building a Judge PC or want the definitive 2017 Donruss Optic Aaron Judge rookie card, this is the one.
Available at Collector Station, Easley, SC. Local pickup available. All sales final. Shipping damage must be reported within 48 hours of delivery with photos.
