Where do you start collecting Ronald Acuña Jr. Rookie Cards?

You should know by now that Ronald Acuña Jr. is having a historic year with the 30-30 Club already set to appear on his 2020 baseball cards -- and there's a serious chance he could become the youngest member of the elite 40-40 Club before the season is over, too.

But it's The Atlanta Braves outfielder's 2018 Rookie Cards that you should be thinking about right now as there's been a serious uptick in interest -- and there's still a lot to choose from that's not priced out of many collectors' budgets.

Acuña appears on more than 3,500 unique baseball cards since he arrived in prospect and minor-league sets back in 2016 and that number has gotten there rather quickly. Amidst his arrival and National League Rookie of the Year award-winning season last year, for example, he appeared on more than 1,700 new cards and more than 1,000 of those were made by Topps just last year.

For simplicity's sake here, we have carved out all of his Topps Now and several other small-set cards sold as online releases as well as Panini America's meaty lineup of Acuña RCs (those could be their own future rundown ... and likely will be). We've also punted all autographs and Relic cards from last year to make this a starting point with the widest affordability net possible -- though ink and parallels in the sets where he has basic RCs will get mentions. That said, even with this starting point, there's still a good mix of high-end and low-end cardboard -- and even the low-end stuff can generate some good Acuña Cash when professionally graded.

Keep reading for a rundown of Ronald Acuña Jr. Rookie Cards.

For further simplicity, we've grouped these cards into four groups ...

THE FRONT-RUNNERS

This is the group of Acuña cards that are getting watched and bought the most, probably because they all share a familiar look with photos from the same action sequence -- his first official MLB at-bat from April 25 last year against the Reds in Cincinnati. There's a wide array of low-end to high-end here price-wise with some easy to land and others a challenge.

2018 Topps #698 (bat up, factory set only)
If you buy a basic Topps factory set, this card is one of the bonus cards found each and every time -- you won't find this one in any types of packs, but you will find cards that look similar to it. Want a chase within a factory set? There is a foilboard parallel of this card that is inserted into the five-card bonus packs only in hobby versions (not retail or other special editions) of the set that are serial-numbered to just 190 copies.

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2018 Topps Series 2 #698 SP (bat down)
This is The Big One of the basic RCs for Acuña, though by the most-basic of Rookie Card definitions (something always-argued about) it's not one. (Why? Because it's a rare short-printed card.) It's too big to exclude here. He and Gleyber Torres were short-printed additions to Series 2, falling together roughly one per hobby case. It's a basic no-frills card beyond its scarcity, but it's a card that one might draw some potential parallels to Mike Trout's 2011 Topps Update card as the iconic one to chase, though, again this one is an SP. (Trout is not.) The only mysteries here? How much the ceiling might be on this card and whether it's also easily found in retail packs. (I'm not 110 percent certain ... asking for a friend here.)

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2018 Topps Update #US250
The big box and case to chase from last year is 2018 Topps Update and it's this card, its parallels and the other big-name rookies inside those boxes that are big reasons why. This is his default Rookie Card in the flagship Topps design based on traditional definitions and it's getting some looks though the photograph isn't nearly as perfect as the "bat down" image. (What's the difference between this and the factory set card? The card number and location of the Topps and RC logos.) He's got three basic cards in Update -- this one, a Rookie Debut card, and a shared card with perhaps-overlooked Braves rookie Ozzie Albies aptly labeled "The Future Is Bright." Each of these cards has a number of parallels -- Independence Day, Gold, Black, Pink, Blue, Camo, Negative, vintage stock, etc. -- to add to the chase and he's got other variations of this card as well as inserts in the release, too. Find a few more details on the parallels here along with the checklist.

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2018 Topps Holiday #HMW50
Do you really like the "bat down" photo like I do, but don't want to chase or or pay big for one? Grab one of the boxes for this retail-only release made for Walmart as it's one where you can land Acuña with relative ease without breaking the bank. You can also find parallels of the card -- a lot tougher in these boxes -- as well as very tough autographed and Relic versions. Get more details on this release here. This is my go-to pick for those who want a bat-down card on the cheap.

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2018 Topps Mini #US250
There's a reason the photo on this one is smaller -- it's to reinforce that it's a card not quite like the others while it's basically the same deal ... probably just rarer. Topps used its On Demand platform to release a mini version of 1,000 cards in Series 1, Series 2 and Topps Update all in one place. You only got 30 base cards in a pack so you can do the math -- perfect collation means this card in every 34th box. There also were parallels in this release (Orange /25, Blue /10, Red /5 and 1/1 Gold) with him also having Rookie Debut and Future Is Bright cards here, too. I used to chase minis hard, but this is one where I slept on grabbing packs back then and they've gotten pricey.

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2018 Topps 3D #54
This might be among the rarest of the cards on this entire list as these packs included just five base cards from a 100-card set along with three inserts. The good news is that Acuña is among the inserts, too, to help your one-in-20 shot at something for him. There are no parallels or other extra stuff here -- just three-dimensional plastic takes on the "bat down" card that's a classic. This one is that and more -- and another card I wish I would have chased when it first arrived. It's pricier now.

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2018 Topps Heritage High Number #580
This is easily one of the other go-to cards for Acuña RCs, especially when it comes to grading, so it had to make this group. This isn't the flashiest card at all -- at all -- but it's one that's pretty available right now in both singles and wax form. That's also something that may not last over the long-term on the wax side as Heritage is always a go-to for some collectors over everything else. This release has about 25 cards for him between variations, parallels, other inserts and autographs/Relics. There's a 100th Anniversary (/25) parallel of this one that's of note as well as Chromes and then you get all of the variations Heritage is known for -- get the basics and checklist here. It's a small set, too, so landing him should happen more than it doesn't in the various box formats. (Atop these there are 5-by-7 sets and wall art versions, too, if you just can't get enough Heritage.) My super-sleeper that doesn't make this list but is in these boxes? The ad panel box-toppers where this card is one of three on a panel.

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ME & MY CHROMIES ...

Their shiny plastic stock is the starting point for Refractor rainbows that can generate some of the hottest flames in the hobby ... and Acuña's RCs have a pretty good presence last year. (And there's even more in 2018 Bowman brands -- from before he had earned his all-important RC logo badge.)

2018 Topps Chrome #193 
In my mind, this one could land be No. 1 on an overlooked Acuña RC list and a No. 1B behind to the bat down card in terms of the photograph. He's got more than 100 Chrome cards from Topps last year (including Chrome hits inserted in some factory sets sold at some stores but those don't make the cut here). But this particular release has more than 60 of those cards. There are 22 versions of this card in particular with other Refractors including standard, Prism, Blue (/150), Blue Wave (/75), Gold (/50), Gold Wave (/50) Green (/99), Green Wave (/99), Negative, Orange (/25), Pink, Purple (/299), Red (/5), Red Wave (/5), Sepia, X-fractors and the 1/1 Superfractor as well as printing plates. He's got autographs aplenty in this release, too, including a dual with Albies.

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2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire #698
Of the Chromes, this one is the Big Kahuna, err Big Acuña, with it being from a 700-card set packed out in just 100-card boxes (packs) with three parallels and three autographs atop those as a bonus. This product wasn't on the cheap side, either, with a starting price of $199.99 a box when it first arrived and these boxes got shredded hard with all of the good stuff inside -- so they're not easy finds now. This basic card uses the bat down image, making it even better, and there are Red (/10) and 1/1 Superfractor versions of this to look for, too. Atop that, there are five different autograph cards.

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2018 Topps Chrome Update #HMT25
From the deluxe chase to the retail-only chase ...  that's what we have here in a Target-only card found in Mega Boxes and one pack format only initially at those stores. Topps changed the photo for this card -- a move that has some pluses and minuses -- and it has only a few parallels. Acuña also has a Rookie Debut card in this 100-card set and then some inserts and autographs that are low-volume cards. The basic Refractor lineup for this one include Gold (/50), Pink, Red (/25), Refractors (/250), X-Fractots (/99) and the 1/1 Superfractor. It's simpler than the basic Topps Chrome lineup.

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2018 Bowman's Best #51
Most people think of Bowman's Best as a prospecting brand more than one for Rookie Cards, but you get the best of both worlds here -- and in this one it's an Acuña RC. There are nine parallels atop this basic card -- Atomic, Blue (/150), Gold (/50), Green (/99), Orange (/25), Purple (/250), Red (/10), standard Refractor and 1/1 Superfractor. He's also got on-card autographs to chase here as well as inserts and all of their parallels, rounding out Best's list to almost 50 Acuña cards.

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2018 Bowman Chrome #40
This one was a bit of an afterthought or even a forgotten one for me looking back at last year's Acuña RCs since he had prospect cards in the first Bowman set (those aren't RCs). Boxes of this one can include this and his eight parallels -- Blue (/199), Gold (/50), Green (/99), Orange (/25), Purple (/250), Red (/5), standard Refractors (/499) and a 1/1 Superfractor. With all of the focus on the basic Topps and its Chrome cards, the Bowman RCs just don't feel as big to me ... but that's just me because there's Acuña Cash flowing on those rare parallels here. If you want really big Bowman stuff, head back to 2017 releases. (Big stuff there, for sure.)

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THE ELITIST

This one stands alone in its type of product as well as its status as a basic Acuña RC that's serial-numbered. What is it? Keep reading ...

2018 Topps Transcendent Collection #49 (/83)
This is a base card from Topps' most-expensive release every year and that's one where the base set is definitely not the focus but still a big deal if you land a key RC like Acuña in a group break of these five-figure boxes. Just 83 boxes of Transcendent were made and each included a mix of autographs and other super-premium cards. Landing one of these Acuña RCs won't be easy and his autographs (all /25 or less) won't be, either.

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THE REST OF THE PACK ... IN PACKS

There are some bargains to be had among the basic Acuña RCs here, but also some huge potential finds among the other possible cards to be found in these boxes. You know, autographs and parallels ...

2018 Topps Allen & Ginter #207
Like Heritage, this is a go-to brand styled after 1880s tobacco cards is an almost-flagship release for retro-minded collectors. The photo in this Acuña RC might be holding back its value some -- it's not all that notable -- but it's often not the basic Ginter card that gets the love from collectors. It's the minis and the autographs that are a big deal in these boxes. Acuña ink has three types in Ginter -- framed mini, black-frame mini (/25) and framed mini red-ink (/10). The 13 mini versions of this one include a few rarer sets -- 1/1 printing plates, Brooklyn (/25) and no-number (announced /50) -- that are popular with set collectors each year.

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2018 Topps Allen & Ginter X #207
The reversed-style version of Ginter arrived with its 10th anniversary (hence the X) a few years ago, but it's also continued since then with the release having its own inclusions. The base card, its minis and a rare autograph (/25) are all that's found here. This box is the rare occasion where Buzz landed the big one for Acuña -- so there are only 24 other autos potentially out there on the market. This was a red-hot online-only release last year and its autograph-per-box format means it likely had a far more limited run than many other products -- including basic Ginter. That should translate into better sales for basic cards like this one. The only drawback? Soft traditional cardboard stock and those dark edges.

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2018 Topps Archives #212
All those rookies from The Sandlot got a lot of the buzz when this one finally arrived last year, but the wax here is still readily available to a degree and Acuña is among the potential finds a few ways. This is his RC that uses the 1981 Topps design and it's got a logo variation, Blue (/99), Gold foil (1/1), Purple (/175) and Silver (/75) parallels. He's also got a 1981-style rookies insert, a 1993-style Coming Attractions insert and three autographs to find here. It's perhaps the simplest release of the group for Acuña fans.

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2018 Topps Archives Snapshots #ASRAC
These boxes also were not widely distributed since they were a release that started out at Topps.com, but Acuña has a pretty good spot here with this basic card, its four parallels and a rainbow of five autographs. The base card's parallels include Black & White, Blue (/50), Gold (/10) and 1/1 Black. The same lineup applies for ink but with a different volume. This one might also be on the rarer side for basic RCs here

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2018 Topps Big League #369
This one is more of a kids brand based on its price but with plenty of touches where it shouldn't be defined as solely that -- it's a collector's brand. Acuña has 10 cards in these boxes with this basic RC having Black & White, Blue, Gold, Rainbow foil (/100) and 1/1 Red foil parallels. He's also got four Rookie Republic autos with a similar parallel lineup and that's it. The stock here is no-frills so you might consider grading some of those parallels if you land them and they look very clean -- they may not age well without glossed surfaces, with all that color and with skinny stock used.

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2018 Topps Fire #109
This release also was only initially found at Target stores and it's got a design that may not mesh with a lot of collectors yet it could jive with a different group of collectors. The good news is that demand for Acuña just might bring those groups together ripping into these boxes. This one is on the lower side of the Acuña Cash scale, but it's a release that includes nearly 20 different cards inside its packs, including six autographs with five of them all rarer than 75 copies. This basic RC has nine parallel versions to chase, too, ranging from 299 copies down to one.

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2018 Topps Gallery #140
This release was only found at Walmart stores and it's got a pretty well-developed design around the artwork in the basic set, including some unique typography which is accented with smart foil use and some nice spot-gloss touches. The artwork may or may not work for some collectors -- that's pretty much the nature of art-based releases -- but this is one card that I think does. Acuña has 30 different cards in this release with the base card having parallels, a 1952 Topps-style insert and autographs. I like the jumbo box-topper, myself, though it's only in the deluxe boxes of this brand. (Hit that link ... or this one.) Meanwhile another potential inclusion in those boxes that I'm not sure has been found yet? The original artwork used to make Acuña's cards. Those went into boxes, too.

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2018 Topps Gold Label (Class 1) #99
This is a brand that might be built for the chase of one-per-box framed autograph cards, but it's also one that can deliver Acuña relatively often as it's got a basic lineup with three tiers of cards for each of the players involved. Class 1 is the easiest card so it gets the RC nod but there are two others -- and then all of them have parallels (Black, Blue, Gold, Red). His autographed card also has those parallels. It's simple and they don't look that different from each other, but there's enough to have a bit of a chase here in these boxes whether you just one basic RCs, RCs and parallels or everything.

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AND REMEMBER ... THERE'S PLENTY MORE

These aren't even all of them for Acuña Rookie Cards -- we've punted autograph-only cards like 2018 Topps Clearly Authentic, Topps Dynasty, Five Star and Triple Threads as well as the number of online-released single and small-set cards like Topps Now and the Topps Living Set. Throw in all of his Panini stuff and we're pushing nearly 50 basic Rookie Cards from last season alone -- and that doesn't include all their parallels and other inserts in those products, either. Want more? He's got prospect and MiLB cards from 2016 and 2017, too, and there's also some strong fun factor chasing his dad's baseball cards. The elder Acuña had about 30 cards as he was a prospect for the New York Mets with six RCs back in 2002.

There will be plenty more to say about Acuña on the field in the coming weeks and on cardboard in the coming months and years. We won't even mention that the Braves could make a postseason run that could generate even more buzz with non-collectors dabbling with his cards even more with a larger national spotlight and successes very, very possible.

Now's the time to be watching Ronald Acuña Jr. Rookie Cards -- perhaps more closely than ever.

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