PSA July Grading Report: Top Graded Athletes by Sport

PSA July Grading Report Highlights the Hobby's Most Graded Athletes

PSA's monthly Grading Report is a useful snapshot of which athletes are driving submission volume across the hobby. The latest July data shows the familiar heavy hitters at the top, along with a few names that stand out because of recent product releases, rookie demand, or shifting collector interest.

While the biggest stars continue to dominate grading, the report also shows how much each sport can differ in scale. Baseball and basketball remain far ahead of the rest, football shows a more even spread of interest, and soccer, hockey, and Formula 1 each bring their own mix of established stars and rising rookies.

Top 10 Graded Athletes in Baseball

Baseball remains the biggest grading category in the report, and the top of the list is largely what collectors would expect. Shohei Ohtani continues to set the pace, and the gap between him and the rest of the field remains significant.

The most notable movement in July came a little farther down the list. Nolan Ryan and Bo Jackson both posted declines of more than 5% for the month. At the same time, Konnor Griffin moved up in the rankings, passing Jackson and coming close to Ryan as new product interest picked up ahead of The National.

The timing of releases appears to have played a role, with Topps Chrome dropping just before the show and helping push fresh cards into grading submissions. In a market where new product cycles can quickly influence submission trends, that kind of movement is not unusual.

Top 10 Graded Athletes in Basketball

Basketball is the clearest and most straightforward sport in the report. Michael Jordan still leads the way, and the rest of the list follows a familiar pattern built around major NBA and WNBA names.

Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were among the notable rookie names in the mix, reflecting the strong collector interest that followed their debut seasons. The report also includes V.J. Edgecombe, which stands out because of his collectability even though his lack of licensed autographs in Topps products makes his presence in the top 10 a little more surprising.

Beyond the rookies, the list is anchored by the biggest names in the game, showing that basketball grading still centers on a mix of all-time legends, current stars, and the most sought-after first-year players.

Top 10 Graded Athletes in Football

Football shows a much more even distribution of grading volume than baseball or basketball. Jaxson Dart leads the category, but not by the kind of margin seen at the top of the other sports.

Several names on the list are easy to understand from a hobby perspective. Caleb Williams ahead of Tom Brady may surprise some collectors, but the combination of offseason hype and his appearance on the Madden cover helps explain the strong showing. Brady still commands a premium in the market, so his placement at fifth is notable.

Tyler Shough also makes sense in the context of his strong finish to the season and the fact that he has autographs in both Panini and Topps products. Shedeur Sanders is another name that fits the current market, while Ashton Jeanty stands out as a non-quarterback in a list that is otherwise heavily tilted toward signal-callers.

The one omission that stands out is Jayden Daniels. Even after a disappointing 2025, he remains one of the more collectible players in the league, making his absence from the top 10 a point of interest in the July data.

Top 10 Graded Athletes in Soccer

Soccer remains firmly in fourth place among the sports covered in the report, but the drop-off from football is significant. The list is still packed with major international names, including Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi at the top.

That top pairing makes sense given their premium status in the market. Both are among the most sought-after names in modern soccer cards, and their presence near the top of PSA submissions is consistent with broader collector demand.

Erling Haaland's decline in grading volume is one of the more surprising notes in the category. Even so, the expectation is that his numbers could rebound as more World Cup cards enter the market and collectors continue to send in fresh product.

The rookie chase side of the list is also important. Lennart Karl, Max Dowman, Estevao, and Endrick all appear among the top names, suggesting that many submissions are still tied to pre-World Cup interest and early chase cards from the 2025-26 product cycle. Karl, Dowman, and Estevao are likely to remain prominent for at least a few more months, while Endrick could be the first of that group to slide out of the top 10.

Top 10 Graded Athletes in Hockey

Hockey continues to trail the top three sports by a wide margin, but the category still has a healthy mix of star power and rookie interest. Macklin Celebrini leads the way, and his presence at the top is reinforced by Upper Deck's strong position in the hockey card market.

Matthew Schaefer and Ivan Demidov are also near the top of the list, which fits with their status as two of the most closely watched young players in the sport. Their inclusion shows that collectors are still heavily focused on top rookie talent when it comes to hockey grading submissions.

Wayne Gretzky remains a constant presence near the top, as expected for one of the most iconic names in the hobby. Alex Ovechkin is the biggest notable omission from the list, but the report suggests the difference between the lower spots is narrow enough that small changes in submission volume can affect the final order.

Top 10 Graded Athletes in Formula 1

Formula 1 now stands on its own as a separate category in PSA's report, and it has clearly moved ahead of the rest of the racing hobby. That shift reflects how much collector attention Formula 1 has earned on its own.

Kimi Antonelli leads the category and sits in pole position in the grading market as well. With his 20th birthday approaching, he remains one of the most prominent young names in the sport and in the hobby.

The other notable story is the gap between Antonelli and the rest of the field. Oliver Bearman sits well ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar in the grading rankings, even though Hadjar is ahead of Bearman in the driver standings. The three 2025 rookies are all behind Antonelli, but they remain part of the core group driving interest in Formula 1 cards.

Arvid Lindblad is also part of the broader rookie conversation, with his name appearing in the standings discussion even as the grading market continues to separate the top chase names from the rest of the field.

What the July PSA Grading Data Says About the Hobby

The July report reinforces a few clear trends across the hobby. The biggest names continue to dominate, but new releases and rookie momentum still have a strong effect on monthly grading activity. Baseball and basketball remain the largest categories, football has a broader spread of interest, and soccer, hockey, and Formula 1 each continue to build around a mix of established stars and highly chased young players.

For collectors, the report is another reminder that grading volume often tracks with product timing, rookie buzz, and the players who continue to command the strongest market premiums. As new releases arrive and more cards move through the hobby, the top 10 lists in each sport can shift quickly, especially in categories where one hot rookie or one major release can change the monthly picture.