The 2000s was an exciting decade for baseball cards as some of the games’ biggest stars were entering their prime years including Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Ken Griffey Jr. While the late 90s saw the height of the specs card craze, collectors in the 2000s appreciated rookie cards and stars of the era. Let’s take a look at the 100 most valuable baseball cards issued between 2000-2009 based on PSA 10 Gem Mint prices:
2004 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Autographs Alex Gordon (#48) – $125
Alex Gordon was the number 2 overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals. His autographed rookie card remains one of the more affordable autograph rookies from the 2000s.
2001 Bowman Chrome Refractors Ichiro Suzuki (#179) – $135
Ichiro Suzuki exploded onto the MLB scene in 2001 with the Seattle Mariners, winning the rookie of the year and batting title. His flagship rookie card remains a popular and affordable refracted cardboard from the decade.
2007 Bowman Sterling Jason Heyward Autograph (#BA) – $150
Jason Heyward was one of the top prospects in the late 2000s and his autograph rookie debuted him earning national attention. Over a decade later his autograph rookie remains obtainable for collectors.
2004 SP Authentic Signatures of the Game Ichiro Suzuki (#3) – $160
One of the more coveted mid-2000s autograph parallels, Ichiro’s autograph from 2004 SP Authentic captured him as one of the game’s biggest stars at the time. Higher end parallels have reached over $1000.
2005 Topps Update Blue Refractors Ryan Braun (#UR-RB) – $175
Ryan Braun’s Topps Update rookie debited him as one of baseball’s budding young stars. While the cardboard has held value well, Braun’s PED suspension hampered what was his flagship rookie.
2005 Bowman Chrome Draft Julio Lugo Autograph (#BPA) – $180
Julio Lugo was one of the more highly regarded prospects of the mid-2000s before having a relatively unremarkable MLB career. His autographed rookie still holds value due to the timing of his professional career.
2003 SP Authentic Hanley Ramirez Autographed Patch (#85) – $185
Hanley Ramirez was one of the top prospects of the early 2000s and his autographed patch rookie remains one of the more historically significant patch cards issued during the decade. Higher parallels can reach thousands.
2005 Topps Chrome Refractors Troy Tulowitzki (#TC249) – $190
Troy Tulowitzki debuted as the #7 overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft and his Topps Chrome rookie remains the most iconic from one of the games’ better shortstops of his generation. Condition sensitive due to a wavey refractor pattern.
2007 Bowman Sterling Prospects Stephen Strasburg Autograph (#BSPA) – $200
Stephen Strasburg was the most hyped pitching prospect since Dwight Gooden leading up to the 2009 draft. His pre-professional autographed cardboard remains one of the more iconic prospect cards issued last decade.
2008 Playoff Contenders Certified Autograph Clayton Kershaw (#CK) – $210
Clayton Kershaw emerged as a superstar pitcher for the LA Dodgers and this early autographed rookie remains a historic piece of cardboard for the left hander’s career. Higher parallels reached thousands during Kershaw’s pitching prime.
2008 Topps Tristar Prospects Matt Wieters Autograph (#MWA) – $225
Matt Wieters was selected 5th overall in the 2007 MLB draft and was among the top catching prospects in the late 2000s. His Tristar autograph rookie has aged very well considering Wieters MLB success.
2003 Topps Chrome Refractors Miguel Cabrera (#79) – $235
Miguel Cabrera arrived with the Florida Marlins in 2003 and won the World Series as a 20 year old rookie. Over a decade and a half later, his iconic Topps Chrome remains one of the most storied rookies issued in the 2000s.
2008 Bowman Draft Kris Medlen Autograph (#BA) – $250
Kris Medlen didn’t sign out of the draft initially but eventually reached the bigs with the Atlanta Braves. His early autographed rookie remains one of the most affordable autographed cards for the mid-2000s draft class.
2006 Topps Chrome Prospects Refractors Clayton Kershaw (#P70) – $275
Clayton Kershaw’s first widely available rookie arrived in 2006 Topps Chrome as a prospect card before his MLB debut. High end PSA 10 examples have reached over $1000 considering his future superstardom.
2007 Bowman Chrome Refractors Ryan Braun (#BC-RB) – $285
Ryan Braun won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007 leading collectors to feverishly chase his Bowman Chrome rookie. While tainted some by PED suspension years later, it remains a popular mid-2000s cardboard.
2003 Topps Chrome Prospects Refractors Joe Mauer (#P26) – $300
Joe Mauer arrived with huge hype as a prospect before debuting in 2004 for the Minnesota Twins. His iconic Topps Chrome prospect card remains one of the more historically significant from the 2000s.
2008 Bowman Sterling Clayton Kershaw Autograph (#BA) – $310
Clayton Kershaw starred for the Dodgers from a young age and this early autographed Bowman Sterling rookie captured him as one of baseball’s best pitching prospects. Graded Gem Mint 10s approach $2000.
2006 Bowman Chrome Justin Upton Autograph (#BA) – $325
Justin Upton was one of the elite prospects of the mid-2000s and his autographed Bowman Chrome rookie debuted him to the baseball card collecting world. Consistently one of the more affordable autographed rookies from a star of his era.
2002 Bowman’s Best Refractors Alex Rodriguez (#184) – $350
A-Rod arrived in Texas with huge expectations in 2001 after leaving Seattle. His flagship 2002 Bowman’s Best rookie remains one of the finer cardboard from his early superstar Rangers seasons.
2008 Bowman Sterling Prospects Autograph Stephen Strasburg (#BSPA) – $375
Stephen Strasburg mania reached a fever pitch leading up to the 2009 draft. His pre-professional autographed Bowman Sterling prospect card remains a crucial piece of the hype surrounding one of the games’ most hyped pitching prospects.
2005 Bowman Chrome Draft Refractors Ryan Braun (#79) – $400
Bowman Chrome was the first set to feature Ryan Braun upon being drafted in 2005. High graded examples of his iconic rookie refractor are few and far between and remain one of the finer cardboard from the new millennium.
2006 Upper Deck Authenticated Ichiro Suzuki Game Used Jersey (#24) – $425
Upper Deck offered authenticated memorabilia cards of stars during the 2000s, including this game worn Ichiro jersey card during his award winning Mariners tenure. High end examples rare.
2003 Topps Chrome Prospects Refractors Prince Fielder (#P22) – $450
Prince Fielder arrived with incredible offense as a prospect before debuting in 2005 with Milwaukee. His iconic Topps Chrome prospect card remains a seminal piece from the early 2000s Draft classes.
2008 Topps Tristar Prospects Autograph Buster Posey (#BPA) – $475
Buster Posey arrived with huge hype out of Florida State before debuting in 2009. Considered one of the top catching prospects of the late 2000s, his pre-professional autograph remains in high demand.
2004 Bowman Chrome Draft Refractors Dustin Pedroia (#64) – $500
Dustin Pedroia starred at Arizona State before being drafted in 2004. His Bowman Chrome Draft rookie debuted him and remains one of the finer cardboard capturing him as a prospect before Boston stardom.
2005 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection #7 Derek Jeter Autographed Bat Logoman Jersey (#7) – $525
Upper Deck offered highly sought after memorabilia rookie cards during the 2000s including this incredibly rare Jeter dual signature and bat logoman jersey rookie. One of the true holy grails from the decade.
2006 Bowman Chrome Prospects Refractors Franchy Cordero (#51) – $550
Bowman Chrome debuted Franchy Cordero as one of the top international prospects in 2006 before his MLB debut over a decade later. An underappreciated star prospect rookie that has proven wise with time.
2003 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Autographs A.J. Pierzynski (#55) – $575
A.J. Pierzynski had a long, productive career primarily with the Twins and White Sox. His debut autographed rookie card from his draft year remains one of the finer mid-2000s autographed cardboard.
2004 Topps Chrome Draft Refractors Jered Weaver (#39) – $600
Jered Weaver starred at Long Beach State before being drafted in 2004. His prolific MLB career makes his flagship Topps Chrome Draft refractor a sound long term investment for collectors.
2006 Topps Chrome Prospects Refractors Justin Upton (#P66) – $625
Justin Upton was atop prospect lists since his prep days in Washington. One of the more iconic and widely sought after rookie prospect cards remains his Topps Chrome cardboard from 2006.
2005 Topps Chrome Draft Picks Autographs Ryan Zimmerman (#70) – $650
Ryan Zimmerman earned national acclaim upon being drafted 4th overall in 2005. Collectors chased his exclusively autographed Topps Chrome Draft Picks rookie beginning that year.
2002 Topps Chrome Prospects Refractors Zack Greinke (#P80) – $675
Zack Greinke arrived with immense hype as a prep prospect before debuting in 2004. His seminal rookie prospect refractor from 2002 Bowman remains a true icon of the decade.
2002 Topps Chrome Prospects Refractors Dontrelle Willis (#P24) – $700
2005 Bowman Chrome Prospects Refractors David Price (#66) – $725
2002 Topps Chrome Refractors Alfonso Soriano (#37) – $750
2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Autograph Adam Wainwright (#BA) – $775
2009 Topps Chrome Refractors Evan Longoria (#TC261) – $800
2007 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Autograph Gerrit Cole (#CDP51) – $825
2004 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection #21 Miguel Cabrera Triple Logoman Autographed Jersey/Bat (#21) – $850
2008 Topps Chrome Refractors Evan Longoria (#TC76) – $875
2001 Bowman’s Best Refractors Ichiro Suzuki (#187) – $900
2008 Bowman Sterling Prospects Autographs Pedro Alvarez (#BSPA) – $925
2004 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Autographs Stephen Drew (#71) – $950
2000 Ultra Jim Thome Baseball Card (#92) – $975
2002 Bowman’s Best Refractors Albert Pujols (#184) – $1000
Here is a list of the top 100 most valuable baseball cards from the 2000s decade:
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Miguel Cabrera RC – $700+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Ichiro Suzuki RC – $500+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Derek Jeter – $250+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Ichiro Suzuki – $200+
- 2001 SP Authentic Ichiro Suzuki RC Auto /500 – $200+
- 2000 SP Authentic Ichiro Suzuki RC Auto /1000 – $150+
- 2000 Bowman’s Best Ichiro Suzuki RC – $100+
- 2001 SPx Ichiro Suzuki – $75+
- 2000 UD Black Chipper Jones – $50+
- 2000 Bowman’s Best Vladimir Guerrero RC – $50+
- 2001 Topps Chrome Ichiro Suzuki – $50+
- 2000 Topps Chrome Ichiro Suzuki RC – $50+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Kosuke Fukudome RC – $40+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Nomar Garciaparra – $40+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Jermaine Dye RC – $40+
- 2000 SPx Derek Jeter – $35+
- 2000 SP Authentic Alex Rodriguez – $35+
- 2000 SP Authentic Ken Griffey Jr. – $30+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Ichiro Suzuki – $30+
- 2000 Topps Chrome Vladimir Guerrero RC – $30+
- 2001 Topps Chrome Albert Pujols RC – $25+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Chase Utley RC – $25+
- 2002 Topps Chrome Ichiro Suzuki – $20+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Hideki Matsui RC – $20+
- 2003 Topps Chrome Ichiro Suzuki – $20+
- 2006 Topps Chrome Josh Hamilton RC Patch Auto /199 – $20+
- 2001 Topps Chrome Derek Jeter – $18+
- 2000 Bowman’s Best Jason Giambi RC – $15+
- 2002 Topps Chrome Ken Griffey Jr. – $15+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Barry Zito RC – $15+
- 2000 SP Miguel Cabrera RC /999 – $15+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Richie Sexson RC – $15+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Kerry Wood RC – $15+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Alex Rodriguez – $14+
- 2000 Topps Chrome Mariano Rivera SP – $13+
- 2000 UD Black CC Sabathia RC /999 – $12+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Dontrelle Willis RC – $12+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Mark Mulder RC – $12+
- 2002 Topps Chrome Barry Bonds – $10+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Miguel Cabrera RC – $10+
- 2001 SP Rookie/Traditions Ichiro Suzuki RC – $10+
- 2000 UD Chrome Miguel Cabrera RC – $10+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Prince Fielder RC – $10+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Lance Berkman RC – $10+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Mark Prior RC – $10+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Torii Hunter – $9+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Michael Cuddyer RC – $9+
- 2001 Topps Chrome Nomar Garciaparra – $8+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Ken Griffey Jr. – $8+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Bronson Arroyo RC – $8+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Roy Oswalt RC – $7+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Eric Gagne RC – $7+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Derek Jeter – $7+
- 2000 UD Gold Refractor Miguel Cabrera RC /50 – $7+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Ichiro Suzuki Patch Auto /499 – $7+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Trevor Hoffman – $6+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome B.J. Upton RC – $6+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Todd Helton – $6+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols – $6+
- 2001 Topps Chrome Nomar Garciaparra – $6+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Vernon Wells RC – $5+
- 2003 SPx Authentic Ichiro Suzuki Patch Auto /250 – $5+
- 2005 Topps Chrome Ryan Zimmerman RC – $5+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Jered Weaver RC – $5+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Grady Sizemore RC – $5+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Hank Blalock RC – $5+
- 2001 Topps Chrome Derek Jeter – $5+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Pat Burrell RC – $5+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Huston Street RC – $5+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome A.J. Burnett RC – $5+
- 2004 Topps Total Ichiro Suzuki /99 – $4+
- 2001 Bowman Gold Refractor Shaun Anderson RC Auto /50 – $4+
- 2005 Topps Chrome Justin Verlander RC – $4+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Lance Berkman – $4+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Gordon RC – $4+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Freddy Sanchez RC – $4+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome A-Rod RC – $4+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Joe Mauer RC – $4+
- 2004 Topps Chrome David Wright RC – $4+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Alfonso Soriano RC – $4+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Felix Hernandez RC – $4+
- 2003 Topps Chrome Vladimir Guerrero – $4+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Rocco Baldelli RC Patch /99 – $4+
- 2003 Topps Chrome Albert Pujols – $3+
- 2002 Topps Chrome Ichiro Suzuki – $3+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Jason Bay RC – $3+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Bronson Arroyo RC – $3+
- 2002 Bowman Chrome Kazuhiro Sasaki RC – $3+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome J.T. Snow RC – $3+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Troy Tulowitzki RC – $3+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Jacoby Ellsbury RC – $3+
- 2005 Topps Chrome Tim Lincecum RC – $3+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome Mark Mulder RC /308 – $3+
- 2001 Bowman Chrome Kazuhiro Sasaki RC – $3+
- 2004 Topps Chrome Bobby Crosby RC – $3+
- 2000 UD Select CC Sabathia RC Auto /99 – $3+
- 2003 Topps Chrome David Ortiz – $2+
- 2006 Topps Chrome Clayton Kershaw RC – $2+
- 2000 Bowman Chrome David Wright RC – $2+
- 2004 Topps Total Ichiro Suzuki /99 – $2+