The year 2007 saw some of the most iconic players in baseball being featured on coveted rookie and career defining cards. While prices have fluctuated in the ensuing years, a few cards from 2007 remains extremely sought after by collectors both casual and serious. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most valuable baseball cards issued that year.
Heading the list is the Magnitude Mike Trout 2010 Topps Update #TU-18 card. Widely considered one of the finest prospects in baseball, Trout had a breakout season in 2012 that saw him finish second in AL MVP voting. This led to skyrocketing demand for his rookie cards, including the 2010 Topps Update issue featuring Trout in an Angels uniform. With a print run estimated at under 10,000 and Trout living up to the hype to become a perennial All-Star and two-time AL MVP, PSA 10 gem mint examples regularly sell for over $500 with some reaching as high as $750-$1,000. The combination of Trout’s unmatched talents and the low print run make this one of the most investment-worthy cards on the market.
Another highly valuable card from 2007 is the Jason Heyward 2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto Refractor #BCP99 card. As a top Braves prospect, Heyward’s prospect cards generated a lot of buzz leading up to his 2010 debut. The 1/1 refractor autograph variation takes collector demand for Heyward rookies to new heights. Coupled with a superstar career that has included an NL Rookie of the Year award, Heyward autos from his breakout 2010 Bowman set command prices upwards of $3000-$4000 in high grades. The rare 1/1 refractor variation can fetch over $10,000 when in pristine condition due to its status as a uniquely numbered Heyward rookie card.
Stephen Strasburg’s highly anticipated pro debut in 2010 after being selected #1 overall further boosted demand for his 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects Auto Purple Refractor #BDPP69 card. With reports of Strasburg touching 100+ mph as a starter in the minors, anticipation was high for his future success. While injuries hampered Strasburg’s career at times, examples of this rare purple refractor rookie auto parallel graded PSA/DNA Gem Mint 10 have sold for as much as $24,000. Strasburg’s talent and record-setting minor league stats made this 1/1 parallel a definitive key card for any collection.
The list wouldn’t be complete without highlighting Bryce Harper’s hype as a Nationals wunderkind and his appealing 2010 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects Auto Blue Refractor #BDPP43 card. Despite considerable pressure and lofty expectations as the first overall draft pick and a Sports Illustrated cover star as a teen, Harper emerged as the 2015 NL MVP and annual All-Star. High-end examples of this rare Harper blue auto refractor parallel routinely top $3,000-$5,000 in PSA/DNA Gem Mint 10 condition due to the player’s lasting superstar status. Between his boyish charisma and historic minor league numbers, Harper was perfectly positioned for rookie card immortality with this iconic chromo issue.
While injuries hampered top Braves pitching prospect Kris Medlen’s career, his attractiveness to collectors was still evident in 2007. Medlen’s 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto Orange Refractor #81BCP sold for nearly $8,000 in high grade before Medlen’s career was cut short. Medlen was lighting up the minors with advanced stuff and command prior, fueling collector enthusiasm for this rare refractor parallel. Medlen’s early promise and the card’s limited print run make it a conspicuous rarity in the high-end baseball card market even today.
In closing, the 2007 baseball card market saw cards of transcendent talents like Trout, Heyward, Harper and Strasburg emerge as seminal rookie issues highly coveted by collectorsyears later. Cards featuring premier prospects with otherworldly amateur stats and milestone parallels consistently retain value based on the player performance and scarcity factors. While markets rise and fall, the elite talents and their most limited cardboard correlatives from the mid-2000s are sure to remain blue-chip holdings for discerning vintage baseball card investors.
