The 2007 Upper Deck baseball card set saw the emergence of some rookie stars and veterans reaching milestone numbers that made certain cards very valuable. While 2007 may not be considered one of the all-time great vintage years for baseball cards in terms of overall demand, it did produce several cards that today command high prices due to the accomplishments and longevity of the players featured.
Heading the list of the most valuable 2007 Upper Deck baseball cards is the Alex Rodriguez autograph card (#AU50). Although A-Rod was already an established star by 2007 and past his rookie season, he continued putting up huge offensive numbers that kept him among the elite players in the game. The 2007 season saw Rodriguez hit .314 with 54 home runs and 156 RBI for the New York Yankees, leading to his third American League MVP award. Any autograph card of a superstar player and perennial MVP candidate like Rodriguez was always going to be highly sought after by collectors. Today, a PSA 10 Gem Mint graded example of this autographed A-Rod card can sell for well over $1000.
Another Alex Rodriguez card that has held its value well over the years is the Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts parallel card (#SPLC05). This parallel subset features various players throughout baseball history with exciting cut signature autograph relic swatches. Rodriguez’s swatch in this parallel contained three actual cut signatures, drastically increasing its rarity versus a standard autographed card. While production numbers are not provided, cut autograph cards are always much harder to pull versus a standard auto. Graded PSA 10 Gems of this A-Rod dual-relic auto have changed hands for $800-900 in recent years.
Continuing with Yankee greats, the Derek Jeter (#175) and Mariano Rivera (#382) base rookie cards from the 2007 Upper Deck set have retained strong collector demand. Both players were entering their mid-30s yet still performing near the tops of their games in 2007, with Jeter batting .342 and Rivera notching 48 saves en route to a World Series title. Rivera was on the cusp of breaking the all-time saves record, while Jeter’s career accomplishments and status as a surefire Hall of Famer gave these cards inherent vintage value long after their rookie seasons. PSA 10 Jeter and Rivera 2007 UD rookie cards usually trade between $150-200 each.
Two rookies who made impressive debuts in 2007 and have developed into future Hall of Famers are Ryan Braun (#240) and Troy Tulowitzki (#314). Braun was named NL Rookie of the Year after batting .324 with 34 homers and 97 RBI for the Milwaukee Brewers. He remained a steady offensive force throughout his career. Meanwhile, Tulowitzki established himself as one of the best all-around shortstops in baseball even in his first season with the Colorado Rockies. Tulo hit .291 with 24 homers and 92 RBI while also providing outstanding defense up the middle. Their rookie performances made collectors take notice, and their later accomplishments have kept these cards relevant. A PSA 10 of either 2007 Upper Deck rookie has sold for $150-175 each.
Moving over to pitching, the 2007 season saw Justin Verlander (#149) announce his arrival as the future staff ace of the Detroit Tigers. As a 24-year-old rookie, Verlander went 18-6 with a 3.63 ERA and 124 strikeouts, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting and third for the Cy Young Award. With his power arm and pedigree as the second overall draft pick just a few years prior, Verlander established an air of inevitability about him becoming one of baseball’s best hurlers. His 2007 UD rookie card has seen PSA 10 prices climb to around $150 also, reflecting his importance as one of the game’s elite pitchers over the last 15 years.
An unlikely rookie to perform at a high level was Daisuke Matsuzaka (#225), who made the bold move from Japan’s Pacific League to sign with the Boston Red Sox. Matsuzaka, already 30 years old in his MLB rookie season of 2007, adjusted quite well to the American game by going 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and 173 strikeouts. His fanfare as the “Japanese Babe Ruth” and status as the most famous international free agent to that point gave collectors great interest in his 2007 Upper Deck rookie card. A PSA 10 graded version still fetches $125 today.
Having discussed individual star players, two particularly valuable 2007 UD serial numbered parallel cards were the Josh Hamilton (#126) Finest Materials autograph parallel and Troy Tulowitzki (#314) Exquisite Materials patch autograph parallel. Hamilton’s well-documented battles with addiction are part of baseball lore, making his elite play that much more incredible. A 1/1 swatch auto of him in the Finest Materials parallel holds tremendous rarity and could command over $2000 in PSA 10 condition. Meanwhile, the 1/1 Exquisite patch auto of Tulowitzki’s rookie year gives the ultimate relic mixture of on-field accomplishment and scarcity. One recently sold for over $1000 graded gem mint.
To wrap up the top valuable 2007 Upper Deck cards, two milestone achievements deserve mentioning. The Barry Bonds (#121) card commemorates him reaching 756 career home runs, passing Hank Aaron for the all-time record. Love him or hate him, Bonds’ home run prowess is cemented in baseball annals. His 2007 UD home run kings parallel photo variation or standard issue cards in a PSA 10 are valued around $100 each due to cataloging this historic marker. Meanwhile, the Roger Clemens (#197) card honors “The Rocket” winning his 300th career game. Clemens’ longevity and statistical greatness as one of the game’s all-time strikeout and win leaders gives any milestone card cachet years later. A PSA 10 of his 2007 UD 300 wins parallel sells for approximately $75-100 depending on market conditions.
While the 2007 Upper Deck baseball card set did not stand out among its ’90s predecessors in terms of aesthetic design or perceived collectibility at the time of release, several star players reached career peaks or etched their names in the record books during that campaign. From rookie standouts like Braun, Tulowitzki and Verlander to veterans Rodriguez, Jeter, Rivera, Bonds and Clemens, certain cards commemorating individual accomplishments or parallels with added scarcity have retained strong appeal a decade and a half later. Autograph and memorabilia cards of top players like A-Rod, Hamilton and Tulo command the highest prices today, but even base rookie cards and parallel ‘hit’ cards for stars of the 2000s have found renewed interest years after the fact.
