Denny Neagle Baseball Cards Overview
Denny Neagle had a solid 11-year career in Major League Baseball spanning from 1992-2002. While he didn’t achieve the fame of some superstar pitchers, Neagle had respectable career stats that make his baseball cards a worthwhile collectible for fans of 1990s/2000s baseball memorabilia. In this in-depth article, we will explore Neagle’s career highlights, the key baseball card sets that feature him, and analyze the current values of his rookie and premium cards on the secondary market.
Career Background
Neagle was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 1990 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas. He made his MLB debut with the Reds in 1992 but was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1993. It was in Pittsburgh where Neagle had his breakout season, going 16-8 with a 3.51 ERA in 1995 to help lead the Pirates to the NL Central title. He made the All-Star team that year and finished 12th in NL Cy Young voting. Neagle followed that up with another strong season in 1996, going 14-11 with a 3.55 ERA.
In 1997, Neagle signed a lucrative 4-year, $51 million free agent deal with the Atlanta Braves. He helped the Braves win the NL East in 1998, going 17-5 with a 2.97 ERA and finishing 8th in Cy Young voting. Neagle spent four productive seasons with Atlanta before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2001. He spent his final season splitting time between the Yankees and Cincinnati Reds before retiring after the 2002 season. Overall, Neagle had a career record of 118-90 with a 4.08 ERA in 312 games started over 11 seasons.
Key Baseball Card Sets
Some of the most noteworthy baseball card sets that featured Denny Neagle include:
1992 Upper Deck (#212) – Neagle’s rookie card from his debut season with the Reds. Considered one of his key rookie cards.
1995 Fleer Update (#U-56) – Features Neagle from his breakout All-Star season with the Pirates.
1997 Fleer Tradition (#149) – Shows Neagle in a Pirates uniform on the verge of free agency.
1998 Upper Deck (#269) – Debut Braves card, one of the more iconic from his Atlanta years.
2000 Fleer Tradition (#FT-DN) – Popular insert card paralleling Neagle’s career stats to date.
2001 Topps (#660) – Final Braves card before being traded to the Yankees midseason.
2002 Upper Deck (#333) – Last active career card from Neagle’s brief stint with the Reds.
Rookie Card Values
As one of Neagle’s earliest and most scarce cards, his 1992 Upper Deck rookie (#212) has held the most value over the years. In near mint to mint condition, it has recently sold for prices ranging from $15-30. His 1993 Fleer rookie is also fairly scarce but typically sells in the $5-10 range. Given Neagle’s success early in his career, there is collector interest in his pre-1995 rookie cards as relics from his early playing days. Values have remained fairly stable as Neagle collectors are a smaller niche.
Premium Card Values
Neagle’s premium and star/parallel inserts from his peak Pirates/Braves seasons carry higher values given his All-Star performances. His 1995 Fleer Update (#U-56) routinely fetches $20-40 in top condition. His 1997 Fleer Tradition (#149) and 1998 Upper Deck (#269) Braves cards have sold for $15-30. His 2000 Fleer Tradition parallel insert (#FT-DN) is one of his most coveted cards, selling in the $30-50 range. For diehard Braves collectors, Neagle cards from his Atlanta championship years hold added significance. His premium cards represent solid investments for fans of 1990s baseball.
In Closing
While never a true superstar, Denny Neagle enjoyed a respectable 11-year MLB career and had some outstanding individual seasons that make his baseball cards a fun collectible. Fans of 1990s Pirates, Braves and Yankees teams will enjoy finding Neagle’s cards from those eras in their collections. His rookie cards and premium inserts from his peak years carry the most value but are still affordable for most collectors. Neagle’s story serves as a good reminder that you don’t have to be an all-time great to have cards that hold value and interest for fans.
