Austin Adams is a relief pitcher who has spent parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball since making his debut in 2016. While he hasn’t achieved superstar status, Adams has developed into a reliable bullpen arm who continues to get major league opportunities. As a result, Austin Adams baseball cards have found their way into the collections of fans looking to track the journeyman reliever’s career.
Adams was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 30th round of the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Mercer County Community College in New Jersey. He spent four seasons in the Padres minor league system before getting his first cup of coffee in the big leagues in 2016. Adams appeared in just three games and allowed two runs in 3.1 innings of work. After the 2016 season, he was waived by the Padres and claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners.
Adams would spend the next two seasons pitching for Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, continuing to refine his craft in the minor leagues. In 2017 he posted a 3.38 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched at Tacoma. His performance earned him another brief call up to Seattle late that season where he tossed 4.1 scoreless innings over four appearances. Adams started the 2018 season back in Tacoma and was even better, notching a 1.50 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 73 strikeouts in 54 innings.
That performance led to a longer major league audition with Seattle in 2018 where Adams emerged as a reliable middle reliever. In 43 games and 46 innings, he posted a solid 3.63 ERA with 45 strikeouts. Adams proved capable of getting both righties and lefties out and showed the ability to pitch multiple innings if needed. His success that season earned him his first career MLB baseball cards as part of Topps, Bowman, Panini and other card brands.
Adams remained with the Mariners for the 2019 season but struggled a bit with injuries and inconsistency, posting a 4.66 ERA in 41 appearances and 41.1 innings. He was eventually designated for assignment by Seattle at the end of July. The Milwaukee Brewers quickly claimed him off waivers, seeing an opportunity to add a power arm to their bullpen. Adams responded well to the change of scenery, allowing just one run in 11 innings over nine outings down the stretch for Milwaukee.
In 2020, Adams made the Brewers opening day roster and got off to a strong start, not allowing an earned run in his first seven appearances covering 7.1 innings of work. He would struggle with command issues as the shortened season progressed and saw his ERA balloon to 5.51 through 17 games. Still, the Brewers liked what they saw from Adams when he was on and non-tendered him a contract for 2021, keeping him in their bullpen plans.
The 2021 season saw Adams emerge as one of Milwaukee’s most dependable relievers. In a career-high 58 appearances totaling 54.2 innings, he posted a stellar 1.91 ERA with 69 strikeouts. Opponents hit just .177 against him and he allowed fewer than one baserunner per inning. Adams proved especially tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a minuscule .164 batting average. His breakout season made him one of the top finds on the waiver wire from the previous year.
Adams parlayed his 2021 success into a two-year, $4.5 million contract extension with Milwaukee that keeps him under team control through the 2023 season. He started the 2022 season strong once again with 11 scoreless innings over his first 12 outings. However, Adams would land on the injured list in early June with right shoulder inflammation. It remains to be seen how the shoulder issue impacts the rest of his season and whether he can continue building on his breakout 2021 campaign.
As Adams has developed into a reliable major league reliever, collectors have taken notice of his baseball cards. His rookie cards from 2016 Topps, Bowman and Panini are reasonably attainable for most collectors on a budget. Cards from his breakout 2021 season have increased in value given his improved performance. PSA 10 and BGS 9.5 graded examples of his 2021 Topps base card and various parallels can fetch $30-50. Autograph and memorabilia cards from 2021 also command higher prices.
If Adams is able to stay healthy and productive in 2022 and beyond, his cards from this season and any future accomplishments could appreciate further. Relievers are inherently volatile given their high-leverage roles. One injury or change in role could impact future values. For now, Austin Adams cards provide a relatively affordable way for fans of the Brewers and collectors on a budget to follow the ups and downs of a reliable middle reliever still looking to solidify his career. As long as he keeps contributing in Milwaukee’s bullpen, interest in his baseball cards figures to remain strong.
While not a household name, Austin Adams has developed into a steady presence for the Brewers out of the bullpen since 2019. His breakout 2021 season took his game and baseball cards to new heights. For fans and collectors alike, tracking Adams’ career progression through his growing collection of cards makes for an interesting hobby piece given his journey from waiver claim to reliable reliever. As long as he stays healthy, Adams and his cards should remain a staple for Brewers supporters in the years to come.
