Bailey Falter is a young left-handed starting pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. While still early in his professional career, Falter has shown promise that has collectors taking notice of his rookie cards. Let’s take a deeper look at Bailey Falter the player, as well as the baseball cards documenting his journey so far.
Bailey Robert Falter was born on December 27, 1995 in Cypress, Texas. He attended Cypress Ranch High School and lettered in both baseball and football. As a senior in 2014, he went 9-1 on the mound with a 0.95 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 68 innings to lead his team to the state semifinals. This outstanding performance earned him the District 23-6A Pitcher of the Year award.
Impressed by his size and stuff on the mound, Falter was selected by the Phillies in the 24th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of high school. He opted to attend the University of Missouri instead of signing professionally. Over three seasons with the Tigers, Falter emerged as their Friday night starter and ace of the pitching staff. He compiled a 26-10 record with a 3.19 ERA over 58 games/starts, striking out 293 batters in 318 innings pitched.
Falter’s collegiate success led the Phillies to select him again, this time in the 2nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He signed quickly for a $637,500 bonus and was assigned to Short Season Williamsport to begin his pro career. In 10 starts there, Falter posted a 1.93 ERA with 37 strikeouts over 38 innings to earn a promotion to Low-A Lakewood for 2018.
With Lakewood in 2018, Falter made 24 starts and turned in an impressive 3.38 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 123 innings. He flashed a four-pitch mix headlined by a low-90s fastball and deceptive changeup. This breakout season established Falter as one of the Phillies’ top pitching prospects.
He began 2019 with High-A Clearwater and continued building on his success, going 6-3 with a 2.53 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 15 starts. Falter’s control and command were particularly sharp, as he issued just 15 walks during this stint. This earned him a midseason promotion up to Double-A Reading, where he made 9 starts with similar effectiveness.
Overall between the two levels, Falter finished 2019 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 113/28 K/BB ratio over 114 innings in 24 total starts. He demonstrated the ability to pitch deep into games while keeping runs off the board. These accomplishments placed Falter among the Phillies’ elite prospects and on the cusp of a future major league opportunity.
When the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Falter received an invitation to the Phillies’ summer camp and attempted to show he was big league ready. Though he didn’t make the opening day roster, Falter was called up in August to fill a rotation spot when others were injured. He made his MLB debut on August 18th against the Braves, allowing 2 runs over 4 innings in a no-decision.
In three total starts for Philadelphia, Falter posted a 3.33 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 13 innings. While results were limited, he looked comfortable on the big stage and showcased his four-pitch mix. This gave the Phillies confidence that Falter could continue developing and eventually become a solid mid-rotation starter for them going forward.
Now with one year of MLB experience under his belt, Falter will look to build on it and establish himself in the Phillies rotation long-term starting in 2021. He has all the tools to succeed if he can refine his command and consistency further. At just 25 years old, Falter’s best baseball may still be ahead of him.
Let’s now take a look at some of the notable baseball cards documenting Bailey Falter’s career progression so far:
2017 Topps Draft Picks #DP31: Falter’s first card was issued shortly after he was selected by the Phillies in the 2017 draft. It provides a brief scouting report and highlights from his college career at Missouri.
2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto #BPA: This is Falter’s first autograph card from his first full pro season with Williamsport/Lakewood. It carries a reasonable price tag for a prospect auto at the time.
2019 Topps Chrome Prospects Refractor Auto #CPA-BF: As Falter’s prospect stock rose with a breakout ’19, this refractor parallel auto gained value. It reflected his standing as one of Philadelphia’s top young arms.
2020 Topps Chrome Update Blue Refractor Auto #CUP-BF: His MLB debut season brought this prestigious parallel auto, numbered to /150 copies. It remains one of Falter’s highest valued cards to date as a rare auto.
2021 Topps Series 1 Base #660: Falter’s first base card in the flagship Topps set after making his MLB debut marked his transition from a prospect to “the show.”
2021 Topps Chrome Update Green Auto /99 #CUP-BF: As with his blue refractor the prior year, Falter parallels like this green continue appreciating with each new level he reaches professionally.
Going forward, collectors will watch to see if Falter can cement himself as a full-time big leaguer. His cards from dominant minor league seasons like 2019 are primed to gain even more value retrospectively if he succeeds. Meanwhile, any future parallels or memorabilia from milestone MLB achievements would be tremendously desirable for Phillies PC builders and investors alike. There is much potential still left in Falter’s young career and the cards documenting it.
