Bradley Zimmer was selected 21st overall by the Cleveland Indians in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft out of the University of San Francisco. As an amateur, his prospect status and potential led to his baseball cards being highly sought after by collectors from the start of his professional career. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the key Bradley Zimmer baseball cards from his time in the minor leagues and now in the major leagues with the Cleveland Indians.
One of the first Zimmer baseball cards that created buzz was his 2014 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Autograph card. Featuring his bold signature and photo from his college playing days at USF, this card highlighted him as one of the top prospects from that year’s draft class. The prospect status and on-card autograph made this a popular card among prospect collectors. Graded gem mint examples currently sell for around $100-150 depending on the population of the specific card number or parallel variation.
In 2015, Zimmer’s debut minor league season with Low-A Mahoning Valley led to his inclusion in that year’s Bowman Sterling and Bowman Chrome sets. The Sterling featured his first full professional uniform photo while the Chrome showed him in an action shot batting. Both captured Zimmer at the beginning of his ascent through the Cleveland system. Raw copies can still be found for under $10 but graded mint versions have increased in price to $25-35 range given how his career has panned out since.
Zimmer’s breakout 2016 season playing for High-A Lynchburg and Double-A Akron is when his card values really started to spike. He made his Top 100 prospect list debut that offseason and showed five-tool upside that had scouts and fans excited. 2016 Bowman Chrome Update captured this with a fantastic on-card autograph parallel and stock photo that highlighted his potential. PSA 10 examples of this parallel now sell for $150-200 or more. His regular base rookie cards from 2016 Bowman and Bowman Chrome also gained considerable value, topping $20-30 each for graded mint copies.
After starting 2017 in Triple-A Columbus, Zimmer made his major league debut with Cleveland that June. This triggered releases of his first flagship brand Topps MLB cards, which started his run as a modern big league player to be collected. The 2017 Topps Series 1 and Topps Series 2 cards can be found quite reasonably for under $5 each still. But as he’s established himself in the Cleveland outfield, higher grades have also increased in value to $15-25 range. His Topps Chrome and Topps Inception rookie cards from that year tend to carry slightly larger price tags of $20-30 for graded mint versions.
Now established as a regular in Cleveland’s lineup over the past few seasons, Zimmer’s newer Topps issue cards can still provide affordable options for collectors. But his rookie season cards from 2016-2017 remain highly desirable and continue growing in secondary market value. Some of his higher end autograph parallels and refractors from those years have even cracked the $400-500 range in top condition. Prospect hounds who grabbed Zimmer’s early minor league chrome autographs likely feel vindicated given how his career has played out.
For fans and collectors specifically chasing Cleveland Indians players, Zimmer has developed into a core member of their homegrown outfield. His defensive skills and raw power still have plenty of upside to be unlocked as well. As a result, interest in his existing card portfolio remains strong. With any postseason heroics or accolades still ahead of him, Zimmer’s earliest cards could possess some room for additional appreciation over the long haul. His collecting journey from promising draft pick to big league regular makes for an interesting study in the evolution of a prospect’s card values.
Though injuries have slowed his progress at times, Bradley Zimmer maintains top-end potential that could be realized in Cleveland’s lineup for years to come. As one of their key homegrown position players, he represents an important piece of the club’s future. Whether continuing to establish himself or taking his game to new heights, Zimmer’s on-field play will surely influence demand and appreciation for his existing baseball card collection. Both Indians fans and sophisticated card investors will want to keep tabs on his progress and hold onto examples of his most historically significant cardboard.
In summary, Bradley Zimmer emerged from the 2014 draft with great promise that shined through in his early minor league issues. Breaking out statistically in 2016 took his rookie cards to enhanced levels of interest and value. Reaching the majors activated his flagship Topps rookies and sustained his cardboard notoriety. As he grows into an all-around contributor for Cleveland, so too can his entire catalog of cards if he fulfills his abilities. Zimmer’s story remains incomplete, and with continued strong play, more chapters of appreciation could be added to the book of his baseball card history.
