Chris Volstad Baseball Card History and Statistics

Chris Volstad is a former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2015. While his MLB career was relatively short-lived and unremarkable statistically, Volstad has an interesting baseball card history spanning his time in minor league and major league uniforms. Let’s take an in-depth look at Chris Volstad’s baseball cards and the story they tell of his professional baseball journey.

Volstad was drafted out of high school by the Chicago Cubs in the 1st round (16th overall) of the 2005 MLB Draft. As is common for top draft picks, Volstad’s professional debut was highly anticipated and documented on baseball cards. His first card came in 2006 Topps Triple Threads #TT44, showing Volstad as a member of the Peoria Chiefs, the Cubs’ Class A affiliate. This marked the beginning of Volstad’s journey from prospect to major leaguer being chronicled on cardboard.

Volstad rose quickly through the Cubs’ farm system, debuting with Triple-A Iowa in 2007 at age 20. He had established himself as one of Chicago’s most promising pitching prospects, earning inclusion in the 2008 Topps Triple Threads Cubs prospects subset #TTC12. Scouts praised Volstad’s size (6’8″), control, and developing repertoire. With these accolades, expectations were high as Volstad began his first full season of 2008.

He received his first major league card that year in 2008 Topps #608. Volstad made his MLB debut on July 31, 2008 versus the Brewers, allowing 2 runs over 5 innings in a no-decision. While he showed flashes of promise in a September call-up, posting a 3.38 ERA in 5 starts, Volstad struggled with consistency. He bounced between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa in 2009 and 2010, producing mediocre results. Volstad cards from this period like 2009 Topps Heritage #465 and 2010 Topps Update #US265 reflected the ups and downs of his early career.

In 2011, Volstad took a step forward with the Cubs, making 31 starts and posting a career-best 4.59 ERA. This performance was recognized with a base card in the 2011 Topps Series 2 set #S2-31. After a poor start to the 2012 season in which he went 1-6 with an ERA near 6, Volstad was traded to the Miami Marlins in a six-player deal on May 24, 2012. His Marlins tenure was highlighted by 2012 Topps Update #US265, showing Volstad in his new Miami uniform for the first time on a card.

With the Marlins, Volstad initially found more success, going 7-8 with a 3.59 ERA in 25 games (21 starts). This performance led to inclusion in the 2013 Topps Series 1 set #S1-63 as Miami’s opening day starter. Injuries and inconsistency soon returned. After posting an ERA over 5 in 2013, Volstad was released by the Marlins and signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals in December 2013. He spent most of 2014 in Triple-A, earning a brief September call-up but failing to secure a card.

Volstad signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for 2015, hoping to resurrect his career. After beginning the season in Triple-A Indianapolis, he received his last MLB card to date in 2015 Topps Series 2 #S2-132 when called up in June. However, Volstad made just 3 appearances for Pittsburgh, allowing 11 runs in 8 innings, before being released and retiring at age 28. While his 6-year MLB career fell far short of expectations, Volstad’s humble baseball card journey reflects the ups and frequent downs most prospects face trying to stick in The Show.

In summary, Chris Volstad debuted with much promise but could never quite put everything together consistently at the major league level. From his first minor league issue to brief stints with 4 big league clubs, Volstad’s baseball cards tell the story of a hard-throwing righty who battled injuries and struggled with command. Though his MLB tenure was brief, Volstad left an impression as a tall, projectable arm that kept collectors following his development and career through annual card releases. While he may not be a household name, Chris Volstad holds a place in the history of baseball cards as an example of prospects who gave it their all but ultimately came up just short of sustained MLB success.