Corey Kluber has had an impressive MLB career since debuting in 2011, and as a result his baseball cards have grown in popularity among collectors. The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner has seen his rookie cards and other early issue cards increase significantly in value as his on-field performance has elevated his status as one of the top pitchers of his generation.
Kluber’s rookie baseball cards came in 2011 while he was pitching in the Cleveland Indians organization. One of his earliest and most sought after rookie cards is the 2011 Topps Series 2 card. Featuring a photo of Kluber in an Indians uniform from his time in the minors, the card carries a modest print run but has grown steeply in secondary market value in recent years. PSA 10 gem mint examples of the Kluber 2011 Topps Series 2 rookie now sell for $500 or more, compared to just a few dozen dollars for lower grade copies when the set was initially released.
Another key early Kluber card is from 2012 Bowman Sterling baseball. The refractors parallel version of his rookie card, numbered to 99 copies, has reached over $1,000 per card for top PSA 10 examples. Even PSA 9 near-mint copies can sell for $500+. Kluber’s 2012 Bowman Sterling base rookie card in a PSA 10 is also quite valuable at $300-400 due to the much lower print run of Bowman sets compared to mainstream issues like Topps and Upper Deck.
Kluber’s early success with the Indians is also represented in desirable Indians team sets from the time. His cards in 2012 Topps Heritage High Numbers and 2013 Topps Opening Day sell for $50-100 per PSA 10 copy since they feature him as a key member of a playoff-contending Indians squad. The 2013 Topps Series 2 card, showing Kluber with an 18-3 record and 2.65 ERA from that breakout season, has also gained value and sells for $75-150 graded mint.
Entering the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Kluber had begun to emerge as one of baseball’s elite aces but had yet to achieve individual award recognition. His 2014 Topps Update card and 2015 Topps base card, from the years preceding his back-to-back Cy Young wins, are valued at $30-50 per PSA 10 copy since they represent him on the cusp of superstardom. The 2014 Update card in particular shows Kluber after posting a 15-9 record with a 2.44 ERA the prior season.
Of course, Kluber’s most prestigious and valuable cards come from the years when he took home Cy Young hardware for the American League. His 2014 Topps Update Winner’s Circle parallel card, limited to only 50 copies featuring an alternate photo and marking his first Cy Young win, has reached over $2,000 for mint condition examples. Even PSA 9 copies can sell for $1,000.
Similarly, Kluber’s flagship 2015 Topps base card has gained tremendous value in high grades since depicting him after consecutive 18-win seasons and his initial Cy Young award. PSA/BGS Gem Mint 10 copies regularly sell for $400-600 due to the card’s iconic status in commemorating one of the elite pitchers of his generation at the peak of his early career success. Even well-centered PSA 9s can sell for over $200.
Kluber was traded from Cleveland to the Texas Rangers in 2020, so cards showing him in a Rangers uniform became available that year and since. Examples from his lone season in Texas in 2020 hold significantly less value than his Indians tenure cards due to the shortened pandemic season and his injury issues. Even flagship rookies from that period struggle to reach $20-30 graded.
After being dealt from Texas to New York, Kluber enjoyed a career renaissance pitching for the Yankees in 2021. His 2021 Topps Series 1 card reintroduced him to collectors and sells for $40-60 graded mint as it represents his strong comeback season. Parallels and short prints from 2021 Topps Update and Chrome also carry value of $30-50 for top condition copies.
In summary, Corey Kluber has developed one of the most impressive pitching resumes of the modern era over more than a decade in the big leagues. As a result, his baseball cards from his dominant Indians seasons and award-winning years hold tremendous collector value, especially for his earliest Topps and Bowman rookies as well as cards from his peak 2014-2015 performances when he was widely considered the best pitcher in baseball. Even after injuries, Kluber was able to bounce back with the Yankees, keeping collector interest in his recent cards as well. With potential future accomplishments still possible before retirement, Kluber’s entire collection of baseball cards remains one to watch in the hobby.
