The Houston Astros 2017 World Series championship run produced a wave of commemorative baseball cards celebrating the achievement. For Astros fans, collecting these 2017 World Series cards serves as a way to memorialize and relive the exciting moments from that improbable playoff run.
The Astros defied expectations in 2017 after years of losing to capture their first-ever World Series title. As an underdog fifth seed in the American League, Houston defeated the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy. Their victory was especially sweet for long-suffering Houston fans after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey earlier that season.
Topps released several subsets to commemorate the Astros’ 2017 championship. Their “World Series Highlights” cards feature iconic photos from key moments throughout the playoffs and Fall Classic. One card shows Jose Altuve celebrating after hitting a walk-off home run to clinch the pennant against the Yankees. Another captures Justin Verlander screaming in jubilation after the final out to win the World Series is recorded.
Topps also issued “World Series Champions” base cards of every player on Houston’s WS roster. These include stars like Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer as well as lesser-known role players who contributed to the title run such as Evan Gattis, Chris Devenski, and Ken Giles. Parallel “Gold Foil” versions of these cards were inserted much less frequently into packs, giving collectors an ultra-rare parallel to seek.
In addition, Topps crafted “World Series MVP” cards to honor Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, who took home hardware after dominating the Dodgers with a pair of wins in the Fall Classic. The standard and also much harder to find “Gold” parallel capture Verlander in his moment of glory accepting the award at the conclusion of the series.
Panini also got in on commemorating Houston’s championship. Their “Momentous Moments” inserts feature pivotal playoff actions. One depicts Altuve tagging up and scoring the go-ahead run against LA in Game 2 on a fly ball to shallow left. Another frozen moment is of Correa gleefully celebrating after hitting a home run off Clayton Kershaw in that decisive Game 5 victory.
Donruss issued a special “Champions” parallel too. In addition to standard base cards, collectors could find pink foil and even rarer Astro-colored versions celebrating the team and players. Donruss also crafted parallels of their “Postseason Performers” inserts highlighting standouts like Dallas Keuchel and Verlander in the playoffs
Among the rarer chase cards were Topps’ 1-of-1 printing plate autographs featuring pieces of the plate used to print that player’s base card. Just one of each of these ultra-valuable signed plates exists. Bowman also contributed to the 2017 Astros commemorative market with prospects like Forrest Whitley signed autographs and parallels of their regular rookies and prospects.
For diehard Astros collectors, the true crown jewel was Topps’ 2017 World Series “Superfractor” parallel card. Reserved for the 2017 Champions subset, it depicts Springer celebrating on the field in extra shiny refractor style numbering only 1 copy in existence. This 1/1 super-short printed card fetched over $10,000 at auction, making it one of the most valuable modern baseball cards ever created.
Whether it’s reliving key moments, commemorating players, or seeking out the rarest parallel inserts and autographs, Astros fans continue adding to their collections of 2017 World Series cards years after the fact. The championship run and dramatic playoff victories capture the energy, excitement and achievement of that unforgettable season in Houston. For those who experienced it firsthand or supporters who’ve since jumped on the bandwagon, collecting these commemorative cards serves as a way to preserve the memory and experience of the Astros’ first title for years to come.
