J.D. Drew is a retired American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2011. Drew was known for his superb plate discipline and ability to get on base consistently throughout his career. While he never achieved superstar status, Drew established himself as a reliable and productive player for over a decade in the big leagues. Not surprisingly, Drew has been featured in numerous baseball card sets released during his playing days by the major card companies like Topps, Upper Deck, and Fleer. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most notable and valuable J.D. Drew baseball cards over the years.
One of Drew’s earliest and most sought after rookie cards is from 1998 Topps Traded. Drew was drafted fifth overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1997 MLB Draft out of Florida State University and made his MLB debut with the Phillies late in the 1998 season. Topps immediately recognized Drew’s prospect status and included him in their 1998 Topps Traded set that August. The card features Drew in his Phillies road gray uniform from that inaugural season. With a production run of only 147 copies, the 1998 Topps Traded J.D. Drew rookie is extremely rare in gem mint condition. Graded examples in a PSA 10 or BGS/SGC 9.5+ can fetch thousands of dollars due to rarity and representing Drew’s true rookie card debut.
While with the Phillies, Drew was featured in numerous flagship sets from 1999-2000 including Topps, Upper Deck, and Fleer. None of these early Phillies cards hold significant premium value today given higher print runs. One exception is his 1999 Topps Traded gold parallel card numbered to only 99 copies. These parallel gold refractors have gained popularity in recent years due to the intrinsic rarity of only 99 being produced. High graded examples in the 1997-1999 Phillies uniform sets can sell for a few hundred dollars.
Drew’s highest profile season came in 2002 as a member of the Atlanta Braves. That year he batted .305 with 27 home runs and0100 RBIs to finish third in NL MVP voting. Topps, Upper Deck, and Fleer all featured Drew prominently that season. His 2002 Topps base card as a Brave is his most iconic visual and among the most common in collections. The 2002 Upper Deck Authentix Diamond parallels numbered to only 10 copies each are incredibly rare and coveted by Drew PC collectors. With a serial number stamp on the back and an on-card auto, graded 10 examples trade in the thousands of dollars. Similarly, the 2002 Fleer Greats Autograph patch parallel serial numbered to 50 total pieces hold considerable value for the dual auto and memorabilia relic.
After the 2002 season, Drew was involved in one of the largest contracts in MLB history at the time when he inked a lucrative eight-year, $55 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went on to play six seasons for the Dodgers from 2003-2008 where he put up All-Star caliber numbers and established himself as a consistent .300 hitter and run producer.Topps paid tribute to Drew’s big free agent deal with the Dodgers in their 2003 set with a “Changing Teams” short print parallel card. Other Dodgers cards from this era like the Topps Legendary Cuts short printed 1/1 parallel autographs are about as rare and valuable as it gets for a modern Drew card. The 2008 Topps Sterling parallel autographed jersey cards numbered to only 25 copies each currently sell for over $1000.
Drew concluded his career with the Boston Red Sox in 2010-2011 after being traded there from Los Angeles. While with Boston, Topps featured him in their flagship 2010 and 2011 Red Sox uniform cards. The 2010 Topps Sterling autograph parallel cards and 2011 Topps MLB Authentics autographed jersey cards parallel numbered to 25 remain some of the more premium Red Sox/auto cards available. Of course, Drew’s last baseball card came in 2011 Topps which closes out the collecting coverage of his 14-year MLB tenure. Some collectors seek out all of the different team and parallel variations as a comprehensive J.D. Drew PC.
In summing up, while J.D. Drew never achieved the hype or glory of some of his contemporaries as a prospect or big league All-Star, he certainly made his mark with over a decade of solid MLB play. As a result, he has been well-represented across the major card companies seasonal releases during his career. Although many of his early Phillies and Dodgers base cards hold average value, there remain some notable parallels, short prints, and autograph/memorabilia options that fetch premium prices today due to inherently low production numbers. For dedicated J.D. Drew collectors, finding and owning one of these ultra-rare parallel hits can be a prized possession and lasting memento of his playing days two decades ago.
