Tag Archives: zack

ZACK COLLINS BASEBALL CARDS

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Zack Collins made his MLB debut in 2019 for the Chicago White Sox and though his career is still in its early stages, he has already garnered interest from baseball card collectors. Collins was a top prospect drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 draft out of the University of Miami and made his way through the White Sox system quickly, debuting just three years later in 2019 at age 24.

As a highly touted prospect, Collins baseball cards started appearing in mainstream retail sets in 2017 even before his MLB debut. One of his first notable rookie cards was 2017 Bowman Chrome Superfractor Refractor #BCP-Z19, a 1/1 parallel printing which is the rarest possible printing for any card in that set. Due to Collins status as a top White Sox prospect at the time and the extreme rarity of a 1/1 parallel, this card commands a high price with recent sales over $500. Other notable early Collins rookie cards include 2017 Bowman Sterling #277, 2017 Bowman’s Best Prospect #BPP-Z11 and 2018 Topps Chrome Update Blue Refractor #323.

Topps gained exclusive rights to include MLB player photos in their baseball cards starting in 2020, driving a lot of interest towards 2020 Topps Series 1 for Collins’ true “base” rookie card. The standard retail version of the 2020 Topps Zack Collins rookie card #305 sells for around $10-15, while parallels like the Sepia #/175 parallel or Gold #/2021 parallel command higher values. The ultra-rare Topps #/2020 1st Edition Printing Plate #/2020 parallel is considered the top Collins rookie card, recently selling for over $1,000 due to its extreme scarcity.

Outside of his notable rookie cards, Collins continues to appear in many mainstream baseball card releases during his MLB career so far. Key cards later in his career include 2021 Topps Series 2 Red Foil Parallel #262, 2022 Topps Opening Day #286, 2022 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini #178 and 2022 Topps Holiday #HD-ZC. Even with his inconsistent playing time, Collins’ status as a former top prospect for a marquee MLB franchise keeps collector interest in new cards.

Collins cards displaying important career milestones and achievements also gain attention. His first career MLB home run was captured on the 2020 Topps Update Silver Pack Parallel #US266 card. Hits from 2021 where he batted .210 with 4 home runs in 49 games generated parallels like 2021 Bowman Sterling Silver #BCP-ZC. Cards representing his role as a backup catcher or showing defensive plays in the field also draw interest from collectors.

Autograph and memorabilia cards featuring Zack Collins further elevate interest and command higher prices. Due to his prospect pedigree, many early Collins cards were inserted with autographs. The 2017 Bowman Chrome Superfractor Auto #BA-Z19 1/1 parallel fetched over $800. Hot prospects regularly sign ton of autographs at conventions and for sets as well. Redemption cards for autographed memorabilia can pay off years later too once fulfilled. With increased playing time, special Topps Gallery of Heroes, Topps Tribute or Topps Chrome Refractors autos could gain huge attention if Collins breaks out offensively.

Zack Collins remains an interesting player for baseball card collectors to follow even if his MLB batting stats are middling. As a former high draft pick with plenty of prospect hype and Topps marketing push as one of their rookie standouts, there’s natural interest in his career progression and milestone achievements being captured in cards. Even if Collins never becomes an MLB star, the rarity and prospect pedigree behind some of his early issue cards continues keeping his collection relevant for White Sox and college completionists. With continued MLB experience, Collins still has upside to gain card value through signature or milestone parallels too if a breakout season happens.

While still early in his career, Zack Collins has developed notable cards from his prospect period that attracted attention from collectors. His official Topps rookie card and variations continue driving interest and any prospect redemptions achieved retain value. Autograph and memorabilia cards provide opportunities for higher end collectors too. Collins’ career path isn’t fully set, and more playing time or strong offensive production could unlock new collector opportunities down the road. For now, cards showing his prospect hype and MLB arrival continue representing an interesting collection for both White Sox and college baseball fans.

ZACK WHEELER BASEBALL CARDS

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Zack Wheeler baseball cards have taken on greater interest in recent years as the versatile right-handed pitcher has emerged as a key contributor for the Philadelphia Phillies. Drafted sixth overall by the San Francisco Giants in the 2009 MLB Draft out of East Lake High School in Georgia, Wheeler started his professional career with huge expectations that have mostly been met throughout his career.

While Wheeler showed promise in his minor league seasons in the Giants organization, he never pitched a game for San Francisco as he was traded in December 2009 to the New York Mets along with fellow prospect Bobby Parnell in exchange for Carlos Beltran. Wheeler made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2013 and stayed with them through the 2019 season before signing a 5-year, $118 million contract with the Phillies as a free agent.

Wheeler’s early career was hampered by injuries including Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons. When healthy he demonstrated elite skills with a mid to upper 90s fastball and a hard curveball. His first Topps card came in 2014 Topps Update Series as a rookie card with the Mets. The card shows promise but Wheeler had yet to really establish himself at the major league level. It can be purchased in near mint condition for around $3-5.

2015 and 2016 were lost developmental years for Wheeler on the mound due to injury rehabilitation. However, Topps still included him in their flagship release sets each of those years with updated card designs. The 2015 update card and 2016 base card are valuable more so as artifacts of his early career than significant cards in their own right and can usually be found for under $1.

Wheeler truly began to break out and establish himself in 2017 after finally returning to full health. He pitched to a 3.31 ERA over 30 starts and logged 185 innings, showcasing his full four-pitch arsenal. That season was highlighted by his 2017 Topps Series 2 base card, picturing Wheeler mid-windup. This is considered one of his top rookie cards from his early Mets career and in near mint condition brings $10-15 on the secondary market.

Through 2018 and 2019, Wheeler solidified himself as a durable workhorse in the Mets rotation. He made at least 30 starts and threw over 175 innings both years. Cards from those seasons, like his 2018 Topps Update Series and 2019 Topps Series 2 base cards, remain some of his most readily available during his Mets tenure and can be found for $3-5. While not considered superstar cards, they mark Wheeler entering his prime.

One of Wheeler’s best statistical seasons came in 2019 as he set new career highs with 11 wins and 195+ innings pitched to go with a 3.96 ERA. His showcase performance led to increased hobby card popularity heading into free agency. His 2019 Topps Series 1 & 2 rookie card parallel /499 sells for $30-40 showing heightened collector demand. Later 2019 products like MLB Showdown, Contenders, and Chrome also gained secondary value in the $10-20 range during Wheeler’s contract negotiations.

When Wheeler signed his large free agent deal with the Phillies prior to the 2020 season, it further spiked interest in his cards from his Mets days as a newly established frontline starter. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the 2020 season and limited card production that year. As such, his 2020 Phillies debut cards from Topps Series 1 & 2 and Opening Day sell for $5-10, hampered by lack of product and low print runs.

The pandemic aside, Wheeler has proven worth his payday with the Phillies by anchoring their rotation over the past two seasons. He finally made his first All-Star team in 2021 while pitching to a stellar 2.78 ERA. As a result, his cards gained serious momentum. Prizm and Optic parallels from 2020/2021 now reach $50-100 showing his continued ascent to stardom. And autograph and memorabilia cards climbed into the $300-1000 range reflecting Wheeler’s new status.

Looking ahead, as Wheeler continues establishing himself as an ace for the playoff contending Phillies, collector demand for his cards from all stages of his career is projected to remain high. His debut rookie cards from 2014 could climb higher given Wheeler has proven to be the real deal Major Leaguer that teams hoped for when he was drafted. As long as Wheeler stays healthy, contributes to a winning Phillies team, and performs at an All-Star caliber going forward, the value of Zack Wheeler cards across brands and product lines should hold steady or potentially increase further still. At just 32, Wheeler seems poised to continue producing plenty more memorable cardboard for collectors in the years to come.

ZACK GREINKE BASEBALL CARDS

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Zack Greinke has had an exceptional MLB career that has spanned nearly two decades since making his debut in 2004. As one of the top pitchers of his generation, Greinke’s stats and accomplishments have made his baseball cards very desirable collectibles. Whether it’s his rookie cards from his early days with the Kansas City Royals or cards highlighting some of his top seasons with other teams, Greinke cards continue to hold value for collectors.

Greinke was drafted 6th overall by the Royals in the 2002 MLB Draft out of high school in Orlando, Florida. While pitching in the Royals’ farm system, the hype began to build around the young right-hander and collectors eagerly anticipated his rookie cards. Topps was able to get Greinke’s rookie card issued in their 2004 Baseball set, featuring him in a Royals uniform from his 2003 pro debut season in the minors. Numbered around 374 in the set, Greinke’s rookie card is one of the more sought after from the early 2000s. Different print runs and parallels can fetch prices upwards of $100+ graded in mint condition.

Greinke would go on to make his MLB debut for the Royals in 2004 at just 20 years old. Upper Deck captured his true rookie season with their card numbered 433 in the 2004 set. Considered his more prestigious rookie among collectors due to depicting his first MLB action, high-grade examples can reach over $500. Some lesser known brands like Fleer and Donruss also issued rookie cards for Greinke in 2004/2005 sets alongside Topps and Upper Deck. While more abundant, finding centered and well-preserved copies of those cards can still hold value for vintage Greinke collectors.

After three solid but unspectacular seasons to start his career in Kansas City, Greinke broke out in 2009 by winning the American League Cy Young Award. Topps commemorated this stellar campaign with an award winners refractors card numbered to /399 copies. Greinke is shown displaying the Cy Young trophy, making it one of his most iconic and sought after modern issue cards. Grading a gem mint 10, examples can reach well over $1000 on the secondary market. His standard base card from Topps’ flagship 2009 set also appreciates in higher grades due to marking his award-winning season.

Following his Cy Young year, Greinke was surprisingly traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Looking to capitalize on Greinke mania in his new NL Central ballclub, Topps produced thick acetate parallels and autograph cards of Greinke’s standard 2010 Brewers card. Numbered to /25 copies, low-serial autographs from that year command $1500-$2000 prices. Upper Deck also folded in on the excitement with short printed memorabilia and auto cards of Greinke’s first season in Milwaukee uniforms. Collectors enjoyed celebrating Greinke’s continued success on a new team through exclusive parallel and signed versions of his cards.

In 2011, Greinke raised his game even further by posting a 1.65 ERA over 33 starts for the Brewers. This career best statistical season led to Upper Deck creating a dual memorabilia and autograph card specially for the feat. Patches from his jersey and pants were combined with Greinke’s John Hancock to produce an extremely rare 1/1 card. When a copy surfaced for auction in 2017, it shattered records by selling for over $22,000. Limited parallels from Topps and other brands from 2011 also hold immense value for highlighting Greinke’s tremendous year in Milwaukee.

Following the 2011 campaign, Greinke signed a lucrative free agent deal worth $147 million with the Los Angeles Angels. His first cards depicting him in an Angels uniform came in 2012 releases like Topps, Bowman, and Leaf. While common issues hold average value today, short printed parallels gained popularity. Especially sought after are 1/1 printing plates showing Greinke in full Angel red that can sell for thousands in top condition. However, Greinke’s tenure in Anaheim was brief as he was shockingly traded after one season to the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospects.

Greinke exploded with the Dodgers, putting together six elite seasons from 2012-2017 while establishing himself as one of the game’s all-time great pitchers. Highlights include a win in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, another Cy Young award in 2015, and a World Series title in 2020. Topps Finest became THE set to collect during this Dodgers era for Greinke enthusiasts, giving parallels like aqua prizms, red prizms, and 1/1 plates of the righty in Dodger blue. Numbered autographs from pristine Prospective and Certified releases also command four-figure sums. With Greinke entrenching himself as a Dodgers legend, all his cards from 2013-2017 command top dollar.

Still an active pitcher today at 38 years old, Greinke continues adding to his story with the franchise in 2022 after re-signing with Kansas City. He inches closer to likely Cooperstown induction whenever he hangs up his cleats. Regardless of where Greinke pitches in his final seasons, collectors will cherish all eras of his incredible 19-year MLB tenure. From humble Royals rookie issues to dazzling Dodgers parallels, Zack Greinke’s baseball card portfolio stands as one of the most sought after for dedicated players from his generation.