Zachary Lee Eflin is a professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Since making his major league debut in 2016, Eflin has established himself as a reliable starting pitcher for the Phillies. As a result, the number of baseball cards featuring Eflin has steadily increased over the years.
Eflin was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft out of high school in Winter Haven, Florida. After working his way through the Dodgers’ farm system, Eflin was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in December 2014 along with catcher Tom Windle and infielder Héctor Ólivera in exchange for Jimmy Rollins.
Eflin made his professional debut in 2013 with the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate. That season, he appeared in 12 games with 11 starts and posted a 3-4 record with a 2.93 ERA. His first baseball cards featuring him as a professional baseball player started appearing in 2013 sets from manufacturers like Panini, Leaf, and Topps. These early cards capture Eflin as a promising young pitching prospect in the Dodgers system during his first full professional season.
In 2014, Eflin was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Class-A Advanced California League where he shined with a 10-3 record and 2.91 ERA in 23 starts. His success that season earned him a card in Topps Allen & Ginter, showing his potential was starting to be recognized industry-wide. Eflin advanced again to Double-A in 2015 after the trade to Philadelphia, pitching for the Reading Fightin Phils. He accumulated stats of 11-8 with a 3.85 ERA in 26 starts, attracting the attention of hobbyists and prospect hounds.
Eflin made his major league debut with Philadelphia on June 27, 2016. He tossed 5.1 shutout innings against the Miami Marlins in his first career start. Baseball cards from 2016 Topps Update, Topps Heritage High Number, and Topps Stadium Club Memories captured Eflin’s ascent to the highest level that season. Since establishing himself in the Phillies rotation in 2016, Eflin’s card portfolio has continued to blossom in mainstream paper sets and premium products like Topps Chrome and Bowman’s Best.
In 2017, Eflin took another step forward by appearing in 30 games, including 28 starts, and compiling an 8-10 record with a 4.36 ERA. His consistency as a starter earned him cards in Heritage, Allen & Ginter, and Topps Update. The following two seasons saw Eflin further cement his place among the Phillies starters. In 2018, he appeared in 30 games with 28 starts once again and lowered his ERA to 4.13 while increasing his innings pitched to 154.1. His reliable production gained a 2019 Bowman Chrome rookie autograph card and base cards in flagship products and parallels and autograph releases in sets spanning Panini, Topps, and Leaf.
In 2019, Eflin enjoyed his finest season to date. Through 33 appearances and 30 starts spanning 196 innings, Eflin notched a career-best 11-13 record with a 4.13 ERA. His standout season resulted in an array of special cards released over 2020. Eflin received autographed and memorabilia cards in prestige brands like Topps Triple Threads, Museum Collection, and Bowman Platinum highlighting his breakout year. His 2019 season performance garnered accolades as a strong mid-rotation starter and catapulted him into the upper echelon of Phillies collectors.
The 2020 season saw Eflin limited to just five appearances due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a patellar tendon injury. His growing reputation as a steady arm in Philadelphia’s rotation continued to attract cardboard attention. Eflin was featured in Topps Project 2020, a social-focused release celebrating the pandemic season. He also received base autographed and memorabilia cards in 2020 Update Series and Triple Play commemorating his solid career to date despite the shortened season.
In 2021, Eflin had a resurgent season appearing in 30 games and 29 starts and putting up respectable numbers with a 4-7 record and 4.17 ERA through 152.1 innings pitched. His consistency as a workhorse starter brought more success on the sports card market, including etched parallels and autograph cards capturing his dependability for Philadelphia over the past half-decade.
As Eflin continues delivering innings for the Phillies in 2022, the demand for his rookie cards, autograph cards, and refractors transcends his typical inclusion in Topps flagship releases. Eflin has secured himself as a mid-level Phillies star collectors covet, showcased through exclusive and serially numbered cards in high-end releases each year. At just 28 years old, Eflin still has potential left to achieve new heights and gain appreciation among Phillies and baseball card investors for years to come.
