Zach Thompson is a professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. While still in his early career, Thompson has shown flashes of potential that have baseball card collectors taking notice. Let’s take a deeper look at Thompson’s career so far and analyze which of his rookie cards may have future value.
Thompson was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 29th round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Wright State University. He made his professional debut that same year in the rookie-level Arizona League, posting a 2-1 record and 3.60 ERA in 10 relief appearances. Thompson continued to develop in the Reds’ farm system over the next few seasons, spending time at both Single-A and Double-A.
In 2017, Thompson really broke out while playing for the Single-A Daytona Tortugas. In 22 starts totaling 117 innings, he went 11-5 with a 2.25 ERA and 113 strikeouts. This breakout season led to Thompson’s first ever baseball card releases. Both Topps and Bowman included Thompson in their 2017 Cardinal sets as a Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer.
As one of his first cards from his breakout ’17 season in Daytona, the 2017 Topps Series 2 Zach Thompson card is a notable rookie issue. Topps Series 2 is one of the flagship minor league sets each year. While still relatively affordable now in the $5-10 range, cards of players from breakout minor league seasons like Thompson had in ’17 do tend see increases in value if the player continues to succeed in their career.
After continuing to progress through Double-A in 2018, Thompson received his first extended audition in the majors with Cincinnati in 2019. He made 15 appearances out of the Reds bullpen with a 5.40 ERA. Not great numbers, but he showed potential with 19 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. Thompson’s true rookie card came in 2019 Topps Series 1 as part of the Reds. These sell for $10-15 currently, but like the ’17 minor league issue, they have upside if Thompson develops further.
Thompson spent the entire 2020 season at the Reds’ alternate site, as minor league baseball was cancelled due to the pandemic. He did not receive a card in any 2020 sets as a result. Eager to get back to contributing at the MLB level, Thompson had a solid 2021 campaign split between Cincinnati and their Triple-A affiliate. In a total of 21 appearances and 34.2 innings between the two levels, he posted a 3.09 ERA with 36 strikeouts.
This performance led to Thompson receiving cards in both 2021 Topps Series 2 and 2021 Topps Chrome. As his first card after a return to strong on-field play in ’21, the Topps Series 2 card in particular shows promise as a solid long-term spec. Currently valued around $5 ungraded, these have potential to grow in value to the $10-15 range if Thompson becomes a consistent big league contributor. Pristine examples may eventually be worth even more to dedicated collectors.
In 2022, Thompson began the season in Cincinnati’s bullpen and was off to his best MLB start yet. Through his first 12 appearances totaling 22 innings, he held opponents to a 2.45 ERA with 27 strikeouts. This hot start led to his inclusion in flagship products like 2022 Topps Series 1 and 2022 Topps Opening Day, as dealers and collectors recognized his potential breakout. But then injury troubles struck.
Elbow pain landed Thompson on the injured list in early June, ending his season after just those 12 outings. While unfortunate for his career momentum, it is a reminder that even promising young players are far from a sure thing in their development. For investors in his rookie cards, it remains to be seen how he rebounds from injury in 2023 and whether he can solidify his place in the Reds’ staff. Condition and long term career outcomes will ultimately determine the future value of his current rookie cards.
In summation, Zach Thompson still has development ahead of him as a major league pitcher. But his tools and past successes have generated interest from baseball card collectors and investors. Of his rookie issues so far, the 2017 Topps Series 2 minor league card and 2021 Topps Series 2 MLB card profile as the strongest short to medium term speculations, due to depicting breakout seasons for Thompson at lower levels. But all of his cards remain highly dependant on his ability to stay healthy and produce consistently at the highest level going forward. Only time will tell how far Thompson’s still nascent baseball career, and associated rookie cards, may progress from here.
