Jose Abreu - A Rookie Card Review

In the 2019-2020 Major League Baseball offseason, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was about to hit the free agent market for the first time in his career. Knowing that he preferred to stay in Chicago, the team extended him a one-year qualifying offer worth $17.8 million. It seemed that it would be a foregone conclusion that the 33-year-old would accept.

Apparently, there was a three year offer also on the table, but Abreu decided to take the security of a hefty one-year salary. Shortly afterward, however, Abreu and the White Sox did in fact hammer out a three-year contract worth $50 million. This new pact replaced the qualifying offer, and backloaded the salary; Abreu will earn a $5 million signing bonus and $11 million in 2020. He’ll earn $16 million in 2021 and $18 million in 2022.


Abreu is an above average hitter. But, his bat is the extent of his value. In the baseball card hobby, though, he’s the kind of guy you’d expect to do well. That hasn’t really been the case. Despite a strong .284/.330/.530 batting line and 33 HR., his card market has been stagnant. Why are Abreu’s rookie cards so cheap?

While Abreu actually has many official rookie cards, the one that usually stands out is 2014 Bowman Chrome. There’s also the 2014 Bowman Prospects Chrome Autograph. The auto is the card that seems to have held all the value. Still, why is a popular and productive player like Jose Abreu seeing his key rookie auto selling for $30 to $40 graded gem mint by Beckett after a good 2019 season? The refractors and colors are performing better, but still his cards seem drastically underpriced.



Has the Hobby Forgotten Jose Abreu?

While hobby success doesn’t depend on WAR, it’s important to note that in the Steamer600 projections for 2020 at FanGraphs list Jose Abreu 29th in expected WAR between Ryan McMahon and (gasp) Joe Mauer! This is while his offensive numbers suggest he should still be an active hobby presence. He has his collectors, but the more investment-minded folks have stayed away - far, far away.


While WAR isn’t really the best measure for hobby success, and perhaps under-rates Abreu’s two tools- average and power - it does show us how far down the hobby pecking order that Abreu has become. Heck, even on his own team, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, and Lucas Giolito get far more attention. Prospect phenom Luis Robert is going to be their starting center fielder. Michael Kopech is returning and prospects Nick Madrigal and Andrew Vaughn are on the cusp of the Major Leagues. Abreu is just sort of there, and is actually blocking Vaughn.


I’m sure the White Sox certainly don’t think of Abreu as an afterthought. After all, they valued him enough to offer him an average $16.33 million salary - which many people think is an overpay. In this chilly market for bat-only 1st baseman/DH types, it makes sense for Abreu to be happy with this contract. After all, the Miami Marlins were rumored to be the only other team interested in Abreu’s service. So, the White Sox basically bid against themselves.


Personally, I hate the qualifying offer system. Abreu was basically forced to accept, knowing that the loss of a draft pick to sign him would’ve limited his market to teams that have protected top picks (such as the Marlins with their abysmal record). Also, if he rejected it this time around, he’d be eligible to be offered it again - nw, he won’t. We’ve seen rejecting the qualifying offer ruin the markets of many free agents, and it’s just nonsense.


(Heck, Jake Odorizzi is a darn good pitcher and he accepted the qualifying offer from the Twins likely for the fact it would limit his own market.)




What is Jose Abreu’s Best Rookie Card to Collect?

So, considering his obvious value to the White Sox and back of the baseball card numbers to warrant more hobby love, why are his key rookie cards so undervalued?


First up the base rookie card, the 2014 Bowman Chrome. It features Abreu in the follow through of his powerful right handed swing. He’s wearing a throwback White Sox jersey, white with blue and red stripes with SOX lettered in white. In the background, you can vaguely make out the opposing team’s dugout with two players standing against the railing. The auto version features the same picture, with the bottom third obscured to make room for the on-card auto.

The Bowman Prospect Auto Chrome #BCP-JAB only has 61 PSA 10 examples (out of 99) submissions. But on Beckett, there are 622 Gem Mint (BGS 9.5) examples out of 846 total submissions. So, it’s actually a plentiful graded card in Beckett slabs. From an “investment” standpoint, this Jose Abreu auto looks to be the best one to collect.



Does the Throwback Jersey Hurt Rookie Card Value?



While it’s a perfect decent looking card, the throwback jersey made me realize something. It’s not a regular white, grey, or black White Sox jersey, which many more recent Pale Hose fans are used to. What about cards where Abreu is wearing the black jersey with the white numbers and letters - more reminiscent of Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas?

Actually, the insert Rookie Autograph set in 2014 Bowman likewise features Abreu in that black uniform. Unfortunately, these prices are simply in place because they are rarer, as they don’t sell that much. When they have, though, it’s been at a bit higher price, which is what is holding up the asks. His Topps Chrome auto, which was actually a redemption, features him in a more traditional grey Chicago White Sox road jersey. It sells for a bit less than his Bowman Chrome auto. There are 243 BGS 9.5 examples and 56 PSA 10 examples, so there’s a good deal of interest in it.


One rookie card that caught my eye, though, is the Topps Heritage High Number. It has sold more consistently than the Bowman Chrome, especially raw copies. It’s a beautiful card, featuring the slugger smiling with his batting helmet off. As a fan of the Topps Heritage High Numbers in general, I can say that this is the card collectors seem to be gravitating towards. But, it’s time to look at the data and see what people really think.



What Do the Jose Abreu Rookie Card Populations Say?


The PSA Set Registry lists 31 cards for Jose Abreu’s rookie card set. As with many more recent players this list includes extremely rare Topps Dynasty autographs. We don’t really concern ourselves with those. But, there are still a plethora of options to choose from. But, interestingly enough, if we choose the key rookie card by graded population, it’s not Bowman Chrome.

The most PSA 10 graded examples belong to 2014 Topps “flagship” #496. Just as I was thinking, the cards featuring Abreu in the black White Sox jersey are indeed more popular. The Topps base rookie card features Abreu headed to first base, watching the ball presumably sail out of the ballpark. It’s a great card, as the picture gives a nice feel of momentum to it. That’s why action shots always seem to win in the hobby. As of mid-November 2019, there are 124 PSA 10 graded copies.

As for the 2014 Bowman Chrome? There are a mere 55 copies of the base card. It’s beat out by Topps Finest (also with the black jersey) at 99 copies, Allen and Ginter (interestingly with the same throwback jersey shot) at 74 copies, and the Panini Prizm (also black jersey) with 74 copies. Interestingly, the Topps Heritage High Number has a mere 26 PSA 10 examples (out of 43 submissions) with 3 BGS 9.5 examples.

But, when it comes to the Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto, it’s a very different story.


There are a whopping 622 BGS 9.5 examples of the Prospect Auto, out of 846 total submissions. There are 199 refractor BGS 9.5 examples, too, out of 263 total submissions. That’s pretty impressive for a card limited to 500 copies. Yet, the refractors usually sell for $75 to $100, including the rarer colored refractors; one refractor sold for just $60 in January 2020! The base autos, as we mentioned in the intro, sell between $30-35, with some closer to $40.



Why Are Jose Abreu Rookie Cards So Cheap?

The most simple answer I have for the low price of Abreu rookie cards is that he’s not at all on track for the Hall of Fame. That may seem a bit unfair, as he spent many years playing in his home country of Cuba. At the end of 2019, though, he’s amassed 21.2 WAR in 6 seasons. The average Hall of Fame 1st baseman has 67 WAR. He’s been a great player, but he’s on pace for the Hall of Very Good, especially now at age 33.

According to BaseballGauge.com, Jose Abreu has a ZERO percent chance of making the Hall of Fame. For players’ rookie autos to get into the triple digit range, they typically need a strong shot at the Hall of Fame, or have had careers worthy of serious Hall of Fame consideration.Sadly, Abreu’s rookie card audience is limited to White Sox fans and other fans of Jose Abreu himself.


Of course, Abreu’s graded autograph cards will probably see appreciation over time. But, if you’re looking for a strong investment, you’ll want to look at no-doubt hall of famers like Albert Pujols or Miguel Cabrera. Abreu has been a very good and fan favorite player, but only collect his rookie cars just for fun.

Austin Rei - Red Sox Prospect Rookie Card Review

With Sandy Leon being traded to the Cleveland Indians, 26 year old catcher Austin Rei for a time found himself as the #2 option behind the plate for the Red Sox. The Boston catching prospect looked destined to make the team by default until the Red Sox ironically signed former Indians catcher Kevin Plawecki. But, as Plawecki has never hit much at the MLB level, don’t count out Rei just yet!


Austin Rei had a breakout year in 2018 at Double-A Portland, but broke his foot in 2019 Spring Training. Unfortunately, the broken foot stalled Rei in 2019. When he did get back to game action, he had a decent 7-game rehab stint before returning to Portland. He just never got on track: .157/.213/.253 in just 90 plate appearances. His 2020 projections are colored by that poor showing. It also doesn’t help that his hit tool has long been thought to be below average. He has about average pull power from the right side, though.


The real value to Rei, besides his solid batting eye, is his defense. He has shown slightly above average pop times and an average throwing arm. It’s thought he’ll be at least an average defensive catcher. The question is if he walks enough and hits for enough in-game power to hold a roster spot in the majors. The Sox likely wouldn’t have left him on the 40-man roster if they didn’t think it was possible.


So, despite falling off the prospect radar, Rei is still very much in the Red Sox’s plans. As the Sox signed another veteran option to be the backup to Christian Vazquez, we can be sure that their confidence level in Rei wasn’t quite there yet. He still has something to prove at AAA.


Austin Rei’s key rookie card is from 2015 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects. He was drafted out of the University of Washington that year in the 3rd round. A torn thumb ligament suffered while still in college resulted in a slow start. But, he improved in 2016 and again in 2017, posting unimpressive but essentially league average offense for his levels. In 2018, he broke out, combining his excellent plate discipline with a bit more power (.249/.355/.392, 112 wRC+).


Backup catchers obviously don't do that well in the hobby, but breakouts can happen. We saw Christian Vazquez explode with the bat in 2019 and he became the obvious starter. It's likely Rei never does that, but the Sox need a decent backup.


It's not impossible that Rei finds his way onto the Red Sox in 2020, simply due to injury to either Vazquez or Plawecki. Trading Leon ironically saved the Red Sox money while getting the very catcher the Indians let go at a fraction of the price. It also doesn’t hurt Rei’s chances of sneaking onto the roster.


If you are a collector of Red Sox prospects, it can't hurt to have Rei's 1st Bowman card kicking around in your collection. Of course, catchers breaking out don't always mean big price jumps. Vazquez’s card prices never really blew up, after all. But, don’t forget about him, as Austin Rei could get into more Red Sox games in 2020 than you'd think.

Bryan Mata - Red Sox Prospect Rookie Card Review

Ordinarily, when you’d project to be the 5th best pitcher on the Boston Red Sox going into the 2020 season, that’s a good thing. Still, for as promising a prospect as right-hander Bryan Mata is, he hasn’t even yet reached Triple-A. In 2020, Mata projects for a 5.16 ERA and 1.4 WAR, which isn’t that great.


Steamer600 2020 Projection (prorated to 200 IP): 5.16 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 4.81 BB/9, 1.22 HR/9


But, there is hope for the team’s #2 prospect, whose expected ETA was 2021 and not 2020. Mata dominated at High-A minor league ball,pitching to a 1.75 ERA in 10 starts. When he was called up to Double-A, the results weren’t as good. With Portland, Mata pitched to a 5.03 ERA But his strong strikeout rate (9.89 K/9) and passable walk rate (4.02 BB/9) suggest he was a bit unlucky. A 15% HR/FB rate and a .340 batting average on balls in play are slightly high.


Mata has other things going for him. He has a groundball percentage over 50 percent in the minors. That’s something he’ll likely approximate in the Majors - Steamer’s projection agrees with a 49.7% GB rate in MLB.) His scouting report rates his fastball and slider as above average. That slider he added in 2019, and he started throwing a two-seam fastball more than a four-seamer, which improved his command. His curveball and changeup are already about average.


The real deciding factor in Mata’s future success is the development of his pitch command. If Mata can develop at least average command, he could be a league-average starting pitcher. If it improves to slightly below average, he may make a good opener or bulk pitcher. If it doesn’t improve much at all, Mata’s fastball and slider are above-average enough for him to earn a spot in middle relief.


From a hobby perspective, Mata has enough upside to warrant checking out his cards. His ceiling is probably as a #3 starter, though. He does have the talent to potentially go on a run as a guy who can strikeout a lot of batters and fake it as an ace-level pitcher for a stretch. If he is banished to middle relief, or serves only as an opener or middle inning “bulk guy” then his cards aren’t going to be of much interest.


If the Red Sox don’t sign or trade for a more established starting pitcher, Mata may find himself in the pitching mix early on in 2020. Even if they do, Mata is the best pitching prospect the Red Sox have. How the Red Sox handle him will give a clue as to how they value his future potential. It’s not impossible he’ll be traded, but considering how well he projects, the Red Sox would be best served to hold onto him.

Key Rookie Card: 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Bryan Mata #BCP2

Bryan Mata’s 1st Bowman Prospects card features the young Venezuelan hurler pitching in a Boston Red Sox spring training uniform. Despite how likely close Mata is to the Major Leagues, this card and its parallels haven’t sold in eBay auctions since late 2018/early 2019. A PSA 10 gem mint copy sold for just $3.78 plus shipping in August 2019. His poor results at Double-A Portland are likely to blame for that. There have been buy it now sales on eBay, but for fairly low amounts.


Mata doesn’t have a 2018 Bowman Prospects Auto, nor a 2019 Bowman Auto. Many prospectors prefer to collect 1st Bowman autos, which Mata doesn’t have. He does have several 2017 autographs with Leaf and Panini Elite Extra Edition. The Leaf autos have consistently sold under $5, and the Panini Elite autos have also, although at a slightly higher average price.


The reasons for Mata’s low prices and lack of recent autos are obvious. He’s not a top 100 prospect and his poor AA results didn’t help. So many other prospects are being focused on, and the hobby tends to shy away from pitchers, especially those that haven’t shown a consistent track record of dominance.


But, Mata has the talent and chance to sneak up on prospectors very quickly. He’s certainly a nice sleeper for fantasy baseball enthusiasts who have the ability to stash away high-upside pitchers. But, on the hobby side, his cards could pop seemingly out of nowhere if Mata gets to the MLB in 2020 and performs well, starter or not.

The Essential Dwight Evans Rookie Card Guide

Is Dwight Evans a Future Baseball Hall of Famer?

Dwight Evans is one of the most underrated players in baseball history. After becoming an elite defender in right field, it would take until mid career for Evans to fully realize his offensive potential. While Dewey's counting numbers (HR & RBI, especially) hurt his Hall of Fame chances in the past, analytics have brought to light the accomplishments of the greatest right fielder in Red Sox history


Fortunately for baseball card collectors, the Topps Monopoly on baseball cards for a time - for better or worse - gives the hunt for the best Dwight Evans rookie card a singular goal. The card in question is the 1973 Topps Rookie Outfielders #614, which Dewey shares with fellow outfield contemporaries Al Bumbry and Charlie Spikes. Bumbry would actually have a nice career. Spikes showed promise, although it didn't translate into a productive Major League Baseball career.


In this Rookie Card Review guide, we will look at the 1973 Topps card in depth. We'll also look at other early career Dwight Evans baseball cards that collectors have seen fit for sending off to PSA and Beckett for grading. With Evans once again a candidate for the Hall of Fame through the 2020 Modern Era Committee Ballot, his vintage-era rookie card became a hot topic.


Unfortunately for Evans, he received only 8 out of 16 committee votes, with 12 needed for election. There are two pieces of good news for Evans, though. One is that two very deserving candidates - Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller - were elected and Evans was right behind them. The other good news is he’s likely going to be on the 2022 Modern Era ballot, so his chances are already looking good. Plus, like Simmons, Evans is a favorite of the analytics community, so that’s yet another point in his favor.


In the meantime, Dwight Evans’ rookie card is still affordable. But, as we will see, his 1973 card and other early cards have been trending upward in price as older collectors reenter the hobby. It’s not only his rookie being affected, though, either. Without further ado, let’s look at some vintage Topps cardboard featuring Dwight Evans!

The 1973 Topps Rookie Outfielders Dwight Evans Rookie Card

PSA Population: 858 (8 PSA 10, 77 PSA 9, 330 PSA 8)

BGS Population: 71 (1 BGS 9, 5 BGS 8.5, 9 BGS 8)

The 1973 Topps set is known for a much more famous rookie card. It belongs to a Philly third sacker by the name of Mike Schmidt. Of course, Schmidt shares that card with a pretty decent third baseman named Ron Cey, as well. Al Bumbry wasn't quite up to Cey's standards, but he was a darn good player on some darn good Orioles teams. So, it's actually a good thing for him that he shares a rookie card with the excellent Dwight Evans.


The graded population of this card seems relatively low, but there are several things to keep in mind. First of all, over the years as more 1973 cards surface, there are many examples that won't grade well. There's the obvious corner, edge, and surface wear that come with vintage cards not being stored properly. Then, there are centering issues, and eye appeal of a card greatly depends on a card being as well centered as possible.


But, there are over 6,600 examples of the Mike Schmidt rookie card. Yes, it's the key card in the set. Ron Cey's presence - though not a Hall of Famer - was a popular player who helps that card’s desirability, too. No disrespect to Bumbry who had his share of All-Star level performances, but he doesn't exactly elevate the interest in this rookie card.


So, Dwight Evans is really the key player here and he alone drives in the interest in the card. It's real demand, of course. But, Dwight Evans played most of his career before many of today's collectors were even born! So, although many current Red Sox fans are well aware of his value, they didn't actually see him play. But, were Evans to enter the Hall of Fame, then we're talking about a whole new ballgame (pun intended) for this card's market.


A Hall of Fame induction would not only be awesome for the deserving Evans, but it will likely have a lot more copies of his rookie card being rushed to PSA and BGS for grading. There are plenty of raw copies for sale of this card for sale at fairly low prices. Of course, most won't grade out well. But, as the PSA 9 population is currently so low, to say nothing of the tiny population of Gem Mint copies, more copies will be good for the card's market.

1973 Topps Rookie Outfielders Price Trends

The specific “stock” we want to watch in this case is PSA 8, since it has the most population. What you’ll notice in the data is that there’s a huge jump in price for the PSA 8, but it actually doesn’t have anything to do with the 2020 Modern Era Committee ballot announcement.


The price of this card in PSA 8 took its biggest jump in March 2019. That’s when Spring Training was starting and the hobby overall was picking up steam. Interestingly there was also a spike in price back in 2007, likely just a bidding war. Here is the price trend of the PSA 8 since 2005.

Note that these are auction sales only and they don’t include shipping charges. But, the data shows a consistent floor of $25 to $30, which later rose to $35 to $40, with occasional bumps to $80 or $90. The card peaked at $113.50 on 11/12/2019.


The PSA 9 examples are much rarer, making up less than 10 percent of the submitted.PSA examples. That's why they don't sell all that often, but the $500+ sale in November 2019 is notable. Some people may blame shill bidding, but this looks like an old fashioned bidding war.

Typically, the rarer high grades tend to be a bit all over the place in price. At auction they tend to see their final values fluctuate at the whims of the market. One thing to watch is the percentage gap between the higher grades - in this case the PSA 8 and PSA 9. So, the November 5 $515.73 sale is 454 percent of the November 12th $113.50 PSA 8 sale. That's about what you'd expect based on the comparative scarcity of the grades.


These multipliers tend to stay relatively stable with the population reports. But when they don't, you may find higher grade cards that go relatively low. Higher grade cards tend to fetch greater premiums. So, if you learn your price trends and grade multipliers - even just roughly - you can know how to set your bids.

Dwight Evans Hobby Cred

Being one of the most beloved players in Red Sox history, Dwight Evans has his fair share of collectors. Evans has had cards appear in sets throughout the 1990’s, 2000s and 2010s, with his most recent cardboard appearance in 2017. Undoubtedly, a Hall of Fame induction will more than likely inspire future card releases. His 19-year tenure on a highly collected team - the Red Sox - ensures that there is always some demand for his cardboard.


It also helps that "Dwight Evans Rookie Card" searches on Google average 30 per month as of November 2019. A Hall of Fame induction will cause a spike in that search term. But, already, there's a healthy - albeit small - market without the plaque in Cooperstown. It’s actually significantly lower search interest than you’d expect when you consider how he stacks up against Hall of Fame comparables, however.


The Rookie Card Review considers the “hobby cred” of a player by the stats most favored in the hobby. Players get the biggest boost from home runs, extra base hits, RBI, and stolen bases. What hurt a player’s hobby cred are strikeouts, times caught stealing, and low numbers in the other counting statistics. So, how does Dewey stack up to Hall of Famers and other well-known players with similar stats at his position?


Interestingly, we have Dwight Evans’ hobby cred being almost identical to another long-time Hall of Fame snub, Dale Murphy. While they both are different players, they do share in common hobby relevance and devoted fans. Both have not quite made the Hall of Fame while being excellent ballplayers and widely-considered “good guys” in the game.


The big difference between Murphy and Evans is that Dale faded quickly at the end, while Evans improved on offense, but regressed on defense. The hobby tends not to consider defense all that highly. However, defense does matter in making a Hall of Fame case, and if defense makes someone a Hall of Famer, it does matter.


When it comes to Baseball Reference Similarity Scores, Evans is also in good company. The Hall of Famers his career numbers most resemble are Billy Williams and Tony Perez. Evans handily beats Perez in “hobby cred”. He is significantly behind Cubs legend Billy Williams, though. That he's right in between those two, however, is very good news for his hobby cred. This is especially good because these same Similarity Scores are often closely scrutinized when a player is considered for Hall of Fame induction.


If Dwight Evans does make his way into the Hall of Fame, whether in 2020 or at a later date, there will be a large spike in demand for his early cards. Be mindful that in the wake of any announcement, card prices will eventually retrace towards their pre-induction price. But, they’ll likely settle at a higher average price. That’s why it’s important to know about these other early Topps cards for Evans, since they have been showing price appreciation already.



So concludes this edition of the Essential Guide to Dwight Evans Rookie Cards. Feedback is always appreciated and encouraged. Over time, these Rookie Card Review guides will be updated with the latest and greatest research and insights. We hope you enjoyed and learned something from this guide.


Happy collecting!


~ R.A. Rowell

The Essential Guide to Pedro Martinez Rookie Cards

Pedro Martinez: A Hall of Fame Hurler

Pedro Martinez was the reason I began to follow baseball. His artistry on the mound during his time with the Red Sox in 1998 through 2004 was my favorite part of watching the game. Because I enjoyed watching him pitch so much, I inevitably ended up having to learn about the rest of the game. So, Pedro is pretty special to me, and his cards have always been a top priority when it comes to sports card collecting.


I’ve decided to create an entire series of articles dedicated to Pedro Martinez baseball cards. First up, I’ll look at each and every Pedro Martinez rookie card in depth. Thanks to the PSA Set Registry, I can easily go right in order through pretty much every Pedro Martinez card ever released. To fill in any gaps, I turn to the Trading Card Database.


My eventual goal is to have the #1 PSA Registry of Pedro Martinez baseball cards in the world. It’s not quite as ambitious as building my Million Dollar Red Sox Collection… Still, since Pedro is a significant chunk of that, why not focus on the more attainable goal first?


First, the Rookie Cards, then the Base Topps Set, then the Base Set, then the Master Set, then the WORLD! Meh, I don’t want the world. I just want a bunch of cards… Anyway, as of this writing, the best ever Master Set is only at 22.83% complete! That’s right folks. I don’t even need every card to be #1. SHAZAAM! (By the way, here is PSA’s Pedro Martinez Master Set list.)


Anyway, onto talking about pieces of cardboard picturing a guy who threw a ball from atop a pile of dirt for a living…

1990 Sport Pro Great Falls Dodgers Pedro Martinez 

The first ever Pedro Martinez rookie card is pretty much where you have to start with any serious Pedro Martinez rookie card collection. For a minor league card, it’s not bad. The design is a bit bland, but the portrait isn’t bad - albeit dark. It’s a piece of history in any case, hearkening back to when Pedro played in Montana.


Pedro didn’t pitch too badly at his first minor league stop in the Pioneer League. He compiled an 8-3 win loss record with a 3.82 ERA in 14 starts. He had a decent strikeout rate with 82 strikeouts in 77 innings. Pedro was still honing his control, though, as he walked 40 in those 77 innings. It’s not a bad performance, in any case. However, he was actually out-pitched by lefty Mark Mimbs. Who? Yeah, exactly. (Although, Mimbs actually did pitch for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1997, so that is an interesting Red Sox connection, I guess…)


There was a time where these 1990 Sport Pro Great Falls cards held a lot more value. But, in June 2019, one PSA 10 example of the Great Falls Pedro Martinez card sold for just $25. You can grab a PSA 9 copy for under $15, but why wouldn’t you just want a 10? There are 901 PSA 9 copies VS 545 PSA 10 copies. They aren’t exceptionally rare. Still, this is a must have card for any Pedro Martinez rookie card collection.

1991 Cal League All-Stars Pedro Martinez All-Stars #1 & #32

Pedro Martinez has two cards in the 32-card 1991 Cal League set, and they are #1 and #32. The first card is the more commonly available of the two. It’s a typical minor league card that doesn’t appear to have the greatest printing quality. Also, Pedro didn’t look too happy in the portrait. However, Pedro very much enjoyed his time in the Cal League, which he dominated.

Pedro pitched to 8 wins and no losses with 10 starts at Bakersfield. He enjoyed a 2.05 ERA in 61 ⅓ innings, as well as a 12.2 strikeout rate per 9 innings against only a 2.8 walk rate per 9. It was definitely a sign of things to come, huh? Anyway, Pedro dominated the league so much that the Dodgers called him up to Double-A San Antonio, where he also pitched well. He finished at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he pitched OK, although not great.

Pedro’s other 1991 Cal League card, #32, is a much nicer looking card. It’s also apparently extremely difficult to find, especially in top condition. Even raw, they can sell for $15 or more. What makes it a nicer card is the photo, which is a shot of Pedro throwing a warm-up pitch from the mound, while smiling.


Both cards also list his Dominican Winter League (Santo Domingo) stats on the back, which is awesome. Good luck finding anything better than a PSA 8 of #32, though.

1991 Classic Best Pedro Martinez #355

One of Pedro Martinez's more popular early cards features the young pitching superstar at one of his brief minor league stops with the San Antonio Missions. It's not an exciting card, but it features solid photography with a good portrait shot of Pedro in his Missions threads. The one important thing about this issue is that gem mint copies are tough to come by.



Pedro shares the 1991 Classic Best set with some notable players, a few of whom would become fellow Hall of Famers. These young stars include Ivan Rodriguez and Jim Thome, of course, but also Chipper Jones. Carlos Delgado and Jeff Kent are also featured in the set.



Despite Pedro Martinez having the most PSA submitted card in the set, with over 1400 submissions, there are only 139 PSA 10 examples as of November 2019. That's only 10 percent of all submitted. If you're willing to settle for a PSA 9, there are nearly 800 of those. If you're wondering about the price tag on PSA 10 copies, the tough grading is why.

1991 Classic Pedro Martinez Series III #T55

Classic pumped out a lot of different card sets in the early nineties. This one is actually one of the more scarce sets, making this #T55 card fairly rare for an early Pedro Martinez card. The 1991 Classic set consisted of 500 cards, but the first 200 were issued with a baseball trivia game. The remaining cards were released in three 100 card sets. The Pedro Martinez card is part of the third set. Only 66 PSA 10 copies of this card exist as of this writing.


Like many of the Classic sets, this card doesn't really have an inspiring design. But there's nothing wrong with the green border. The photo is actually an interesting one featuring Pedro gripping a baseball while sitting on the steps of the dugout. He's also wearing Dodgers threads, which is a plus.


1991 Classic Series III does feature some other future Hall of Fame players such as Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken Jr, Ivan Rodriguez, and Nolan Ryan. For a more obscure Junk Wax era set, it has a decent amount of star power. It will have cards you've never seen before of many popular players - and it's necessary for player collector completionists.

1991 ProCards Pedro Martinez #2971

While not one of the more popular Pedro Martinez minor league cards, the 1991 ProCards issue is a must have for Pedro player collectors. It features a creative but goofy yellow spiral notebook design. The photo is good enough, though, to save the card overall, depicting Pedro in his stop with the San Antonio Missions in the Texas League.


The back features only his stats with Great Falls - where he was actually outpitched by a young lefty named Mike Mimbs. Half of the back is blank space usually reserved for some tidbits. It's not a very interesting card, but notable just because it's a Pedro Martinez card.


When it comes to PSA graded examples, collectors have actually submitted over 1300 copies of this card. With 303 PSA 10 gem mint examples, it fared a bit better than other minor league releases in getting that top grade. It's certainly not one of the finer cards in Pedro's rookie master set, but it’s still necessary nonetheless.

1991 Upper Deck Final Edition Pedro Martinez #2F

Often considered the best Pedro Martinez rookie card, the Upper Deck Final Edition card has a lot going for it. It's actually quite easy to find since it's part of a 100 card box set that can be acquired fairly cheaply. The set also contains rookie cards of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez and first baseman Jim Thome. There's also a popular Ken Griffey Jr. card in the set.


Beyond the simple fact that sports cards collectors love early Upper Deck, this Final Edition card features a great portrait photo of a young Pedro in Dodgers threads. It also features a "Minor League Diamond Skills" logo in the lower right hand corner. We find out on the back of the card that Pedro was considered the best minor league right-handed pitcher that year. Unlike many best minor league pitchers of the year, Pedro would actually live up to that early promise, of course, despite early struggles.


Despite being so relatively easy to find, that doesn't mean you can easily get a PSA 10 of this Final Edition Pedro Martinez rookie card. Out of a whopping 22,000-plus graded by PSA, only about 3300 have graded PSA 10. Nearly 13,000 PSA 9 examples exist, as well. While 3300 is a high PSA 10 population, this Pedro card is the key for his rookie card collectors. So, expect to have some competition in bidding on auctions for this card or prepare to pay more than you may expect for a junk wax era rookie card.

1991-92 ProCards Tomorrow's Heroes Pedro Martinez #244

The Tomorrow's Heroes issue is the second of Pedro's ProCards "Rookie Cards" and is a significant improvement over the first. It features the same photo as 1991 ProCards, although with a better, if still bland, design. The diamond shape of the photo is a nice touch. Also, the back of this card features stats from all of Pedro's 1991 minor league stops (San Antonio, Bakersfield, and Albuquerque) which is a vast improvement over his first ProCards card.


It's also rather appropriate that Pedro Martinez is included in a set called Tomorrow's Heroes. Unsurprisingly, the set features five other future Hall of Famers: Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones, Mike Mussina, Ivan Rodriguez, and Jim Thome. Other stars of the era in this set include Carlos Delgado, Brian Giles, Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramirez, Tim Salmon, Mo Vaughn, and Bernie Williams. Longtime knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is also in this set.


Like many minor league issues, gem mint is a tough grade to get. Like with many sets in which Pedro Martinez appeared, his is the most submitted card from this set to PSA. Out of 405 submissions, though, only 37 graded PSA 10. 251 more had to settle for a PSA 9 mint but 16 that would've otherwise gotten that mint grade had centering qualifiers. It's not easy to find a PSA 10 in the wild, for sure.

1992 Bowman Pedro Martinez #82

Easily one of the best Pedro Martinez rookie cards, 1992 Bowman features Pedro actually pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even better, he is wearing his familiar #45, a number he wouldn't be wearing on some subsequent cards. He didn't yet have any Major League statistics listed on the card back, so this is about as "rookie" as you can get.


The simple clean design and great action shot give this card some of the best eye appeal among Pedro Martinez rookie cards. Some people prefer it to his Upper Deck Final Edition card. Over 9800 examples of this Bowman rookie card have been submitted to PSA for grading. While that is less than half the number of graded Final Edition rookies, you couldn't find these in just a box set.


There are only about 1500 gem mint PSA 10 copies of the 1992 Bowman Pedro Martinez out there. Many collectors have settled for one of the roughly 6400 PSA 9 mint copies out there. Of course, the serious collectors only want the perfect 10. Notably, fellow Hall of Famer Chipper Jones has about 6400 total PSA examples, but nearly as many PSA 10 examples with about 1300. So, Pedro's card, for whatever reason, is the tougher grade.


On an interesting side note, this is the only Topps released rookie card of Pedro Martinez. Bowman, of course, is owned by Topps. Pedro would not have a Topps flagship card until 1993.

1992 Cartwright's Players Choice Silver Pedro Martinez #11

Here's a Pedro Martinez card I would've never known about if not for the superb Trading Card Database: the 1992 Cartwright's Players Choice Silver. It's technically a rookie card, since it depicts Pedro with the Dodgers. Interestingly, this is one of the few cards you'll see with Pedro holding a bat! Fun fact: Pedro was a career .099/.134/.122 hitter.


Want some more Pedro batting fun facts? Pedro never got a hit with the Dodgers or with the Red Sox in interleague play. He did, however, go 25 for 240 with three doubles and a pair of triples with Montreal! Pedro had some "success" with the bat for the Mets and Phillies, too.

This Cartwright set actually has nice looking cards, but clearly has centering issues. Also, because of the black borders, chipping and edgewear are going to be common condition issues. Also, these cards were apparently hand-cut and PSA will no longer consider them for grading. When they did, however, two PSA 9 copies were slabbed. It's not a card that you'd officially need in a Pedro rookie set, or the official Pedro Martinez Master set, but they do exist.

1992 Donruss “The Rookies” Pedro Martinez

While not one of Pedro Martinez’s premier rookie cards, the 1992 Donruss card from their “The Rookies” subset has a few things going for it. First off, this card does feature Pedro in a major league uniform, in Dodger Blue wearing his familiar number #45. Secondly, unlike previous editions of “The Rookies,” Donruss actually released this set in packs rather than in a boxed set. Why is that good? It means that gem mint copies of this card are much harder to find than you’d expect.



There are 2075 graded examples of the 1992 Donruss Rookies Pedro Martinez card, yet only 275 of those have graded out as a PSA 10 Gem Mint. There are 1295 PSA 9 examples, which is why that’s what you’ll much more commonly find for sale. Serious Pedro Martinez card collectors most likely want the PSA 10. So, as an investment, the PSA 10 is the better buy.


In late 2019, you could find PSA 9 copies for about $15-20, but the PSA 10 copies tend to be $30 or more. You’ll find a similar case for Pedro’s former teammate, Manny Ramirez, who actually has a whopping 2500 graded examples of his card in the set, yet only 270 graded PSA 10. That card, interestingly, has similar price points. So, it’s pretty cool to have these two in the same set.


(It’s worth noting that Tim Wakefield also has a rookie card in the set, as well as all-star second baseman Jeff Kent. Of course, Wakefield doesn’t have many graded examples, although neither does Kent, interestingly enough.)


Of course, this card also depicts Pedro on the mound. Many of his early cards do not. I’ve also always preferred rookie cards with players in Major League uniforms, which is something I know many collectors prefer. All in all, this is a pretty nice and affordable Pedro Martinez rookie card that still holds some value from the Junk Wax era when graded PSA 9 or better.

1992 Fleer/ProCards Pedro Martinez #716

Now owned by Fleer, ProCards released its third Pedro Martinez card. With this issue, Pedro is actually shown during his brief stop with the Albuquerque Dukes, the team known today as the Isotopes. This time on the card back, they included Pedro's time in the Dominican Winter League - stats notably omitted from his first two ProCards issues.


The design is not really that appealing, with the name strangely split and a cartoonish bat and ball creeping into the picture. But, this card does feature a great photo of Pedro in his set position on the mound with a blue sky backdrop. The upward angle of the camera makes Pedro appear larger than life, which he certainly became on a Major League mound.


Unlike many of the early sets that Pedro was featured in his career, he doesn't hold the title of most submitted card to PSA. That title belongs to Mike Piazza, Pedro's teammate with both the Dukes and the Dodgers for a short time. Pedro has 571 submissions to Piazza's 662. Notably, though, Pedro's card earned a much tougher grade. Piazza's card has 122 Gem Mint examples, yet Pedro's card has a mere 39. Go figure.

1992 Leaf - Gold Rookies #BC-3

One of this author's favorite Pedro Martinez rookie cards is the 1992 Leaf Gold Rookies #BC3. It hits all the high notes of a key Pedro rookie, pitching in Dodger Blue, wearing his familiar #45. The gold frame effect is also a really nice aesthetic. These cards are also significantly scarcer than Pedro's "base" rookie cards.


The Leaf Gold Rookies are a notoriously tough grade. Pedro benefits from the Gold Rookies lineup only featuring two other future stars in Kenny Lofton and Raul Mondesi - although fellow Gold rookie Bret Boone would have a few nice years for himself. Out of 770 cards submitted to PSA from this set, 710 of those belong to Pedro. There are 144 PSA Gem Mint 10 examples of this card out there, with another 371 attaining a PSA 9 Mint grade.


Being perhaps the rarest of Pedro's key rookie cards, this is a card that should appreciate in value nicely over time. It gets love, certainly, but it's a true gem from the Junk Wax era.

1992 RBI Magazine Grapefruit League Pedro Martinez #G4

While not a true Pedro Martinez rookie card, there are some things worth noting about the RBI Magazine card. These cards aren't even graded by PSA - that I can tell - so you'd be looking to acquire these raw. Being an early Pedro Martinez rarity is good enough, but this Grapefruit League card is worth talking about.


First off, while Pedro is wearing Dodgers threads, he's wearing #48 rather than his more familiar #45. That's strange considering that Pedro never wore that number at any point in official Major League games. He would wear #37 for a short time later with the Montreal Expos. What's funny is that #48 was his brother Ramon's number. So, what is the story behind Pedro wearing his brother's jersey number in this photo?


It turns out that Pedro didn't steal his brother's jersey or anything. In fact, this is one of a few cards that features Pedro wearing his brother's jersey number. In Spring Training of 1992, Pedro apparently did wear the #48. Considering you could tell how big the jersey was on him, it probably was a jersey meant for Ramon.


Pedro is looking over his shoulder in the photo. I don't know if this shot was intentional or the photographer got lucky. Being that it was the Grapefruit League, it's possible Pedro was always looking back towards his big brother, who he has always and continues to look up to after all these years. Little did Pedro know that not only would his pitching skills surpass his brother's, but even land him in the Hall of Fame.

1992 SkyBox AAA Pedro Martinez #5

SkyBox made a point to label this AAA card if Pedro Martinez as a pre-rookie card. While "pre-rookie" is a term thrown around a lot in the hobby, how many sets do you see actually make a point of that? It's certainly the appropriate term for this card depicting Pedro with the Albuquerque Dukes.


This card doesn't have the most excitement going on in it. The photo is likely posed, but if it's not, it looks like Pedro has stepped off the mound after a timeout was called. There's nothing really wrong with the card, but the design is fairly bland.


It's not a super common card, but when it has been graded by PSA, the SkyBox AAA #5 has fared pretty well. Out of 166 submissions, 72 emerged as PSA 10. That's good to know if you come across strong mint raw copies and you want a PSA 9 or PSA 10 for a graded collection.


(Apparently, two other SkyBox Pedro Martinez cards exist: Team Sets #13b and Triple-A All Stars #13. We could not find images of them for this article. If we do, they will be added to this piece.)

1992 Upper Deck Pedro Martinez Star Rookie #18

The first "base" Pedro Martinez card from Upper Deck is his 1992 Star rookie. The card features Pedro Martinez warming up in Spring Training. You may notice that he is wearing the jersey #48, which belonged to his brother Ramon. I'd like to learn the real story behind it, but it seems being Ramon's little brother led to Pedro wearing one of his brother's jerseys at least for photo shoots.


The back of this rookie card does mention the exciting possibility of Pedro and his elder brother Ramon being one of the best brother pitching combinations of all time. Unfortunately, we only ever had brief glimpses of what may have been. Ramon got into only 4 starts in 1999 and when he returned in 2000, he was a greatly diminished pitcher.


Back to Pedro, the Upper Deck #18 rookie card is a key to any Pedro Martinez collection. It's a bit down the pecking order when it comes to graded Pedro Martinez rookie cards though. There are only 665 submissions, a fraction of the population of the Final Edition and Bowman cards. Only 193 have graded PSA 10, while there are 283 PSA 9 examples, and a relatively high PSA 8 count of 153.


Like every card in the 1992 Upper Deck set, there's a short print parallel called the Gold Hologram. The only difference is that the normal silver hologram on the back - to help fight potential counterfeiting - is instead gold. It's an insignificant difference, but it means that it's a far rarer card. Interestingly, the gold Hologram fared much better, with 56 out of 70 submissions grading PSA Gem Mint 10.

1992 Upper Deck Ramon Martinez/Pedro Martinez Bloodlines #79

The Martinez brothers would later be reunited in Boston. But by that time, Ramon was at the end of the line as a productive pitcher. The taller, elder brother Ramon suffered arm issues after only 4 starts with the 1999 Red Sox. While Ramon did return, his 2000 season saw him post a 6.13 ERA in 27 starts. He ended his playing career after 4 starts with the Pirates in 2001.


We all know what happened with Pedro. Somewhat ironically, Pedro started suffering his own arm issues in 2001. But while Ramon was done with the mound, Pedro had another 8 seasons left in him. Ramon still works in baseball scouting today, most recently as a special adviser to the Baltimore Orioles.


While this card isn't a true rookie card, per se, Pedro Martinez collectors have made it one. In fact, this Bloodlines card is a necessary piece of a Pedro Martinez Rookie Master Set, according to the PSA Set Registry. There are only 76 PSA graded examples of this card, but it fared better than the Pedro Star Rookie card, having more than half (44) grade PSA 10. There have been only 4 submissions of the Gold Hologram parallel - 2 PSA 10 and 2 PSA 9.

Pedro Martinez Hobby Cred

When it comes to pitchers, Pedro is a fairly popular hobby target. He’s not as popular as Nolan Ryan or Greg Maddux, but he has his share of dedicated collectors - like myself. Not getting to 300 wins left him out of some collector clubs, but he did have over 3000 strikeouts. Arguably, strikeouts are more important. In fact, he’s the only pitcher to have ever recorded 3000 strikeouts in fewer than 3000 innings pitched. That accomplishment in itself was worthy of Hall of Fame induction.


Before Pedro reached the milestone, only 14 other pitchers had accomplished the feat: Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan (the all-time strikeout leader), Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Ferguson Jenkins, Don Sutton, Phil Niekro, Bert Blyleven, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, and former teammate Curt Schilling. Many of those names, especially Gibson, Seaver, Carlton, Jenkins, Clemens, Johnson, Maddux, and Schilling are still big names in the hobby today. Sutton’s and Blyleven’s card have picked up in recent years, as well.

Since Pedro recorded his 3000th strikeout, three other pitchers have accomplished the feat. The first was John Smoltz, who was an easy selection for the Hall of Fame. The second was CC Sabathia, who while not as obvious a choice as Smoltz, will likely be enshrined one day. The most recent was Justin Verlander, who pretty much everyone believes is a Hall of Fame shoo-in. So, Pedro is in very good company.


Unsurprisingly, Pedro is still very active in the game and in the hobby. He still signs cards from Panini and Topps as recently as 2019, so there’s still plenty of post-playing career autographs to chase. It’s funny that we don’t hear his name mentioned more often in hobby chatter, but no one is ever upset to get a Pedro Martinez hit, of course. But, why isn’t he as big in the hobby now that he’s been enshrined?



Yes, pitchers in general don’t get the same love as hitters. Interestingly, this is even the case long after they retire. Nolan Ryan still does very well, but that’s because he’s legendary and he pitched so long that he crossed generations. But, even some of those names we mentioned that still get hobby love don’t get the amount you’d expect pitchers of their accomplishment to get. Pedro did, of course, get plenty of love when he was still pitching. But, despite being very active in the game and with plenty of time on television as a commentator, you’d expect him to get a lot more hobby love.



Whatever the reason for his cards not being as popular as other 3,000 strikeout pitchers, those of us that will hunt down his every card are happy to pay the lesser prices. It may not always be that way, of course. The good news is his rookie cards are plentiful, so there are plenty to go around, but when it comes to graded copies, you just never know when they’ll dry up.





Which is your favorite Pedro Martinez rookie card? I would say design wise that the Leaf Gold is my favorite. But, I'm really fond of the Bowman, too.



So concludes this Pedro Martinez Rookie Card Review Guide. There will be other guides for Pedro Martinez cards in the future, including investment guides. Feedback is always appreciated and encouraged. Over time, these Rookie Card Review guides will be updated with the latest and greatest research and insights. We hope you enjoyed and learned something from this guide.



Happy collecting!




~ R.A. Rowell