Thrifty Thursday
Undervalued rookie and prospect cards
Finding great deals on Topps rookie cards and Bowman 1st prospect cards are two of my favorite things. Last week I gave some love to the pitchers, so it is only fair to highlight the catchers this week. Much like pitchers, catchers tend to be undervalued by collectors. Catchers play a tough position and often play with injuries and get more days off than regular position players. In terms of value to the team, catchers tend to be valued more for their defense and their ability to call the best game than hitting at times. The catcher that does both is the unicorn and will be valued. Here are a few guys to look at if you are interested in the catchers that can both hit and bring value behind the plate.
Prospect Card:
Drew Romo, 22, C at Triple-A for the Colorado Rockies. He is not ranked in the top 100 on MLB Pipeline, but is the #9 prospect for the Rockies. Over 4 seasons in minor league ball, Romo is a career .278 hitter and has upped his numbers at Triple-A this season. Through 72 games, he is batting .292 with 12 HRs and 51 RBIs. What makes Romo so valuable now is there is nobody blocking his way on the MLB club. Both starting catchers, Jacob Stallings and Elias Diaz are in their mid-30’s. Both are playing well this season and with Romo ready, one of them could be moved at the trade deadline to make a spot for Romo to come up and get mentored.
There are plenty of great deals on his 2020 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st refractors (BD-120) on eBay. His regular refractor can be found for in the $3 range, a steal for a potential starter next season.
Prospect Card:
Harry Ford, 21, C at Double-A for the Seattle Mariners. He is the #23 prospect on MLB Pipeline and the #2 prospect for the White Sox. Ford was drafted #12 overall in the 2021 due to his extreme athleticism, plus arm, and leadership. He has not disappointed so far. In Double-A this year, he is batting .252 with 5 HRs and 30 RBIs over 80 games. It would not be a stretch to see him move up to Triple-A by years end with an outside shot to make the big leagues out of spring training next year. The Mariners have Cal Raleigh behind the plate for the foreseeable future so they will not rush Ford as he represents the future.
I found his 2021 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st Sky Blue refractor (BDC-1) on eBay for just $12. His regular chromes refractors can be found for around $8.
Prospect Card:
Kyle Teel, 22, RHP at Double-A for the Boston Red Sox. He is the #24 prospect on MLB Pipeline and the #3 prospect for the Red Sox. Teel is another one of those athletic catchers, known for his arm strength and pitch framing. In Double-A this season, he is also showing he can hit as well. So far through 70 games, he is batting .296 with 9 HRs and 51 RBIs and 7 stolen bases, a solid number for a catcher. He is ready for a promotion to Triple-A and should be given a look to join the big club next season.
There are plenty of great deals on his 2024 Bowman Chrome 1st Lunar Glow refractors (BCP-48) on eBay, most around $7. His mojo refractors are even cheaper, around $3 for one.
Rookie Card:
Francisco Alvarez, 22, C for the New York Mets. Alvarez got called up as a 20-year-old for a few games in 2022 and took the starting role full time in 2023. As a rookie last season, his power was on full display, hitting 25 HRs in 123 games. His batting average was low at .209, but rookie catchers have a heavy workload managing the game and usually struggle early on. This season he got off to a slow start due to injuries, but has turned it on since. He is currently batting .279 and is working to get his power back with just 4 HRs so far in 48 games. Alvarez looks like the real deal and should be fun to watch for a long time.
His 2023 Topps Series 2 #644 Blue Foil /999 is available on eBay for around $12-$15, a great color match for his card. Other versions of his rookie card can be found for well under $10.
Rookie Card:
William Contreras, 26, C for the Milwaukee Brewers. Contreras, the younger brother of Willson Contreras (Cardinals), started his career in Atlanta where he was an all-star and world series champion before being traded to the Brewer who were looking for more offense behind the plate. In less than two season with the Brewers, he is batting over .285 with 28 HRs, 134 RBIs and 11 SBs, great output for a catcher at just 26.
His 2021 Topps Series 2 #390 gold /2021 rookie card can be found on eBay for around $10-12. His Topps Chrome rookie card refractor and pink refractor can be found for under $3.
Rookie Card:
Adley Rutschman, 26, C for the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles opened the window to compete for the World Series when they brought up their top prospect, catcher Adley Rutschman to the big leagues in 2022. He was the face of the future and he has exceeded all expectations. He was an all-star this year and is having his best hitting season so far while batting .272 with 17 HRs, 61 RBIs and a 3.2 WAR. He should have no problem exceeding last seasons 20 HRs as he pushes the Orioles into the playoffs with World Series aspirations.
His 2023 Topps Series 1 #250 rainbow foil rookie card can be found on eBay for around $8. His gold foil rookie card runs around $15 and other numbered versions start at $25.
Best of luck to everyone finding the next steal of a deal for a top rookie or prospect card.
Good stuff Patrick. I picked up a Harry Ford sky blue on ebay today, since he’s with my Mariners.
Great stuff! I have a collection of Adley, i may try to grab a parallel, i saw a few autos of his at the show. I have some harry ford but not 1st. I wasn’t collecting in 2021 but may try to snag a first. I think adley could be all time great btw at catcher position