OK, that’s the opening line to TGIF theme song from back
in the day, but it certainly applies. After a long winter of snow, ice, slush,
gripping winds and more snow, baseball is back.
A few players stood during this season’s spring training,
making some guys well known to more than just prospectors and die-hards.
Here’s a look at five players from spring training to
keep an eye on this season whose cards you may want to grab – although they are
getting pricier by the minute.
Walker’s cards have a lot to gain. Throughout the spring,
his cards have steadily risen in price, in large part to his spectacular
numbers. He threw 25.1 innings and gave up one earned run. That equates to an
ERA of 0.36. He also walked just four guys. Walker is 22 years old and gets to
learn from one of the best pitchers in the game, Felix Hernandez.
With the Mariners poised to make a run for the AL West
title this season, Walker’s cards are warm right now and could get hot.
Gray is another pitcher who got attention this spring. He
was reassigned to triple-A before the end of the practice session, but still
many are awaiting his MLB debut. Gray’s last Spring Training outing was, but
shouldn’t scare too many. The scary part is that he should end up pitching in
Colorado one day -- that’s never been good for any pitcher.
The Dodgers seem to have a plethora of players so the
rookies had to fight and scrap their way onto the 25-man roster. Pederson seems
to have done that, and even won the starting centerfield position. He hit six
home runs in 60 at-bats this spring, and hit slugged .750. He is not, however,
one of the cheaper autographs to grab. But his Rookie Cards will appear in 2015
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The Red Sox are another team that is loaded with talent –
they even have Rusney Castillo starting in Triple-A. Betts is one of their
young studs that could shine this year, and the Red Sox are going to give him
the chance. Betts hit .451 with a 1.295 OPS this spring.
By the way, his Rookie Cards appear in 2014, but there
aren’t many autos because of his late call up.
I feel like a teenage girl, ‘I can’t even’ with Bryant.
Bryant was sensational, amazing, legendary this spring. He hit nine home runs
in 44 plate appearances. He slugged 1.175 with an OPS of 1.652. And, he will
start the season in Triple-A. However, it’s likely we see Bryant sooner rather
than later with the Cubs.
But, getting an autograph card of his will set you back on
the secondary market as they going for hundreds, if not thousands. Pulling one
of his autographs from a pack is like finding a unicorn.
I'm a Cubs fan but Bryant totally pissed me off when he started complaining about being sent down now and not being brought up last September. How can he not get that it's about contract control? Didn't Scott Boras and/or the Cubs management explain that to him? Is he going to come up now with an sour attitude? I get that he deserves to be on the opening day roster but it's about the Cubs and their future, including him, not about his ego.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope Walker turns out to be something. In my limited number of box breaks last year, his autograph kept popping up.
ReplyDeleteWow, great baseball players on cards. It's nice article. thank you for sharing.
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