10 Career-Defining Johan Santana Cards – Instant PC
While his peak was short, Johan Santana was squarely in the conversation for the title of best pitcher in baseball for a few years during the 2000s. The left-hander won AL Cy Young honors in 2004 and 2006, led the league in strikeouts three times, and consistently befuddled hitters with one of the best changeups in recent history.
All told, there are more than 5,500 Johan Santana cards, according to the Beckett database. So where does one begin putting together a Johan SantanaPC?
These 10 cards serve as an excellent representation of his playing career and footprint on the hobby, making them a great place to start.
1999 Michigan Battlecats Multi-Ad #15 Johan Santana
Signed out of Venezuela for a modest $15,000 by the Houston Astros in 1995, Santana did not make his pro debut until 1997 and he spent his first two years struggling to find his footing in the lower levels of the minors. Pitching for the Single-A Michigan Battlecats in 1999, he went 8-8 with a 4.66 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 160.1 innings as a 20-year-old.
He has just two minor league cards, both of which came in team-issued sets. I’ve opted for the lone 1999 option which ended up being his final year in the Houston organization.
2000 Finest #262 Johan Santana RC
Despite his solid numbers in 1999, the Astros left Santana unprotected in that year’s Rule 5 draft and he was selected by the Florida Marlins who immediately flipped him to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for prospect Jared Camp. The 21-year-old understandably dealt with some growing pains making the jump from Single-A all the way to the big leagues and posted a 6.49 ERA in 30 appearances out of the Minnesota bullpen in 2000.
That forgettable debut was enough to earn him a spot in a handful of late-release sets, and he has Rookie Cards in 2000 Bowman’s Best (/2999), Finest (/3000), Fleer Mystique (/2000), Fleer Tradition, Pacific Invincible, Pacific Omega and Paramount Update.
2001 Upper Deck #11 Johan Santana
In his second season in the majors, Santana made modest strides, posting a 4.74 ERA in 43.2 innings while making four starts and 11 relief appearances. Still only 22 years old, he was on the cusp of becoming one of the best pitchers in baseball.
His only major release 2001 card was in the Upper Deck flagship set where he was featured as part of the long-running “Star Rookie” subset.
2002 Fleer Tradition Update #U134 Johan Santana
Serving in a swingman role and making 14 starts and 13 relief appearances, Santana took his game to another level during the 2002 season. He finished with a 2.99 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 108.1 innings, though he also uncorked an AL-leading 14 wild pitches along the way.
Despite his success, the only set to feature him during the 2002 season was Fleer Tradition Update, which came in the base version pictured here and a Glossy parallel version that was numbered to 200.
2003 Topps #384 Johan Santana
Despite his 2002 success, Santana continued to be used in a hybrid role the following year, making 18 starts and 27 relief appearances. Despite not being a regular member of the rotation, he finished 12-3 with a 3.07 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 158.1 innings to check in seventh in AL Cy Young balloting.
He finally had his first Topps flagship card in the 2003 set, and while it’s far from a Rookie Card, it’s still a must-own for any Santana collector.
2004 Bowman Chrome Refractors #65 Johan Santana
In his first season as a full-time starter in 2004, Santana went 20-6 while leading the AL in ERA (2.61), WHIP (0.92) and strikeouts (265) on his way to AL Cy Young honors. In just six years, he had gone from pitching at Single-A to the pinnacle of the pitching world.
For those who love to collect 1st Bowman cards, Santana did not appear in a Bowman product outside of his Bowman’s Best rookie in 2000 until his inclusion in the 2004 base set.
2006 Fleer Smoke ‘n Heat #SH7 Johan Santana
After leading the AL in WHIP and strikeouts again during the 2005 season and finishing third in Cy Young voting, Santana added another trophy to his mantle in 2006. The southpaw finished 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 245 strikeouts in 233.2 innings to win the AL pitching Triple Crown and take home Cy Young honors unanimously.
2008 Stadium Club First Day Issue #76 Johan Santana
After eight seasons with the Twins, and coming off his third AL ERA title in five years, Santana was traded to the New York Mets prior to the 2008 season. The return package included four prospects headlined by Carlos Gomez and Philip Humber. Santana went 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA in 166.2 innings in his first season with the Mets, making the fourth and final All-Star appearance of his career.
I’ve always been a fan of Stadium Club photography, and his 2008 Stadium Club card is a unique horizontal angle not often seen on baseball cards. His First Day Issue parallel is numbered to 599 and mirrors the base set aside from the logo on the front.
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen No Hitters #JS Johan Santana
Santana missed the entire 2012 season recovering from shoulder surgery, and he was not the same pitcher upon returning the following year. He finished the 2013 season with a 6-9 record to go along with a 4.85 ERA in 117 innings. However, he did throw the first no-hitter in Mets franchise history on June 1, 2012.
That historic moment earned him a spot in the 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen No Hitters insert set, which were found in 1:4 packs and had a 15-card checklist.
2013 Topps #484 Johan Santana
A second shoulder injury sidelined Santana for the entire 2013 season and the Mets declined a club option on him at the end of the year. He signed with the Orioles in 2014 and the Blue Jays in 2015, but was unable to make an MLB comeback.
Despite his short peak, he still finished 139-78 with a 3.20 ERA and 1,988 strikeouts in 2,025.2 innings over 12 seasons.
Since he didn’t pitch at all in 2013, Santana’s final Topps flagship card in that year’s set features a full stat back and serves as a great book end to his playing career.
