Jake Arrieta Rookie Cards Ranked

By Ryan Cracknell |Hobby Editor

After the season that he put together in 2015, you should be very familiar with Jake Arrieta‘s name. However, not a lot of collectors have gotten into his cards yet. And while they’re certainly on the rise, Jake Arrieta rookie cards are only now making their way out of a lot of common boxes.

The Cubs pitcher is part of a rare breed in that he doesn’t have a lot of rookie cards. And among that half dozen, none are autographed, have memorabilia inserted in them or are even serial numbered.

That said, some Jake Arrieta rookie cards are worth more than others. We’ve broken it down and ranked them accordingly.

You can find Arrieta’s rookies in a handful of sets that came out during the second half of the 2010 season. All have a straightforward feel to them. However, if you’re looking for something more rare and valuable, they’ve all got several levels of parallels.

Most of the base cards are easy to find, a big factor in why values haven’t gone through the roof. The one exception as far as rarity goes is 2010 Bowman Sterling. Although not numbered, it comes from a premium product that’s not cheap. It also doesn’t yield a lot of base cards. Not surprisingly, this is the most valuable Jake Arrieta rookie card.

If you are going back and checking your forgotten singles from these sets, remember to look for a Baltimore Orioles jersey and not the Cubs for which he’s now known for. Chicago traded for the pitcher in the middle of the 2013 season. At the time, it didn’t seem like a big deal. After his 22-win 2015, it’s already looking like one of those lopsided traded that the former teams cringe at for years to come.

With the Cubs embarking on a postseason run, there are a lot of possibilities as to where Jake Arrieta cards could be headed. Currently, they haven’t been hotter. So it’s definitely a seller’s market if you’re looking to get rid of something that’s probably been forgotten about for years. However, things could look a lot different if the Back to the Future II prophecy comes true and Chicago wins the World Series. At this point, though, the majority of Arrieta’s cards are still cheap enough that there isn’t much risk in holding them.

And if you are looking to add some Jake Arrieta cards to your collection, you can find listings from many sellers in the Beckett Marketplace.

Looking Beyond Rookie Cards

Like most modern players, Arrieta has lots of key cards that don’t carry the ‘RC’ label. His first cards came out several years before his rookies in 2006-07 Upper Deck USA Baseball. This product includes several autographed and memorabilia cards.

Arrieta’s first MLB cards came in 2008 Bowman Chrome, 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft and 2008 Bowman Sterling. The Sterling card is his first big league autograph card. It also has a memorabilia swatch.

From his rookie year, another notable card is the 2010 Topps Update Jake Arrieta variation. Tough to find today, it comes from a series of “Pie in Face” cards.

Most Valuable Jake Arrieta Rookie Cards

Rankings are based on the Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide. Only rookies found in base sets are highlighted, not inserts.

6. 2010 Bowman Draft Jark Arrieta RC #BDP41

4 (tie). 2010 Bowman Chrome Draft Jark Arrieta RC #BDP41

4 (tie). 2010 Topps Update Jake Arrieta RC #US251

2 (tie). 2010 Bowman Platinum Jake Arrieta RC #11

2 (tie). 2010 Topps Chrome Jake Arrieta RC #213

1. 2010 Bowman Sterling Jake Arrieta RC #21