The $100 Starting Pitcher Baseball Card Starter Kit – One-Sheet Collections
For many, nostalgia remains the driving force behind baseball card collecting, and that’s how I arrived at the idea of One-Sheet Collections.
It’s a simple concept with infinite possibilities.
Take a single nine-pocket sheet and a reasonable $100 budget, and build a nine-card collection with a unifying theme.
Continuing on with our recent theme, I’m once again focusing on a specific position and building a nine-card “starter pack” that can serve as a foundation for a collection specific to one spot on the field.
I’ve already done the catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen, shortstops and center fielders. Now it’s time for the starting pitchers. What nine cards focusing solely on starting pitchers would you buy with a $100 budget?
Here’s what I picked:
1985 Topps #181 Roger Clemens RC ($25)
The No. 19 overall pick in the 1983 draft out of the University of Texas, Roger Clemens joined the Boston rotation the following season. Two years later, he won AL Cy Young and AL MVP, and he went on to win seven Cy Young Awards in his career. He ranks among the all-time leaders in wins (354, ninth), strikeouts (4,672, third) and WAR (139.2, eighth).
He has Rookie Cards in the 1985 Donruss, Fleer and Topps sets, as well as an XRC in the short-printed 1984 Fleer Update that carries a triple-digit price tag.
Buy on:
1987 Donruss #36 Greg Maddux RC ($20)
Greg Maddux began his Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Cubs, debuting as a 20-year-old in 1986. He helped the team reach the postseason in 1989 and won NL Cy Young in 1992 before walking in free agency and joining the Atlanta Braves. The four-time Cy Young winner tallied 355 wins with a 3.16 ERA in 5,008.1 innings.
His only Rookie Cards are in the 1987 Donruss and Leaf sets, though he also has XRCs in the 1987 Fleer Update and Topps Traded releases. It’s tough to top the “Rated Rookie” logo and the sweet mustache on his Donruss card.
Buy on:
1989 Upper Deck #25 Randy Johnson RC ($12)
With a towering 6’10” frame and electric stuff, Randy Johnson was the epitome of effectively wild early in his career, racking up 128 walks and 163 strikeouts in 140 innings during his final full season in the minors in 1987. It took some time for him to rein in his blazing fastball and lethal slider, but he eventually developed into a five-time Cy Young winner and one of the most overpowering pitchers in the history of the game.
After a four-start debut in 1988, the “Big Unit” had his Rookie Cards included in the 1989 Donruss, Fleer, Score, Topps and Upper Deck sets, and a midseason trade that year meant he was also included in a wide variety of update sets.
Buy on:
1991 Upper Deck Final Edition #2F Pedro Martinez RC ($10)
Pedro Martinez had arguably the most dominant peak in MLB history, going 118-36 with a 2.20 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 1,761 strikeouts in 1,408 innings during the six-year stretch from 1997 through 2003. He won three Cy Young Awards and absolutely dominated at the peak of the Steroid Era.
His only true Rookie Card is in the massively overproduced 1991 Upper Deck Final Edition update set, though he also has a sought after early card in the 1992 Bowman set that carries a higher book value.
Buy on:
1993 Upper Deck #472 Greg Maddux/Steve Avery/John Smoltz/Tom Glavine ($0.50)
The Atlanta Braves led the majors with a 3.14 ERA in 1992 behind terrific seasons from Tom Glavine (20-8, 2.76 ERA), John Smoltz (15-12, 2.85 ERA) and Steve Avery (11-11, 3.20 ERA), then went out and added reigning NL Cy Young winner Greg Maddux in free agency that offseason.
That elite starting rotation was featured on a 1993 Upper Deck team stars subset card titled “Strike Force,” and while the card doesn’t carry a lofty price tag, it’s one of my personal favorite cards of the 1990s.
Buy on:
2004 Topps #330 Zack Greinke ($2)
The Kansas City Royals selected Zack Greinke with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2002 draft, and after dealing with some ups and downs early in his career, he broke out in 2009 when he won AL Cy Young honors. He has since played for the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros, going 219-132 with a 3.41 ERA, 2,809 RBI and 68.0 WAR in 18 seasons.
His only Rookie Cards are in the 2002 Bowman Draft and Bowman Chrome Draft sets, but his first Topps card is also a worthwhile early card to grab as he looks like a future Hall of Famer here in the late stages of his career.
Buy on:
2006 Topps #641 Justin Verlander (RC) ($12)
Verlander developed into a homegrown ace with the Detroit Tigers and one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. He won Cy Young and MVP in 2011 and added a second Cy Young as a member of the Astros in 2019, finishing in the top 10 in balloting seven other times. What does he have left in the tank after missing the 2021 season to Tommy John surgery?
He has a ton of Rookie Cards scattered across 2005 products, but his 2006 cards also featured the RC logo and his 2006 Topps flagship card is a great looking alternative to higher priced 2005 Topps rookie.
Buy on:
2016 Bowman Chrome Draft #BDC89 Corbin Burnes ($10)
It’s almost impossible to believe that Corbin Burnes had an 8.82 ERA in 49 innings during the 2019 season. He came a long way in two years, going 11-5 with a 2.43 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 234 strikeouts in 167 innings during the 2021 season to edge out Zack Wheeler and Max Scherzer for NL Cy Young honors.
The 27-year-old had his 1st Bowman card in the 2016 Bowman Draft product line, and that’s the early base card to grab for the breakout ace of the Milwaukee Brewers rotation. His Rookie Cards are in 2019 products.
Buy on:
2017 Bowman Chrome Draft #BDC44 Shane Baz ($1.50)
Looking for the next big thing on the mound? It might just be right-hander Shane Baz, who went 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 13.1 innings in his debut last year, then took the ball in Game 2 of the ALDS. The 22-year-old dominated in the minors prior to his call-up, and he also pitched for Team USA in the Olympics.
Assuming he starts the 2022 season with a roster spot, he is in the early AL Rookie of the Year conversation. His 1st Bowman card is in the 2017 Bowman Draft product line, while his only confirmed Rookie Card so far is in the 2022 Bowman Heritage set.
Buy on:
Total: $93
