Current Hitters Baseball Collectors Should Pay Attention To

Posted on February 23rd, 2012 by admin

What is great about collecting baseball memorabilia is that one can either go back centuries to find what they are interested in up until the present day. While it may seem difficult trying to pick and choose which current baseball player will blossom, there are a select few that baseball collectors should pay attention to now and in the near future, as their values may rise dramatically. Here are five current hitters that should be on your radar if they are not already.

Adrian Gonzalez

At 29 years of age, Gonzalez has been one of the best hitters in the Major Leagues for some time now, but has been overshadowed by others such as Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. Ever since his first full season in 2006, Gonzalez has amassed at least a .275 average, 25 home runs, 80 RBI’s, and 160 hits. In 2011 he moved over from the San Diego Padres to the Boston Red Sox, and performed ever better on the bigger stage. In 2011 Adrian had a .338 average, 213 hits, 27 home runs, and 117 RBI’s. He is one of those players that is quickly budding into a superstar and should be paid attention to very closely.

Joe Mauer

One of the elite catchers in the game today, Joe Mauer had an off-year in 2011, and now would be a great time to check the market for memorabilia before it goes back up again. In eight full seasons in the Major Leagues Mauer has an amazing .323 average, three Gold Gloves, four Silver Slugger awards, and an AL MVP award in 2009.

Justin Upton

Justin Upton is only 24 years of age and still has great upside even though he has been in the league for four full years now. What makes him unique is that he has tremendous power to all areas of the field while also maintaining a good average to boot. In 2011 Upton had an average of .277, with 31 homeruns, 171 hits, and 88 RBI’s. He could certainly be at or near the 500 homerun club before all is said and done with his career, and as such it is a great time to think about collecting his memorabilia before he does so.

Ryan Zimmerman

Similar to Mauer, Ryan Zimmerman had an off-year in 2011 due to an injury, but he has certainly been one of the top third basemen in the league for a few years now. Zimmerman currently has a 162 game average of 25 home runs, a .290 average, 41 doubles, and 95 RBI’s in six full seasons with the Washington Nationals. As the Nationals continue to build their franchise with new ownership, his great numbers will only improve as better hitters are placed in the lineup to give him added protection.

Matt Kemp

2011 was a breakout season for Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he finished second in the MVP voting with a .324 average, 39 home runs, 126 RBI’s, and 195 hits. At 27 years of age, can he keep up the consistency that is needed for him to be a hall of famer of the next decade? What is great about Kemp’s future is that he prides himself on staying fit and has not had any serious injuries over his career to this point. It may be best to get in now on his memorabilia while it continues to rise, as it is likely that he will continue to build upon his 2011 season into the future.