Albert Pujols (3,000 @ $9.50)

This guy is quite possibly a living legend in the making. Currently batting .378 at the time of this article and he is only 23! Nobody has had a better first two years and this is just the beginning of what promises to be a great career barring any serious injuries. His 2003 issue will be his lowest print run with his 2001 being 5,000 cards and his 2002 having a lofty 5,531 print run. In my opinion the best of the Pujols cards is his 2001 issue which is his rookie card as far as Etopps cards go. Besides the 2001 I feel that the 2003 issue will be most sought after for the simple fact that there will be less than 3,000 produced. I don't see any possible downside to this card and with the onset of the port competitions it couldn't hurt to add this one to your port. All of this and his performance bonuses are a lock as long as he grabs 2 stolen bases like he did last year.

Carlos Delgado (2,500 @ $6.50)

Delgado is one of the most feared first basemen in the American league. He is off to a monster year in 2003 on pace for 51 homers and 177 rbi's. His performance bonuses are also a lock with the stolen bases being the real question with him only needing one and he has had at least one in the last two years. At 2,500 cards this isn't a bad card with his 2002 being 3,604 cards it is destined to be a well performing card especially this year. His 2001 is a great short print as well at 398 cards but lets face it most people can't afford to buy this card when they are starting in Etopps and I think they will flock to this card. The card is great looking and fits well into the 2003 baseball set. Definitely grab one or two and they could always be good additions to your competition port.

Edgar Renteria (3,000 @ $6.50)

Well, we asked for it and we have it! Renteria was voted in last week and now we have a week with two great Cardinal players. I've watched this guy for some time now and for those of you that feel he doesn't deserve a card need to watch this guy more closely. He is one of the best shortstops in the national league and is full of energy and excitement when he is in the field. This will be his first etopps card and will be highly sought after more people watch this guy play a full nine innings. All I can say about this card is buy one and watch it go up.

Eric Milton (2,000 @ $4.00)

Well, you knew it was too good to be true, with me recommending the first three cards offered. Milton is out with a knee injury and will be out until after the all star game at least. Really not a good time to be releasing this card. With a 2,000 card print run and a $4 price tag I really don't see a lot of downside long term, especially if he is as good as people say he is. At $4 I can think of worse things to spend your money on. He is yet to pitch a game at all this year so I haven't seen this guy. If this card wasn't at $4 and limited to 2,000 cards it would be a threat for the SP of the set but now you can forget about that. If you want a card that won't lose much and may be a long term success go ahead and pick some up.

Jeff Bagwell (2,000 @ $6.50)

Bagwell is off to a really slow start and is actually not playing well at all. He is on pace for a 28 home run, 61 RBI season. These would be his lowest HR totals since 1995 and his lowest RBI total since 1990 when he was in AA. I for one am not purchasing this card even with a 2,000 card print run , it is a lot lower than his 2002 print run of 3,359 so it may not be a bad pick up on ebay well under ipo. This card offers no upside with the year Bags is having and the performance bonuses are way off. If you are a set builder pick one up but I think we will all lose money on this card if we buy at IPO, best case scenario it holds IPO.

John Olerud (2,500 @ $6.50)

This is Olerud's first eTopps card which alone is a reason to own it. The 2,500 print run doesn't hurt either, I can see this card being controlled pretty easily with the lower print and the fan base that Olerud has. He is not traditionally known as a collector hot bed but he definitely has a loyal following and Mariner's fans love him. I don't see him reaching his performance bonus this year so if you are a PB chaser look elsewhere. If you are looking for a solid addition to your port then I would definitely look here.

The bottom line:
Hot Buys: Pujols, Delgado
Buys: Olerud, Renteria
Weak Buy: Milton (at your own risk)
eBay or not at all: Bagwell