Note: At the time of this writing, the author holds a substantial eTopps portfolio with positions in Furcal, Buehrle, Oswalt, Kearns and Betemit cards. Make your own investment decisions.
2001 Joe Crede
A 24-year old two-time minor league MVP who was recently called up to play third base for the Sox on a regular basis. $15 for his 2001 card of which only 1,050 were produced. Need I say more?
2001 Rafael Furcal
Furcal is an interesting case. Right now, he's not hitting for a high average or stealing that many bases - just scoring a ton of runs. That is a great benefit to the team but doesn't make him stand out to collectors. He looks to be a solid player for the next 15 years or so. But he reminds me of Craig Biggio in that his status may hover just below that of a full-fledged star. Unless he can make an All-Star team or two in the coming years 2001 may be his only eTopps card. Being a short-print at 646 would add even more to the demand for the card making the current $36 price tag a steal.
2001 Roy Oswalt
Oswalt looks to be the anchor of one of the best young Staffs in the majors. He has consistently churned out quality starts all season and will approach 20 wins if the season runs to completion. He will be one of the best pitchers in the majors for a long time if he can shake the injury bug. His 2001 eTopps (915 produced) has traded below $25 recently and looks attractive at those prices.
2001 Scott Rolen
If you haven't bought yet you missed the trade spike. I would wait until the season's over when the card will give back some of it's gains. Then you can pick him up for a good price. The attraction is that Rolen may really play up to his potential when he's fully adjusted to the Cardinals next year and benefiting from their star-studded lineup of hitters. But most importantly 2001 is his only eTopps card and incredibly only 498 were produced! If he becomes a fan-favorite in St. Louis watch out!
2002 Wilson Betemit
Still only 22 years old, Betemit had a rough first half in 2002 at Richmond. He had problems at the plate and in the field. The question is: did injuries have an impact? He just returned from a stint on the DL and is playing much better. He still has time to develop and has been forecasted to become an All-Star caliber player in the coming years. One of the shorter prints in 2002 baseball, his card at $7.50 is a high risk that could bring great reward.
2002 Mark Buehrle
A youngster who really knows how to pitch - not simply overpower them. At the ripe old age of 23, Buehrle may soon have two 16-win seasons under his belt. Only 3,000 were produced of his eTopps rookie this year and it can still be had for under $10.
2002 Austin Kearns
We all now know how good Adam Dunn is. Some experts have predicted Austin Kearns will be even better. While he's polishing his power stroke at the major league level he's hitting .293 with 81 RBI's (projected over 162 games). Look for him to produce even more with Griffey back in the lineup. Currently at $8.26 - buy on weakness.
