November 2024 – CMGSportsCardInvestments.com

Every month I do a review of the cards that I have bought and sold only on eBay. Last month I bought my first Paul Skeenes cards. It was paper, nothing special. In the video I made the comment and that I picked it up because "I don't own a Skenes card". I was shocked at the number of people who were shocked I wasn't heavily investing in Skens. I recieved multiple emails asking me to explain myself.Honestly, I felt like asking them, why are you investing in Skens instead of a postional player like Bobby Whitt Jr. Gunner, Elly or another All-Star? So instead of answering the same email over and over, I feel like it is a better use of time to write this article. I want to explain my position and take a look at historical data one time.Before I say anthing else, let me say that Skeens has probably been the best card of 2024 for short term if you are doing what I call Hot Potatoe Flips. So hats off to you, if that has been your approach. However long-term I cannot invest heavily in pitchers that are not already Hall of Famers or well on their way. Not to be misunderstood, I have bought several Hunter Greene lots this years, but he is on the Reds and I am a Reds collector. Hunter has progressed and gotten better every year since becoming a professional baseball player and he made the All Star Team in 2024. His path has been impressive, but more importantly, I have not spent hundreds of dollars for his cards, I am into all of them for an average cost of less than 2 bucks each! Plus I am using the strategy we teach our members, where you buy lots and then sale singeles until you have your intial investment recovered. So at this point I am holding 50-75 Hunter Greene rookies cards with zero investment, I am playing with the houses money, which I believe makes sense if you are going to speculate on young pitchers. Hunter Greene Baseball card investing has become a popular hobby and business, especially as vintage and rare cards continue to appreciate in value. However, when comparing returns on investment between cards of pitchers and position players, there's a historical trend: pitchers’ cards tend to underperform. In this article I will explore the factors that contribute to the lower market value of pitchers' cards and why, despite impressive skill and dominance, they rarely see the same investment value as their position player counterparts. 1. Career Longevity and Durability One of the primary factors affecting pitcher card values is the issue of durability and career longevity. Pitchers face more physical stress than position players, and injuries are common. While position players can also suffer from injuries, the repetitive motion of throwing a baseball at high velocity, often hundreds of times per week, places pitchers at a significantly higher risk for arm and shoulder injuries. Surgeries like Tommy John, which are common among pitchers, can lead to lengthy recoveries and sometimes a decline in performance. With pitchers frequently sidelined or unable to maintain peak performance, their careers tend to be shorter or less consistent. Investors generally look for long-term stability and potential for sustained success in a player, and shorter or injury-prone careers make pitchers a more unpredictable choice. 2. Inconsistent Year-to-Year Performance Unlike many position players who can maintain consistent batting averages, home run counts, and other stats over time, pitchers are highly susceptible to fluctuation in performance from year to year. Factors such as team dynamics, coaching changes, physical health, team errors and environmental factors can heavily impact a pitcher’s season. How many times have we seen a pitcher have one fantastic year only to regress in the following, and these inconsistencies make their card values less stable. In contrast, if a position player like a hitter can achieve consistent success (e.g., hitting above .300 for multiple seasons, regularly appearing in All-Star games), their cards generally hold and increase in value over time due to predictability in performance. 3. Metrics that Define Success Differ for Pitchers The stats that define a pitcher’s success (like ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts) are complex, less tangible, and harder for casual fans and collectors to relate to. While a home run count, RBIs, or batting average of a position player can be easily understood and celebrated, a low ERA or high WAR (Wins Above Replacement) for a pitcher often requires a more nuanced understanding of the game. This results in position players becoming the face of the sport, as their stats tend to be more accessible and celebrated by a broader audience, which subsequently leads to higher card values. 4. Pitcher Value is Dependent on Context Pitchers often depend heavily on external factors for success. A pitcher’s ERA, win-loss record, and overall effectiveness can be influenced by the quality of their team’s defense, coaching staff, and bullpen support. This context dependency means that a talented pitcher may struggle to get recognition if their team’s defense is poor or their bullpen fails to maintain leads. Conversely, a strong position player can shine through on an otherwise lackluster team by achieving individual accomplishments like hitting milestones and awards. In 2024 the Reds as a team underperformed, but Elly De La Cruz started his path to super stardome making the All Star team and leading the major leagues in stolen basis. Find investible grade Elly De La Cruz Cards here 5. Lack of Milestone Moments and Media Presence Position players generally create more iconic, memorable moments that fans and collectors can latch onto, such as game-winning home runs, memorable fielding plays, or historic records. Pitchers, while they may throw perfect games or accumulate strikeouts, simply do not have the same volume of highlight-reel moments. Position players can accumulate season-long accomplishments in categories that translate into individual and memorable moments. The scarcity of these "media-friendly" moments for pitchers plays into their lower demand in the card market. A great moment of 2023 was Ronald Acuna's 40 Home Run 40 Stolen Base season is great example of moments baseball fans will never forget. You can win a MINT copy of this card at: http//www.CollectibleCardContest.com/acuna 6. Cyclical Nature of Pitchers’ Popularity and Value Finally, the popularity of pitchers can be cyclical. While certain dominant pitchers like Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, and, more recently, Clayton Kershaw have consistently held value in the card market, they are outliers rather than the rule. For every Hall-of-Fame-caliber pitcher, there are many others who may have had a good season or two but failed to make an enduring mark on the sport. Position players, on the other hand, often have longer windows in which they can sustain or increase their card value through continued success, consistency, and memorable milestones that resonate with fans and collectors. This cyclical popularity makes pitcher cards a riskier investment since the "flash in the pan" type of career is more common among pitchers. Don't get me wrong, I have some vintage Reds pitchers in my collection, Don Gullet, Gary Nolan, Jose Rio and others, but when it comes to investing in sports cards, I tend to stay away from most pitchers until they are on a clear path to the Hall of Fame. If you must invest in pitchers, take a look at these two cards, and ask yourself,AS AN INVESTMENT, which one make the most sense? OR Is this debatable? Am I missing something? Chris Sale is has stood the test of time and on an undisputable path to the HALL OF FAME. He was the National League Cy Young award winner in 2024 and 8 TIME ALL-STAR! I can buy 45 of these cards compared to what I would need to pay for 1 Skenes! LET'S MAKE THE COMPARISON EVEN CRAZIER! At the time of this writing you can buy TWENTY YES 2 0 National Treasure numbered to 25 Nolan Ryan Game worn Patch auto cards for what people are asking for Skenes! I don't know why this makes me wat to scream, but it does! Look, buy who you want to buy, collect who you want to collect, but always do it with YOUR END GOAL in mind! Conclusion: The Pitcher vs. Position Player Card Investment Conundrum While some pitchers have defied the odds and consistently held high card values, the overall trend has been that position players make for more reliable investments in the baseball card market. Factors like career longevity, performance stability, recognizability of success metrics, media-friendly highlights, and enduring popularity have led to position player cards becoming more desirable assets. For collectors and investors, it’s essential to consider these dynamics before heavily investing in pitchers’ cards, as the risk of devaluation or inconsistency can often outweigh potential gains.