Top 10 MLB Rookies of the 2000s and their cards: Part 1
#10 Tim Lincecum
Nicknamed 'The Freak', Tim Lincecum is built like a tree branch. Drafted No. 10 overall in 2006, many believed he dropped that far because of his small build. But he would go on to have a career peak that could go up against any pitcher in the league. He was a four-time World Series champion, won two Cy Young Awards and was on four All-star teams. Oh, and multiple no-hitters.
Though his career had a hard fall, he was great on great Giants teams after making his debut in 2007.
His flagship rookie card is from the 2007 Topps Update Series. With a dominate black border and background it was sleek, but damage sensitive.
#9 Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard was all about power. Drafted in the fifth round in 2001 he worked his way through the minor leagues and made his his MLB debut in September 2004. Howard won Rookie of the Year in 2005 and then three years later was the 2008 NL MVP. He was on three All-Star teams and was the home run and RBI leader in 2006 and 2008, and led the league again in RBI in 2009.
It was hard tracking down an official rookie card. One of the more popular early cards of Howard is a 2005 dual prospect card with him and Cole Hamels. One card of his does have a some sort of early career designation on it, a 2003 Topps Total.
#8 Andrew McCutchen
Andrew McCutchen will go down as one of the most famous players to wear a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. Drafted No. 11 overall in a loaded 2005 class, he made his debut in June 2009. Just like the No. 10 player on this list his career took a quick downturn. But he's still been a serviceable player and was signed back to the Pirates in 2023 after stints with the Giants, Yankees, Phillies, and the Brewers.
Before his career slowed he had already earned the accolades of a borderline hall of famer, that includes one MVP, five All-star appearances, four silver slugger awards and a Gold Glove award.
His rookie card comes out of the 2010 Topps Series 1 set.
#7 Buster Posey
It's crazy to think how much talent was on the Giants in the mid to late 2000s. With Buster Posey the Giants had a dominant hitter and backstop for more than 10 years. Although he was drafted in the 50th round by the Anaheim Angels in 2005, he opted to go to college and won the Golden Spikes Award in 2008 as a member of the Florida State Seminoles.
Posey would make his debut mid-September in 2009. His resume' includes a MVP, Rookie of the Year, seven All-Star appearances, three World Series rings, five silver slugger awards, and a Gold Glove award, and that isn't everything.
As solid behind the plate as he was in the batter's box, Posey's rookie card is in the 2010 Topps set.
#6 Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander has had as a stellar career on the mound as any other pitcher in the league. He's a bona fide workhorse. He has 262 wins, multiple Cy Young awards, multiple no-hitters, Rookie of the Year, nine All-Star appearances, has lead the league in multiple pitcher statistic categories in multiple seasons.
Verlander pitched for Old Dominion in college, and showed the Detroit Tigers enough to take him No. 2 overall in the 2004. Thirteen months later he made his MLB debut and the rest is history.
You'll find Verlander's rookie card in the 2006 Topps flagship set.
Watch for the final five in part 2!
After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2008, Cole worked as an advertising copywriter until shifting to print journalism a few years later. Managing three weekly newspapers in the Dakotas, Cole won numerous awards from the North Dakota Newspaper Association including Best of the Dakotas and, their top award, General Excellence. He returned to collecting in 2021 and has since combined his passion for writing with his love of cards. Cole also writes for the Sports Cards Nonsense newsletter and has made guest appearances on multiple sports card collecting podcasts including Sports Cards Nonsense, and the Eephus Baseball Cards Podcast. IG: coleryan411 X: @colebenz