The Captain, Mr. November, Captain Clutch – whatever you want to call Derek Jeter, he’s one of the most influential athletes of his generation and one of the best baseball players of all time.
With so much going for him on and off the field, he’s one of the most popular investments in sports trading cards.
But is the hype around him backed up by the facts?
Will the value of his cards keep rising now that he’s retired? Which cards should you target for investment? We’ll answer those questions and more in this comprehensive Derek Jeter Investment Report.
Shop for Professionally Graded Derek Jeter Rookie Cards on eBay
The Perfect Pinnacle of Pinstripes
The first major factor that makes Derek Jeter a great investment is his association with the Yankees.
Being the face of one of the most valuable sports franchises on earth is great for boosting an athlete’s profile.
Jeter spent more than a decade as the Yankee’s team Captain and led the team to 5 World Series Championships in that span.
Sustained success in such a high profile position made Jeter a household name, even for people who know nothing else about baseball.
The 1993 Derek Jeter SP Foil is the best Jeter rookie card to invest in… we expect a big return on this card once Jeter is elected to the HOF and the ceremony takes place in July.
Also, playing in the massive New York City media market helped Derek Jeter reach an astoundingly huge audience as both an athlete and media personality.
His team and city created a deep fan base for Jeter that will likely carry the value of his trading cards for many years to come.
Derek Jeter, Cultural Icon
It’s important not to underestimate the value of Jeter’s cultural relevance to the price of his cards.
A huge part of any card investment strategy is understanding the potential demand for a card.
The more people are familiar with an athlete, the larger the potential buyer pool for his cards.
To that end, Jeter’s roles in shows ranging from Seinfeld to Saturday Night live greatly expanded the audience for his cards.
Also, his current role as CEO and part-owner of the Miami Marlins makes sure that he stays relevant.
Going from the field to the front office is something most athletes dream about.
The chance to lead a team from the very top is both thrilling and enticing.
But, few players in any sport ever get the chance. Rarer still, is the ability for a player to become an owner.
The fact that Derek Jeter has managed to do both in less than 5 years since retiring is a testament to his talent, intelligence, and permanent status as an aspirational figure for other athletes.
All of these factors will ensure that Jeter remains popular and in the public consciousness in the long- term.
Derek Jeter All-Time Great
His popularity, media profile, and continued relevance to baseball help raise the value of his rookie cards, but the foundation for that value is Derek Jeter’s legendary on-field talent. Here are some of his accomplishments:
- 5 World Series Championships
- 2000 World Series MVP
- American League Rookie of the year in 1996
- Voted onto 14 All-Star Teams
- 5 Gold Glove Awards and 5 Silver Slugger Awards
- Two Hank Aaron Awards
In his 20 year career, Derek Jeter came up to the plate just shy of 12,000 times.
In those appearances, he had 3465 hits, 260 Home Runs, 1923 runs, 1311 Runs Batted In, 358 Stolen Bases and a .310 Batting Average.
The question with Jeter isn’t, “is he an all-time great?” it’s, “where does he rank among the other all-time greats?”
Most rankers have him somewhere between 2 and 5 on the list of best shortstops in the history of the game.
That’s no surprise since he finished his amazing career ranked 6 th all-time in hits and number 10 in runs scored.
He also had 15 consecutive seasons with double-digit homers and stolen bases.
Derek Jeter’s Other Season
While many people know about his stellar career, it’s important to take specific note of Jeter’s playoff numbers.
With 158 playoff games on his resume, Derek Jeter has played a whole season past the month of September.
In these games, he racked up 650 trips to the plate, hit for a .308 batting average, and totaled 20 homers, 32 doubles, and 61 Runs Batted In on his way to five rings.
Playing that well, over that many games, against the best competition, under the highest pressure, guarantees Derek Jeter his place in history.
INVESTMENT PROSPECTS
So, it’s clear that Derek Jeter has just about every advantage investors look for when deciding which players’ cards to invest in.
He’s an all-time great, from a top franchise, in the biggest media market, with huge and enduring cultural relevance.
All that alone makes his rookie cards a spectacular investment, but Jeter has even more to offer.
He’s eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020 and has a serious chance to become only the second player ever to get in unanimously.
Everyone from Ty Cobb to Babe Ruth, from Willie Mays to Jackie Robinson, and from Hank Aaron to Ted Williams got into the Hall without 100% of the vote.
For most of Hall’s existence, it seemed impossible for anyone to be unanimous.
However, with Marino Rivera being the first to break that silent barrier, the pressure is on the voters to decide whether there’s a single reason Jeter shouldn’t join him.
Either way, the drama surrounding his sure-fire first ballot entry into the Hall of Fame will further boost Jeter’s profile and card values.
So, Derek Jeter has the numbers, the history, and the future on his side.
It’s crystal clear that his rookie cards are a fantastic investment, but which ones should you target?
5. 1993 Topps Derek Jeter rookie card
This must-have Jeter rookie card is an absolute gem from top to bottom. The simplicity recalls a different era of cards where substance ruled over flash.
The art, featuring a young, eager Derek Jeter makes this a perfect display piece for the serious, but low key investor.
It’s hard to believe how young Jeter looks here, but that’s part of the appeal.
This card is classic in all the right ways and will boost your collection both financially and aesthetically.
4. 1992 Derek Jeter Little Sun High School Auto Autograph Rookie RC
This card features a Derek Jeter so young, he looks more likely to hit your doorbell and run than to hit home runs, but it’s a stellar investment.
With only 250 signed copies of this card, it’s quite rare, especially in top condition.
The fun woodgrain pattern behind Jeter also makes this card a stand-out display piece, as there are very few like it.
3. 1993 Stadium Club Murphy Derek Jeter ROOKIE RC #117
Derek’s Stadium Club card had a more limited release than many of the other Jeter rookie cards, so this one has improved in value exceptionally well.
With subtle gold bordering and lettering at the bottom, but no edge border, the card is both beautiful and difficult to find in great condition.
But, for those who do find a top-quality version, this card will be a solid investment for years to come.
2. 1993 Upper Deck 449 GOLD HOLOGRAM Derek Jeter ROOKIE RC
As the gold foil version of one of Derek Jeter’s most popular rookie cards, this is a staple investment for Jeter fans and savvy investors alike.
The art here is truly symbolic as a young Derek Jeter reaches up towards his bright future.
When this card was printed, no one had any clue they were looking at a rookie whose name would be in debates alongside Honus Wagner and Cal Ripken Jr.
1. 1993 SP DEREK JETER FOIL ROOKIE
This is the one. It’s one of the signature baseball cards of its entire generation and arguably, Derek Jeter’s best rookie card.
The art depicts Jeter hustling to make a play against a marvelous foil background.
As a top tier investment, this card has more than doubled in value over the past 5 years, with peaks at triple value.
If you need to have the best Derek Jeter cards on the market, this card has to be in your portfolio.
I have 4 1992 Upper Deck Draft Pick cards of Mr. Jeter. These were donated to the non-profit I am the Director of ( Feeding Hawaii Together ); would they be worth anything, would anyone like to purchase ? They are not signed so may be worth more if signed so how would I get them signed? Thank you
Hey, Charlie, can you email us pictures of the card to info@goldcardauctions.com or post them to our facebook DM.. thanks! We might buy them if they are in good shape 🙂
I disagree, I think his Little Sun autograph card is more valuable because it’s much more rare
Hey Michel… good call… that Derek Jeter rookie card is so rare we didn’t even know it existed! We will add it to the article when we get a chance :)… thank you