Predictable Marcell

The Topps products sometimes run together these days and they the cards have become all too predictable. 

I got a new Cardinals autograph. 

It's Marcell Ozuna.  He's just swung his bat and likely hit a fly ball.  Can't really tell. 

He signs a lot for Topps.  Topps uses him in every product.  

This card could be better if they showed Marcell missing a fly ball.....

or when the television cameras use his signature neon green arm band as a green screen.  

Marcell is interesting.  Let's try a little harder on these baseball cards.  

Marcell, Marcell

I set out this spring to find some Marcell Ozuna cards.  At the time I started, I made a post with a few of his Marlins cards that I had picked up after his trade to the Cardinals.  The rest of this summer I was quiet with Ozuna cards until last month when I found a copy of his Topps Tek autograph from this year's set.  

The lack of new Marcell cards had more to do with his disappointing performance on the field and less to do with the cost or availability of his cards.  Now that the season is over, I feel like there are many Cardinals fans who are over Marcell in many ways,  especially now that the team has traded for Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.  

Plenty of Marcell Ozuna cards around now.  Reasonable prices too.  I picked up two of them.  

First up is a 1983 style insert card from this year's Topps set.  There are a few of these from Series 2 and Update products that were sticker autographs.  Luckily, Marcell was an on-card autograph.  The 1983 Topps were some of the first baseball cards in my collection, so I have really enjoyed finding these cards this year.  I do not have all of the Cardinals autographs, nor all the former Durham Bulls, but I am getting close.  Probably won't finish.  

Last one.  

This is my second Triple Threads card of the year.  I also picked up a Blake Snell.  Pretty typical design for this product, but I had not noticed the gold foiling on the other card.  It has a little sharper contrast with the red jersey swatch and the coloring around the action shot of Ozuna.  I am not much into relic pieces anymore, but the red piece has to come from a batting practice jersey.  

The disclaimer on the relic pieces nowadays.  It's still a nice looking autographed card, good addition to the collection, and a good 2019 out of Marcell would make these two cards even better.  

You Dashed My Hopes

Back in February I was really excited about the Cardinals trading for Marcell Ozuna.  He was coming off a career year with the Marlins and he seemed like a good consolation prize for the Birds losing out on Giancarlo Stanton.  I immediately went out and found a few cool Marcell Ozuna cards.  This Heritage autograph was probably my favorite....

I also assembled a list of other Marcell Ozuna cards that might be fun to track down during the season.  Life seemed good until the season actually started.  There were moments early in the year where Ozuna looked really good....

but the majority of the season was completely disappointing. 

My list of Ozuna cards went by the wayside and none of them appeared in my collection.  I am still not sure if I will ever really take the time to go track them down, unless things drastically change in terms of his on the field production.  Ozuna is also a free agent after this season, which could be a good thing if he does not hit. 

Topps has gotten around to making Ozuna cards in a Cardinals uniform.  They even got around to making an autographed card of him for the Topps Tek set.  Kind of a spontaneous get, but it is a nice looking card....

I always enjoy this set, although I have given up on even figuring out all of the different patterns on the modern edition of these cards.  The metal looking thing behind the players on this year's issue look like something out of the Metal Universe cards, a little out of place.  It does not ruin the card or anything though.  

I picked up one other Topps Tek card of a Cardinals player.....  

of catching prospect Carson Kelly.  I have actually been avoiding his cards a bit the past two years.  I know many see him as the catcher of the future with the Cardinals, but it also appears that Yadier Molina is not slowing down at all.  Wouldn't be shocked if the Cardinals do not use him in a trade.  In the meantime, he ended up with a card in the Topps Tek set.  It was not quite free, but y'all know you have to take advantage of combined shipping.  

The Beginning Of Marcell

At some point during the summer of 2013 I decided to take a chance on picking up a card of young Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna.  He had actually played locally in Greensboro, and several of the collectors who are in a local Facebook group spent a fair amount of time raving about his potential.  I decided to check it out and I picked up one of his 2012 Bowman cards.

At the time, I was really happy about owning this card.  It seems like an even better card now that he was traded to the Cardinals this offseason for a package of Minor League prospects.  

It's been awhile since the Cardinals have a had a player with some star quality.  As a collector, I had noted several times over the last two or three summers how the Cardinals seemed to be stuck in this malaise.  Sure, the team looked okay in the standings, lingering near the playoffs, but not actually being able to close the deal in the end.  

Their baseball cards felt the same way.  

I like Carlos Martinez cards, but Michael Wacha, Matt Carpenter, and Kolten Wong?  All fine players, just not rushing out to find their cards.  Certainly not spending a lot of effort to chase them down, nor spending a lot of money to add them to my collection.  

Enter Marcell.  

Seems like a player worthy of some excitement.  Sorry about that highlight Blake Snell.  I still like you, but that was a terrible pitch.  

So, my good Marcell cards while playing for the Cardinals count has jumped from zero to two.  I am really happy to see these two show up in my mailbox and into my card collection.  First up, I added a cool Minor League card of the new Cardinals left fielder.  

Not any real connection to the Jupiter Hammerheads, but if you have visited this page long enough, you know that I enjoy Minor League cards.  It's not the Durham Bulls, or a local North Carolina team, but I am still generally a fan of these cards.  The Hammerheads actually play in the same stadium that the Cardinals use for their Spring Training games.  The facility is shared with the Marlins. 

This card is from the 2013 set which is from the good old days when Topps put a larger, stand alone logo on their Minor League patch card, as opposed to the small pennant cards they have used the last year or two.  

Next up.  Really nice card.  

Marcell Ozuna appeared in the 2013 Topps Heritage set as an autograph signer.  Not exactly the set you think of when you are trying to find an autograph of a younger player, but this card is spectacular.  There are plenty of different autographs of Ozuna that have been put out over the years, many appear in some very nice products, but this is perhaps the best autograph of the new Cardinals left fielder on a baseball card.  

When Ozuna was traded to the Cardinals, and I started researching what was available, this card was at the top of my list.  Really happy to cross it off my list right away.  

2012 Bowman Chrome Marcell Ozuna Autograph

I am not really into the really high end rookie cards of players in the Minor Leagues.  I find them to be rather risky and often disappointing to say the least.  Let's face it, so many great minor league players are hyped into being the next somebody.  Often many of them turn out to be solid Major League players.  A few of them even go on to be something better, whether it be an All-Star caliber player or potential Hall of Famer.  

The problem is this.  Take a guy like Oscar Taveras.  He's listed as one of the top two or three position player prospects in all of baseball.  He's going to hit something in the big leagues and likely be a very good Major League player.  His autographed rookie cards are selling for over $100 currently on Ebay.  Yes, I do own one.  No, I did not pay $100.  So, let's go high performance and say that Taveras is what people say he is and turns out to be similar to Vladimir Guerrero.  Have you seen the prices of his cards?  There are not $100.  Obviously, if you aim for a lower quality player you are probably going to get a lesser valued piece of cardboard.  

So, what can collectors do to try to add valuable rookies to their collection without paying an arm and leg?  I look for players flying under the radar.  They might not play for a great team, or they might not hit for much power.  There are plenty of reasons why it happens, just know there are bargains to be had.  My biggest low radar player of 2013 is Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna.  Snazzy autographed rookie card pictured: 

2012 Bowman Chrome Marcell Ozuna Autograph

 

The cost of this card on Ebay is around $20-$25.  If you find someone who is willing to trade it you have the, "Sure it sells for $20, but he's on the Marlins and has no power"  Final price, $15 in trade.  Now, Marcell does play for the Marlins, but I swear they will be better really soon.  Help is on the way and this guy is a big part of it.  He does not hit for power, but neither does Manny Machado.  Machado is leading the universe is doubles.  Ozuna has 13 doubles in 48 MLB games.  If he played a full 162 that would be more than 50.  

More importantly, check his OPS+ which is 119.  Not bad, but not too impressive.  Take into account that he's only 22 and in his first full season and that 119 number is a little bit better.  Last year Bryce Harper's OPS+ was 120 and Manny Machado is at 124.  Not bad company considering he hits for a good average and is likely to develop a little bit more pop in his bat as he ages.  

Honestly, for $15 what do you have to lose?  It's a pretty safe bet that this card will retain a pretty nice value for the next year or two as Ozuna gains some popularity around the game and his cards become more collectable.