Our Atlanta Braves All-Stars and their rookie cards

Braves fans have four extra reasons to tune into this year’s MLB All-Star game. Nick Markakis, Ozzie Albies, and Mike Foltynewicz are enjoying their first All-Star selections, while this is the third selection for Freddie Freeman. Let’s take a look back at their rookie cards.

Nick Markakis

Featured in an Orioles uniform, Markakis’ rookie auto was released in 2003 Bowman Baseball. Some other notable players from this product include Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, and Braves fan favorite Brian McCann. Prior to the start of the season, his base auto could be purchased for around $16. Currently this same card is selling for $35-$40. A refractor or xfractor could fetch double that amount. Shown below is a refractor version of his rookie auto.

Freddie Freeman

After being drafted in the second round of the 2007 draft by the Atlanta Braves, Freddie Freeman was included in 2007 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects as card #12. His rookie autograph was released 2 years later in 2009 Bowman Baseball. The most recent raw base auto sold for $132, but this is not the most expensive rookie auto on this list.

Mike Foltynewicz

Like Nick Markakis, Folty’s rookie auto is not in a Braves uniform as he was drafted by the Houston Astros. His prospect card and autograph were both found in 2010 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects. This particular product was loaded with other familiar players such as Noah Syndergaard, Christian Yelich, and Manny Machado. Personally this is one of my favorite Foltynewicz cards because of his expression in the photo. Of the four, this is also the most affordable at just $10-$15 for a base auto. It is worth noting that this particular auto is known for being streaky resulting in low autograph grades.

Ozzie Albies

Last but not least is the most recent of the rookie autos. Ozzie’s rookie auto, from 2015 Bowman Baseball, is one of the only cards to use his full name Ozhaino. As previously mentioned, Ozzie rookie autos are the most expensive of the All-Star group. The price fluctuates between $120-$180 depending on the strength of the autograph. In my opinion, there is still room for these to increase in value throughout his career.

Enjoy watching our All-Stars tonight at 7:30 EST on Fox and happy collecting!