Regrets, I’ve Had A Few … (Part 1 of 2)

Earlier this month, the 2023 Bowman Chrome Druw Jones Superfractor was found in a pack of cards in Tipp City, Ohio.  

Druw Jones is the 19-year-old son of Andruw Jones.  The elder Jones was a five-time All-Star and ten-time Gold Glove winner during his seventeen-year big league career, which was mainly spent as an outfielder with the Atlanta Braves.  Druw was the second overall pick in 2022 by the Diamondbacks and is currently a member of Arizona’s Class A minor league team where he has a batting average of .175 and no home runs.

The Superfractor is numbered 1/1 and includes a signature of Jones.  After being pulled from the pack, the card was subsequently sold for $250,000 to one of the largest memorabilia dealers in the country.  Sales like this frequently make national headlines and cause me to contemplate the use of my hobby dollars.  

Most of us are not able to shell out a quarter of a million dollars for a piece of cardboard.  However, it is extremely easy to fall into the trap of overpaying for the latest hyped prospect, product, or service, only to regret that decision weeks or even days later.  If I had purchased any Jones prospect cards, let alone the Superfractor, I would be experiencing serious second thoughts right now.  Given his poor start in the minor leagues, I question whether Jones will even make it to the Majors, and I consider an All-Star or Hall of Fame career for Jones extremely unlikely. 

Do I know for sure what the future for Druw Jones holds.  Obviously not.  However, I have spent four decades in and around the sports card hobby, and every year prospects like Jones get buzz and quickly disappear.  If you enjoy prospecting and have fun money to throw at unproven young players, there is nothing wrong with that, but I would rather pursue generational talents with legacies that are secure.

Here are five underrated Hall of Famers or potential Hall of Famers who have had better careers than Druw Jones is likely to produce.  No one can tell you how to best spend your money, but I would much rather own the cards of the players below than any prospect cards of Druw Jones.