John Mayberry: Baseball Cards to Own Now!

John Mayberry was brought up from the Philadelphia Phillies triple-A team Lehigh Valley Ironpigs last week. He debuted with the Phillies on May 23, 2009 in their match-up against the New York Yankees, and boy did he come ready. He hit a three-run home run against pitcher Andy Pettitte closing the gap to the Yankee's eventual win, 4-5.

The Phillies have placed Mayberry in left field and eighth on the roster and after his bout with the Yankees has a batting average of .667. In his last ten games with Lehigh Valley he hit 11 homeruns and can boast an average of .314.

It is possible that this son of three-time all-star John Mayberry Sr. will himself be an all-star one day. Phillies' Nation, a blog devoted to Philadelphia Phillies baseball, deem Mayberry as a player with a lot of potential, "His power is real, and he has 25 home run potential in the majors...He can also run, and [will] probably steal between 10-15 bases"

John Mayberry could easily be one of the top "collectible" baseball players in the coming years. His primary rookie card, the 2005 Bowman Chrome autographed rookie card is a steal right now around $15. You can also pick up his 2005 Topps Chrome Update rookie card for around $2.00.

Other John Mayberry Jr. cards you may consider adding to your collection:

2004 SP Prospects "National Honors" Game Used Jersey Card - $6
2005 Bowman Sterling Rookie Autograph Card - $8
2005 Topps Chrome Update Rookie Card - $2
2005 Bowman Chrome Draft Rookie Autograph Card - $18
2005 Upper Deck USA Rare Autograph xx/595 - $4
2005 Bowman Heritage Rookie Autograph Card - $12
2005 Topps Update Rookie Card - $1
2005 Bowman Heritage Red Autographed Card XX/51 - $150
2006 Bowman Chrome Xfractor xx/250 - $100
2006 Bowman "Signs of the Future" Card - $1
2007 Tristar Elegance Red Rookie Card xx/25 - $13
2007 Tristar Prospects Rookie Card - .50-$1
2008 Tristar Rookie Gold Autographed Card - $10

Collecting baseball cards can be as speculative as predicting the stock market. That is, if you collect them for their future value. If you are a Phillies fan, it is almost imperative that you add Mayberry to your collection. If you are a "player" collector or rookie card collector, again Mayberry is a most desirable addition.

Is John Mayberry Jr. the next Ken Griffey Jr.? Only time will tell. Hitting a double and a home run in his first major league game against one of the top pitchers is a great start. Most of his cards are priced cheap compared to what they could be if he becomes an all-star player as predicted.