While Clayton Kershaw’s recent retirement announcement wasn’t necessarily surprising, it’s still the type of thing that sends shockwaves through baseball. The hobby has acted accordingly, too.
His upcoming retirement has collectors scrambling to get a hold of his best cardboard before prices continue climbing. Yahoo! Sports’ Susan Lulgjuraj highlighted six Clayton Kershaw baseball cards that deserve our attention.
Whether you’re chasing grails or building a more budget-conscious collection, Kershaw’s cards offer something for everyone. This ranges from iconic rookie autos to vintage-inspired designs that won’t break the bank.
Editor’s Note: The Sports Card Cash-Out System Guide is Here… Buy it now!
6 Clayton Kershaw Baseball Cards to Know About
According to Lulgjuraj, here’s a shortlist of Kershaw cardboard that’s worth owning:
2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Autos: The southpaw’s premier prospect card with multiple parallels available.
2008 Topps Updates & Highlights Parallel Rookie Cards: Kershaw’s flagship rookie, with Black (/57) and Gold (/2008) parallels fetching good money in high grades.
2008 Topps Chrome Updates & Highlights: Box topper rookies from a low-print-run product featuring Kershaw with Max Scherzer and Evan Longoria.
2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autos: Limited-run signed cards from the Heritage line.
2008 Upper Deck Timeline ’93 SP Rookie Card: I love this because it’s an affordable option that incorporates throwback SP design aesthetics.
2008 Upper Deck Goudey #75 Rookie Card: A budget-friendly pre-war style card that can be secured ungraded for under $20.
The 2008 Topps Updates & Highlights Parallel Rookies
Let’s talk about those Topps flagship parallels for a moment, because this is where things get interesting.
The Black parallel, numbered to just 57 copies, and the Gold parallel, limited to 2,008, represent the sweet spot between accessibility and scarcity. In PSA 10 condition, these cards have sold for solid amounts, although it ultimately depends on market conditions and buyer enthusiasm.
What makes these appealing right now is their position in hobby history. Topps’ flagship rookies carry weight because of the brand’s incredible continuity. Holding a high-grade Topps parallel of a future Hall of Famer is holding a piece of that legacy.
Population reports show relatively tight numbers for PSA 10 examples of both the Black and Gold versions, which means demand should stay strong as Kershaw’s inevitable Hall of Fame induction approaches. Recent sales data from the past month shows increased action on these cards specifically, with collectors obviously getting positioned against what will likely be a sustained uptick in value.
Kershaw’s Card Market Having a Retirement Bounce
Lulgjuraj pointed out that despite Kershaw’s dominance (three Cy Youngs, an MVP, 223 wins, 3,052 strikeouts), his cards didn’t always command top dollar. Looking at Card Ladder’s index data, we didn’t see significant movement until 2017, well after he’d already established himself as one of baseball’s premier pitchers. There was another bump during the pandemic card boom, but nothing earth-shattering.
That’s changed now, as his retirement announcement triggered immediate market reaction. Both his prospect autos and rookie cards are showing double-digit percentage gains in average sale prices.
The market has also seen increased interest in some of the ultra-rare 1-of-1 parallels released this year commemorating his 3,000th strikeout milestone.
Celebrating a Dodgers Legend’s Lasting Impact
I mentioned a lot of the important numbers already, but they’re so good, it’s OK to repeat some. Three Cy Young Awards. A 2014 MVP trophy. Two World Series rings. More than 3,000 strikeouts and 223 career victories. These are the building blocks of a first-ballot Hall of Fame resume.
But if we go beyond all the hardware, accolades, and numbers, Kershaw represented consistency and dominance during an era when pitchers flamed out with increasing regularity. It’s also amazing that he spent his entire 18-year career in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. He was the face of the franchise during one of its most successful stretches in history.
As collectors, it’s great to see Kershaw’s career arc chronicled in cardboard. Whether you’re targeting high-end parallels or building a comprehensive collection of his base rookies, now’s the time to make some moves. Once that plaque appears in Cooperstown, these cards will likely get harder to find at reasonable prices.
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