Collector pulls 1/1 Druw Jones trading card, could make big bet on top prospect’s future

By Nando Di Fino, Zach Buchanan and Bill Shea

An Ohio card collector faces a weighty decision after pulling an autographed Druw Jones Superfractor card, of which there is only one in existence. Here’s what you need to know:

• Dave and Adam’s Card World, a memorabilia dealer, offered whoever pulled the card a $250,000 bounty for it up front if it was found within 30 days of its April 26 release.
• Here’s the catch: Dave and Adam’s also gave the option of $1 million if the 19-year-old Jones, selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Diamondbacks, makes the Hall of Fame as a position player.
• The card was the crown jewel of the 2023 Bowman Baseball release, which features the “1st Bowman” for the 2023 draft class. These are different from rookie cards — the set predates those in most instances because Bowman is a set comprised mostly of minor leaguers.
• Druw is the son of five-time MLB All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones, who is entering his seventh year on the Hall of Fame ballot.

🚨UPDATE 🚨

The 1/1 Druw Jones Superfractor Auto was pulled by The Siler’s, owner of Best of Ohio Sports Cards in Tipp City!

— Dave & Adam's (@dacardworld) May 23, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

How much is this card worth?

This was probably a $75,000 to $100,000 card even without the bounty. It’s very literally “one-of-a-kind” and the 1/1 Superfractor has grown in fame over the years — even a non-autographed version being found makes industry news. It’s got a cool Willy Wonka vibe to it all and Dave and Adam’s definitely upped the intensity with the bounty. The fact the card was pulled days before the deadline expired makes this a little more fun, too. — Di Fino

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How likely is it that Druw Jones makes the Hall?

It’s almost impossible at this point to predict whether Jones will make the Hall of Fame. For one, he has played only 10 professional games as he has dealt with shoulder surgery (last year) and a quad injury that currently has him on the injured list. Second, the Hall is for the elite of the elite. Jones’ father Andruw, one of the best center fielders of his generation, hasn’t even made it yet, and the odds are against Druw matching his father’s career even if he pans out. And say he does put together a good career — hits for average and power, wins Gold Gloves, leads the Diamondbacks to a title — who knows how the Hall electorate will view him 30 years from now.

Much changes about that voting body over decades. Thirty years ago, the voters weren’t hip to advanced stats like WAR. The voters of the Baseball Writers Association of America are only now coming around to the idea of voting for players connected to PED use. Hall of Fame chances? The kid is talented, but at this point, he’s only barely a pro. — Buchanan

What does this situation tell us about the card landscape?

The risk here is that someone, an individual collector and/or speculator, plunks down a bunch of cash for a prospect or rookie card, and the player flames out. The card shop can afford the bounty — it’s one of the biggest players in the space. There are many speculators willing to take hefty financial risks on rookies and young players, too, understanding they’re a busted knee or another injury away from the bust pile. That said, modern cards of active players — the one-of-ones and autographs and special-edition chase cards — still command big prices from buyers willing to take that risk.

A Stephen Curry 2009 National Treasures Logoman autograph rookie card, a one-of-one, sold for $5.9 million in 2021, but was bought by an investment fund that specializes in alternative assets. That’s grown more common in the card world. We still have kids buying the (few) cheap card packs, and your traditional collectors, but also a growing caste of professional speculators, wealthy investors, and funds that seek to buy such cards — or even fractional ownership of them. It represents the continued sophistication of the trading card marketplace amid the ongoing boom that’s been white-hot since the pandemic sent it into overdrive. — Shea

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(Photo: David Durochik / Diamond Images via Getty Images)