The Price is Right -- Draft Day Dreams Become Reality for Players and Collectors

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For sports fans and card collectors, nothing is more inspiring than the draft. The draft is the hobby's lifeblood. Each year, collectors are introduced to a new crop of rookies that can alter the sports collectibles landscape.

This year, football introduced collectors to JaMarcus Russell, Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson.

Basketball is waiting on the arrival of Kevin Durant and Greg Oden.

And yesterday, baseball anointed David Price and Mike Moustakas.

Wait a second, David Price and Mike Moustakas.

Who?

Yes, you read that correctly David Price and Mike Moustakas. Price, a left-handed pitcher from Vanderbilt University was selected with the number one over-all pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Moustakas, from Chatsworth High School in southern California, was the number two over-all selection by the Kansas City Royals.


While Moustakas and Price have yet to become household names, card collectors have been anticipating their arrival for years. In fact, many experts believe that the talent in this year's First-Year Player Draft is the deepest in years. Want proof, eight of yesterday's top-ten picks already have certified autograph cards available.

So, what key cards, of these soon to be millionaires, should collectors be on the lookout for?

#1. Tampa Bay Devil Rays -- David Price, LHP, Vanderbilt
2006-07 USA Baseball In His Own Words Signatures

2006-07 USA Baseball On-Card Signatures /10 *

2006-07 USA Baseball Patriotic Patches
2006-07 USA Baseball Signatures Black


#2. Kansas City Royals -- Mike Moustakas, 3B/1B, Chatsworth (Calif.) HS, CA



#3. Chicago Cubs -- Josh Vitters, 3B, Cypress (Calif.) HS, CA
2006 Topps AFLAC


#4. Pittsburg Pirates -- Daniel Moskos, LHP, Clemson
2006-07 USA Baseball Signatures Blue


#5. Baltimore Orioles -- Matt Wieters, C, Georgia Tech
2005-06 USA Baseball National Team 63

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Leaders Dual Signatures Black

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Leaders Dual Signatures Blue

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Leaders Dual Signatures Green

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Leaders Dual Signatures Red

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Opening Day Jersey Signature Blue

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Signature Black



#6. Washington Nationals -- Ross Detwiler, LHP, Missouri State, MO
2006-07 USA Baseball Signatures Blue


#7. Milwaukee Brewers -- Matt LaPorta, 1B, Florida
2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Future Match-Ups Dual Signatures Blue

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Leaders Dual Signatures Black

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Leaders Dual Signatures Blue

2005-06 USA Baseball National Team Vision of the Future


#8. Colorado Rockies -- Casey Weathers, RHP, Vanderbilt
2006-07 USA Baseball Signatures Blue


#9. Arizona Diamondbacks -- Jarrod Parker, RHP, Norwell (Ind.) HS
2006-07 USA Baseball Signatures Blue


#10. San Francisco Giants -- Madison Bumgarner, LHP, South Caldwell HS, Hudson, N.C.
2006 Topps AFLAC


For the seventh consecutive year, a USA Baseball alumnus has been taken first overall in the June MLB First-Year Player Draft. Price was a member of the 2005 and 2006 USA Baseball National Teams. The follwing amateurs once wore the red, white and blue and then went on to become the first player selected in the draft:


2007 David Price 2005-06 National Team

2006 Luke Hochevar 2004 National Team

2005 Justin Upton 2004 Junior National Team

2004 Matt Bush 2002 Youth National Team

2003 Delmon Young 2000 Youth National Team

2002 Bryan Bullington 2001 National Team

2001 Joe Mauer 1999-00 Junior National Team

"Many of yesterday's high-profile draftees have cards available in either the current 2006-07 USA Baseball set or last years 2006 Aflac release," said price guide editor Brian Fleischer.

"We've seen an increase in the availability of some of the more high profile players on the secondary market. Especially with those players who were featured in the 2006 Aflac set," Fleischer added. "For many of these players, their USA Baseball issues and Aflac releases are their only stuff that is available to collectors."

Indeed, of the 38 Aflac All-Americans that were featured in last years extremely short-printed set, 15 were selected in either the first or second round. Each of the drafted players signed cards with Topps on-site and the company intends to release them now that some of these drafted players will be making their way to the show. But when and where will the 2006 Aflac All-American autographed cards be released? According to Topps, distribution details are still being worked out.