Sparkly Seigs

I know most current collectors are turned off by the lack of logos in Panini and Leaf products.

Sure, I wish there were logos too. But if you can see beyond that, you'd see some of the better looking products coming from some of these companies (minus 2019 Donruss).

Leaf is a confusing one to me. I have no idea where their products are sold or who opens them. However, I do know that they produce some semi-decent looking sets, many that include the game's top prospects. And this offers the chance to pick up some decent autographs if you don't feel like paying Bowman prices.

Take this card from Leaf. It's shiny and sparky and overall a very good looking card of 2018 Yankees first round pick Anthony Seigler. It set me back $5, or about 20% of the cost of his Bowman autograph.

And the seller, guessing I was a Yankees fan, threw this into the package as well. I'll take it!

Unless a guy makes it big, an autograph like this isn't a big investment that will turn into major cash one day. But it is a nice way to build up a collection of some prospects without breaking the bank.

Fa(s)t Albert

I felt like the Yankees sold a little short on Brian McCann last off-season, sending him to the Astros for two pitching prospects.

It’s not that I disliked the prospects, it’s just that they were in the low minors. I would have liked to see them try to get a guy back who was a bit closer to the Majors, that’s all.

However, it’s hard to argue that the Yankees didn’t know what they were doing, as the arms they were targeting have put on quite a show this year. One of those pitcher is Albert Abreu, who is a bit further along in his development than the other, Jorge Guzman.

At just 21, Abreu has already been promoted once this season, from low-A Charleston to high-A Tampa. On the year, he’s got a 3.82 ERA in 37.2 innings. He has also K’d 41. He’s currently battling a shoulder injury, but has been impressive when healthy. He’s currently ranked by MLB.com as the Yankees 10^th best prospect, which is saying a lot in a loaded system.

This is the only card of his I own, but hopefully will get a few more as he climbs the ladder. I hope his shoulder heals up and he continues to develop as the season goes on.