A lack of talented young starting pitchers had plagued the Philadelphia Phillies for years until Cole Hamels showed up. He turned out to be worth the wait, earning MVP honors in the team's first World Series victory in almost 30 years.
The left-hander from San Diego was a highly touted high school pitching prospect, but a broken arm suffered during his junior season made some teams more hesitant to take him with a high draft pick. The Phillies had no such qualms, selecting Hamels in the first round of the 2002 MLB Draft.
Injuries slowed his rise through the minor leagues, but once he got healthy, Hamels was dynamite. He scorched his way from single-A to triple-A in early 2006, fanning 68 batters in 49 innings and earning him self a promotion to the big club in May.
After a 9-8 rookie season, Hamels showed even more of his stuff in 2007, going 15-5 with a 3.39 ERA. His record suffered a bit in 2008, but he definitely saved his best work for last. In five postseason starts, Hamels went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA. For his part in ending the Phils' long run of futility, he was named both NLCS and World Series MVP.
Hamels' October heroics should make him a household name with collectors everywhere. He has just two 2002 rookie cards, and while they're the most expensive base cards in both sets, they are easy to find and shouldn't break any collecting budgets - at least for now.
2002 Cole Hamels Rookie Cards
- Bowman Chrome Draft # 17
- Bowman Draft # BDP17