The Hall Of Fame & Potential Hall Of Fame Rookie Cards Of The 2000’s: 2000 & 2001

For long-time hobbyists, the cards of the early 2000’s fall into an interesting gray area. They’re not old enough to be vintage (although they are 20-25 years old).

They’re not new enough to be ultra-modern. They certainly are post junk wax era.

Yet they hold a special place in the hobby, and over the next few years will see even more focus as players of that era become eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Who are the players with rookie cards from 2000-2005 who are already in the Hall of Fame? Which players from that era may join them in the coming years? And which of these rookie cards are worth adding to your collection?

Today we’ll explore the Hall of Fame and Potential Hall of Fame rookie cards of 2000 and 2001.

The potential Hall of Fame rookie cards of 2000

A lot of players who debuted in 2000 have flamed out, but there are still a couple of really interesting players, including one of the greatest offensive first baseman ever and a long-shot closer who may get some HOF love.

Miguel Cabrera is one of only three players in history to finish their career with over 500 home runs, 3,000 hits, and a batting average over .300.

With a career line of .306/.382/.518 and an OPS of .901and 140 OPS+, Cabrera is a sure-thing first ballot future Hall of Famer. He’ll become eligible for election for the first time on the 2029 ballot.

Cabrera’s rookie card appears in 2000 Topps Traded and 2000 Topps Chrome Traded, meaning his debut cardboard came later in the season.

The paper version of the card has been graded over 7,000 times with almost 2,700 PSA 10s. Even though they are not rare, they still sell for between $250-300 in a PSA 10 slab.

The Chrome version has been graded less than half as much by PSA, with 657 PSA 10s. They sell for around $800 in that condition.

The Best Miguel Cabrera Rookie Cards, One Of Only Three 500 HR/3,000 Hit/ .300 Avg Players In Baseball History

The only other player with a rookie card in 2000 that has a shot at the Hall of Fame is admittedly a bit of a long shot. Francisco Rodriguez is 6^th all-time with 437 saves and was an All Star six times during his career.

An argument can be made that he’s in the ballpark of other Hall of Fame closers, but Hall of Fame voting is always an uphill battle for closers.

In three years on the ballot, he has not yet cleared 11% of the vote, well below the 75% required for induction. But recently elected closer Billy Wagner had similar vote totals through his first 3 years on the ballot, so time will tell how things go for K-Rod.

Rodriguez has his rookie cards in 2000 Bowman Chrome and 2000 Topps Traded Chrome (and paper). The story here is generally low PSA populations, few sales, but very reasonably priced comps.

If you believe in K-Rod’s HOF case, be on the lookout for these rookie cards to pick up a few copies.

The potential & already Hall of Fame rookie cards of 2001

2001 was an amazing year for Hall of Fame rookie cards. The year brings us the rookie cards of an all-time great slugger, a Japanese Phenom who took the game by storm, and a middle infielder whose Hall of Fame case seems to be picking up steam.

Ichiro Suzuki burst onto the American baseball scene in 2001 after already establishing himself a superstar in Japan. In 2001, he was the AL MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, and won a Silver Slugger and was selected to the All Star game.

Despite not making his US debut until he was 27 years old, Ichiro would go on to finish his career with over 3,000 career hits (3,089) and 500 stolen bases (509).

He was a 10-time All Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner who won three Silver Slugger awards and two batting titles. He played until he was 45 years old and finished his career with a .311/.355/.402 and was worth 60 WAR.

Ichiro has a lot of rookie cards, ranging from the super valuable and hard to find to the very affordable and plentiful.

One of his best is the 2001 Topps Chrome Traded & Rookies Ichiro Suzuki #T266. Despite being a key rookie card of a hugely popular player, it has been graded less than 2,000 times by PSA.

The Ultimate Guide to Ichiro Suzuki Rookie Cards – 2025 Baseball Hall of Famer

Albert Pujols played 22 years, and put up some amazing career numbers. The first decade-plus of his career was unreal. He won 3 MVP awards, and finished in the top 5 in the MVP voting 10 out of his first 11 seasons.

Pujols finished his career with 3,384 hits (10^th all-time), 703 home runs (4^th all-time), and 2,218 (2^nd all-time) to go with a .296/.374/.544 line with 101.2 WAR.

Pujols appears on a number of rookie cards in 2001, but the 2001 Topps Traded & Rookies Chrome Albert Pujols #T247 is one of the more popular.

It has been graded over 2,200 times by PSA, with the PSA total approaching 500. It still sells well in the $1,300-$1,375 range in a PSA 10 slab.

Can’t decide whether to pick up a Topps Chrome Traded Ichiro or Pujols? There’s a card with both, the 2001 Topps Traded & Rookies Chrome Pujols/Ichiro #T99.

While combo cards often don’t excite collectors, a rookie-year card of these two all-time greats sells very strongly.

What Are The Best Albert Pujols Rookie Cards?

Chase Utley’s Hall of Fame case doesn’t smack you in the face quite like those of Ichiro or Pujols (honestly, few do). He was a bit injury prone and had a shorter career, playing in 16 total season and only 12 with 100+ games.

Yet his strong peak at a traditionally low-offense position makes his case an interesting one. He put up a career line of .275/.358/.465, good for an OPS of .823 and a 117 OPS+.

He added over 250 homers (259), 150 stolen bases (154), and even 200+ hit by pitch (204). He was a 6-time All Star and a 4-time Silver Slugger winner. His 64.6 WAR ranks 15^th all-time among second baseman.

Utley has surprisingly few rookie cards compared to the other players who were 2001 rookies. Probably the best is the 2001 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Chase Utley #BDP69.

The card has been graded a little over 1,000 times by PSA, with 150 PSA 10s. That makes it a little tough to find. That is a good thing for the card’s value, which sits around $700-750 in a PSA 10 slab.

The Best Rookie And Early Career Cards Of Hall Of Fame Candidate Chase Utley

Final thoughts on the Hall of Fame & potential Hall of Fame rookie cards of the 2000s:  2000 & 2001

2000 and 2001 gave us a great start to the 2000s in terms of Hall of Fame caliber rookie cards.

The list includes one player already enshrined in Cooperstown, plus at least two no-doubt, sure-thing 1^st ballot Hall of Famers when they become eligible (Pujols in 2028 and Cabrera in 2029).

There are also a player in Chase Utley who is trending the right direction after two turns on the ballot, and bit of a long shot closer in Francisco Rodriguez who has been barely hanging around the ballot, but has an interesting case.

What’s your take on the key rookies of 2000 and 2001? Which do you think join Ichiro in the Hall of Fame? Who misses out? And did we miss anyone? Tell us what’s on your mind at CardLines on X.

More Cardlines Coverage of Top Rookie Players from the 2000’s

• The Best Miguel Cabrera Rookie Cards, One Of Only Three 500 HR/3,000 Hit/ .300 Avg Players In Baseball History
• What Are The Best Albert Pujols Rookie Cards?
• The Ultimate Guide to Ichiro Suzuki Rookie Cards – 2025 Baseball Hall of Famer
• The Best Rookie And Early Career Cards Of Hall Of Fame Candidate Chase Utley
• Breaking Down The Top Rookie & Prospect Cards Of 2024 Hall Of Famer Joe Mauer
• 10 Great Joey Votto Rookie & Early Career Cards Of Reds Legend

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