Yadier Molina, often referred to as simply “Yadi”, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2000 as a fourth-round pick.
Even though he impressed the scouts with his catching and throwing skills, the fact that he got picked in the fourth round tells us he wasn’t seen as a potential future great.
If you’re looking for a Yadier Molina rookie card, you have many options.
We’ll go through some of the best ones to help you choose the right one for you.
Top Yadier Molina Rookie Card Options
These are the best Yadier Molina rookie cards.
2004 Bowman Yadier Molina RC #301
The 2004 Bowman Yadier Molina rookie card is one of the first card options that you should consider whether you’re on a budget, or if you’re looking for a good starting place.
The base Bowman card is a bit easier to find than some of its counterparts, such as the Bowman Chrome or even the Bowman Heritage cards, which are quite a bit more expensive than the base Bowman card.
You’ll see that this particular card also has an autograph, which makes it a desirable option if you want a card with such a feature.
Overall, this card is a decent starting point for any type of collector out there.
The other notable option with the Bowman brand that we should mention here is the Bowman Chrome Yadier Molina rookie card:
As is usually the case with Bowman Chrome cards, they’re made with higher-quality materials and it’s also a bit harder to find than the base Bowman cards, which drives the prices up.
You might struggle to find top-graded cards of this type for a sensible price, which might price you out if you’re on a budget.
2004 Bowman Heritage Yadier Molina #30
There’s another option for Yadier Molina when it comes to Bowman cards – it’s the Bowman Heritage card.
This card is a throwback to older cards from the 1960s and 1970s. You can see that it has a design that will remind you of an old television, which is an added bonus if you’re someone who likes retro cards.
This is also one of the rarer card options that you can go for. The print run for this card was very low and you will not find as many of these cards on online marketplaces as you would for the Bowman or Bowman Chrome brand.
All of this means that you will have to spend a bit more to get this card, at least when compared to the other two Bowmans we’ve just seen.
2004 Topps Yadier Molina RC #324
Now, this will be your main – or one of your main – options for Yadier Molina if you’re looking for the best mainstream card out there.
Topps is the card company with the most reputation out of all the brands you’ll see on this list, so if you’re looking for a card that will serve you well for a long time, and that will keep its price in the future, this is the one.
I also like the look of this card. The name of the team is etched in gold letters nicely at the top of the card, while the red, black, and white borders of the card suit Yadier and his outfit nicely.
The image is also quite nice, at least better than it is on the Bowman card.
All of these things combined make the Topps card a worthy investment if you can muster up the cash to get it.
2004 Topps Chrome Yadier Molina RC #219
If you want to take it a step further and you want something more exclusive and high-quality, then you can consider the Topps Chrome cards.
This card brand is known for its high-quality products. These cards are made to last, because they’re made of better and more sustainable materials as compared to the base Topps card, making it a decent long-term option.
This option can be a bit restrictive for those who don’t have the budget to get it, though.
The highest graded cards can cost significantly more than the base card, as the prices might go into thousands if you can find the best-graded cards.
2004 Topps Bazooka Yadier Molina RC #275
 |
 |
|---|
Topps Bazooka cards are an interesting proposition for card collectors because they offer a bit more variety than other cards.
You have two options with this one:
- One is with Yadier Molina without a bat
- The other is with Yadier Molina with a bat
Both are equally as popular. Most collectors want to get both of these together, so you will find listings for both of these cards.
One of the main challenges, however, will be finding a card that is graded, and secondly, a card that has a high grade.
But even the highest graded cards will not be as expensive as Bowman Chrome or Topps Chrome, for instance.
2004 Topps Heritage Yadier Molina RC #355
The last Topps card that we’ll mention on this list is the Topps Heritage card.
It’s a great option for you if you like the old Topps cards, as you can see from the design of this card. It reminds me of the Topps cards from the 1950s and the 1960s, which was the original intention of the producers.
It’s also a card that you should consider if you’re on a budget. Topps Heritage is quite a bit cheaper than the base Topps card and also the Topps Chrome card.
As you may see, both Bowman and Topps had very similar cards in 2004. Both had the base, the Chrome, and the Heritage options, which is an interesting development to see how the card companies competed back then.
However, there is one exception to the rule that Topps Heritage cards tend to be less expensive than other cards: it’s the Topps Heritage Chrome (and Retrofractor) cards.
These are some of the most expensive Yadier Molina rookie cards because of the high prices, and they’re also not as easily available. The shiny card and the more focused images of Yadier Molina make this card more expensive than the other Heritage cards.
2004 SP Prospects Yadier Molina RC #140
The SP Prospects card is another great option if you’re limited with your budget.
It was one of the most desired cards at the start because the SP Prospects brand used to be quite popular, however, it faces quite a lot of competition from Topps or Bowman.
2004 Donruss Elite Yadier Molina RC
Up next is the Yadier Molina Donruss Elite card.
This particular card on the image is the Extra Edition, which is a special edition of Yadier Molina cards limited to 100 copies. The base Donruss Elite card, however, is a bit more easily available.
The Extra Edition card prices can go into thousands, especially if the card is well preserved and it is graded. However, you will find many ungraded cards of this type, which might not be desirable for everybody out there.
If you want a less expensive option, you can go for the base Donruss Elite card. It is not as expensive as the Extra Edition and also much easier to find.
2004 SPx Yadier Molina RC #124
This is the SPx card that tends to rank among the most expensive Yadier Molina rookie cards.
SPx was a card brand that was known for its rarity and its premium status, especially towards the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium.
You’ll see that the card is limited to 1599 copies, which is not that scarce, but it’s rarer than most other rookie cards of Yadier Molina. This will increase the prices for the card, which is also driven by the fact that it’s an SPx card.
Overall, this is a great option to go for if you have the money because this brand is likely to be one of the best and most desirable brands for Yadier Molina also in the future.
2004 Fleer Ultra Yadier Molina RC #375
The Fleer Ultra card is another great option that you can consider if you want a slightly higher-priced option.
It may not be as expensive as the SPx or the Topps Chrome cards, but it is certainly more expensive than other budget cards we’ve just seen so far.
The card features Yadier Molina kneeling and it has an orange-brown background that completes the look.
It’s also a bit rarer than most rookie cards on this list, which will make it slightly more expensive, even though it is not as spectacular as other cards, or perhaps the card brand doesn’t have the same reputation as Topps or Bowman, for instance.
