During this pandemic, I have spent a considerable amount of time looking at my old baseball card collections. On Twitter, I was sharing #aBreweraday for several weeks until I finally ran out of completed Topps sets.
So with no baseball yet on the horizon, a friend of mine has tasked me to rank all the Future Stars in my completed Topps sets. Topps assigned the following six players as Future Stars in their 1987 set (my first complete set). I introduce to you, the 1987 Topps Future Stars ranked…
6. Tim Pyznarski was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 15th pick in the first round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft. After being named The Sporting News & Topps 1986 Minor League Player of the Year, Pyznarski played just 15 games in the majors for the San Diego Padres. Pyznarski’s career numbers are:
- Batting average: .238
- Hits: 10
- Home runs: 0
- RBIs: 0
5. Pat Dodson was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round (153rd pick) of the 1980 MLB Draft. Dodson was an International League MVP in the minors, but appeared in only 52 games over three seasons with the Red Sox. Dodson’s career numbers are:
- Batting average: .202
- Hits: 20
- Home runs: 4
- RBIs: 10
4. Dave Magadan was selected by the New York Mets in the second round (32nd pick) of the 1983 MLB Draft. Magadan played for seven different clubs (Mets, Marlins, Mariners, Astros, Cubs, Athletics, and Padres) over his 16 year career. Magadan’s career numbers are:
- Batting average: .288
- Hits: 1,197
- Home runs: 42
- RBIs: 495
3. Bo Jackson was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round (105th pick) of the 1986 MLB Draft. Jackson spent eight years in the majors, playing for the Royals, White Sox, and Angels. Jackson was named to his only All-Star team in 1989 as a member of the Royals. Jackson’s baseball career was hampered by a hip injury that he sustained while playing football for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991. Jackson’s career numbers are:
- Batting average: .250
- Hits: 598
- Home runs: 141
- RBIs: 415
2. B.J. Surhoff was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the first overall pick of the 1985 MLB Draft. Surhoff spent 19 years in the big leagues, playing for Milwaukee, Baltimore, and Atlanta. Surhoff was named to his lone All-Star team in 1999 as a member of the Orioles. Surhoff’s career numbers are:
- Batting average: .282
- Hits: 2,326
- Home runs: 188
- RBIs: 1,153
1. Rafeal Palmeiro was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 1985 MLB Draft. Palmeiro played for three different organizations (Cubs, Rangers, Orioles) during his 20 year career. Palmeiro was a four time All-Star, three time Gold Glove Award winner, and two time Silver Slugger Award winner. Palmeiro’s career numbers, tainted by the use of steroids, are:
- Batting average: .288
- Hits: 3,020
- Home runs: 569
- RBIs: 1,835
And that is the rankings of the 1987 Topps Future Stars. Some hits, some misses, and plenty of stories to go around with each card. Stay tuned for the 1988 Topps Future Stars!