25 Most Valuable 1958 Topps Baseball Cards

It takes only one glance at the 1958 Topps baseball card design to understand what makes them instantly recognizable:

The bright, multi-colored backgrounds give them some of the most vibrant eye appeal of any vintage set in the hobby.

Player images offset by the blue, yellow, orange, red and green backgrounds popped off the cardboard as collectors tore open pack after pack.

Topps also added All-Star cards to their checklist for the first time, giving collectors multiple ways to collect some of their favorite players.

While there aren't as many key rookie cards as the year before, cardboard debuts of big-name stars Roger Maris, Vada Pinson, Curt Flood and Hall-of-Famer Orlando Cepeda are still highly desirable.

Of course, legends like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, and plenty more anchor a strong 494-card checklist.

And in this guide, I walk through which are the ten most valuable.

1958 Topps #433 Pancho Herrera Error

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $17,500

One thing that vintage collectors will quickly realize about the 1958 Topps set is that its many variations can make it challenging to complete a full "master" set.

Several cards come in multiple variations.

There are 33 cards in Series 1 and 2 with "yellow letter" variations (more on those later).

Team cards for the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Braves show players on the reverse, either alphabetically or numerically.

But none of the variations in this set are rarer than the Pancho Herrera error card, where the "a" in his last name isn't fully visible.

To give you an idea of its rarity, PSA has graded only 56 of the error variations compared to 487 examples of the correct variation.

And it's even scarcer in top grade.

Just four examples of the error variation have made it into PSA 8 holders compared to 138 of the correct variation.

Herrera's career was short-lived, as he spent just three seasons (1958, 1960, and 1961) in the Majors with the Philadelphia Phillies.

And the Cuban native was at his finest in 1960, finishing runner-up to Frank Howard for NL Rookie of the Year while receiving down-ballot MVP votes.

However, the value of his 1958 Topps card will always be determined by whether or not the "a" is fully visible.

1958 Topps #150 Mickey Mantle

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $12,000

At the top of the first peak of his extraordinary Hall-of-Fame career, 26-year-old New York Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle had already done it all.

A two-time reigning AL MVP, six-time All-Star, and former batting champion (1956), Mantle was the Yankee catalyst for six AL pennants and four World Series titles from 1951-57.

In 1958, Mantle was already Cooperstown bound.

But, he wasn’t content to rest on his laurels.

Coming off a brutal seven-game loss to the Milwaukee Braves in the ‘57 World Series, The Mick was a player possessed in ‘58.

Earning his seventh All-Star nod and a fifth-place finish in the AL MVP balloting, Mantle led the league in homers (42) for the third time in four years.

He also paced the Majors in runs scored (127) for the third consecutive year and walks (129) for the second straight season.

Statistical particulars aside, it was another fantastic year for a generational hitter.

And this time, it ended with a trophy.

Raising yet another AL pennant with a 92-62-1 record, the Yankees got their rematch with the Braves in the ‘58 Fall Classic.

Mantle made his presence felt, going 6-for-24 with two home runs, a triple, four runs scored, seven walks, three RBIs, and a beefy 1.003 OPS.

With Mantle setting the table and in his stride, the Yankees erased both a 2-0 and a 3-1 deficit to edge the Braves in seven.

Now, with a ring for every finger, Mantle’s sprint towards immortality was in full stride.

1958 Topps #5 Willie Mays

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $9,500

The City of San Francisco embraced the Giants with open arms during their inaugural season by the Bay.

The same could not be said for superstar center fielder Willie Mays.

"Mays was the hated embodiment of New York," Mays biographer Charles Einstein said. "He had the temerity to play center field in Seals Stadium, where the native-born DiMaggio had played it in his minor-league days."

Mays also had to square up against the scourge of racial discrimination.

Life on the professional front offered little reprieve.

Mays' relationship with manager Bill Rigney was strained at its best.

The two clashed regularly.

No matter what Mays did in '58 for the third-place Giants, it didn't matter to a vocal, hostile sect of the team's fans.

And that's a shame, considering just how good Mays was.

In 152 games for 80-win San Francisco, Mays slashed .347/.419/.583 with 29 home runs and 96 RBIs.

He led the Majors in stolen bases (31) and topped the NL in runs scored (121), OPS (1.002), and OPS+ (165).

The NL MVP runner-up to Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks, Mays wasn't even voted team MVP by the Giants' fan base.

1958 Topps #30 Hank Aaron (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $6,750

Advanced collectors may instantly understand what makes this card so valuable.

Novice collectors may point out that Hank Aaron must be the reason.

And, yes, Hank Aaron does explain part of it.

But upon closer look, you'll notice that his name appears in yellow letters instead of the standard, correct white letters.

For whatever reason, Topps printed 27 cards in Series 1 and 6 cards in Series 2, where either the team name or the player's name appears in either yellow or white.

The yellow-letter variations are rarer and, therefore, more valuable.

Still, Aaron himself is what gives this card most of its value.

A first-time Gold Glover and four-time All-Star, Aaron finished third in a hotly-contested NL MVP race.

Come October, the personal accolades meant little.

Faced with the tall task of dispatching the vaunted Yankees two years in a row, the Braves folded away a 3-1 series lead to lose in seven.

Aaron hit .333 for the series but failed to go deep after hitting three home runs in the '57 Fall Classic.

Little did anyone know, this would be Aaron and the Braves' last postseason for over a decade.

1958 Topps #52 Roberto Clemente (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $5,500

As if diehard hobbyists weren't lucky enough for there to be a Hank Aaron card with multiple variations in this set, we also get Roberto Clemente's base card in multiple variations.

But, unlike Hank Aaron, Clemente's name isn't the source of the variation.

His card is one of the examples where the team name can be in yellow or white.

If you look near the bottom, you'll usually see "Pittsburgh Pirates" in white letters.

But if you're lucky enough to find one that appears in yellow letters, you'll notice a bump in value.

Again, you can find these "yellow letter" variations on 33 cards spanning Series 1 and 2.

Along with Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente, five other Hall of Famers have a yellow letter variation.

Al Kaline, Luis Aparicio, Dick Williams, Bob Lemon, and Early Wynn round out the list.

But Aaron and Clemente are far and away the most desirable of the group.

1958 Topps #30 Hank Aaron (White Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $5,250

A year after leading the Braves to their first-and-only World Series title of the Milwaukee era, future home run champ Hank Aaron continued his assault on NL pitching unabated.

Backed up by the Majors' best pitching staff (by ERA), Aaron lifted what would have otherwise been a league-average offense.

He hit to a .326/.386/.586 slash line with 30 home runs, 34 doubles, four triples, 109 runs scored, and 95 RBIs.

At the All-Star break, Milwaukee was 40-33 and in the thick of a pennant race in a muddled National League.

The Braves turned on the afterburners in the second half, going 52-29 to run away from the league by a full eight games.

Aaron was the centerpiece of Milwaukee's second consecutive league championship, providing his trademark power and fantastic, steady defense in right field.

A first-time Gold Glover and four-time All-Star, Aaron finished third in a hotly-contested NL MVP race.

1958 Topps #1 Ted Williams

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $5,000

In 1957, Ted Williams turned back the clock with one of the greatest seasons of his career.

In his age-38 campaign, the NL MVP runner-up captured his fifth batting title and led the Majors in OPS.

In '58, the Boston Red Sox left fielder fell from the great heights of the previous year.

However, a down year for the immortal Ted Williams still counted as a great year by any other player's standards.

While the Boston Red Sox meandered to a 79-75-1 record and a third-place finish in the AL, Williams kept stringing together hit after hit.

And with league batting averages down, Williams captured his sixth batting title with a .328 mark, sixty points less than the year before and 16 points less than his final career average.

Williams also led the Majors in on-base percentage (.458) and OPS (1.042), crushing 26 home runs and tallying 23 doubles, 81 runs scored, and 85 RBIs.

Father Time was undoubtedly at Williams' doorstep, yet he wasn't coming out without a fight.

1958 Topps #52 Roberto Clemente (White Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $4,000

After placing sixth in the eight-team National League in 1949, the Pittsburgh Pirates rattled off eight straight abysmal campaigns with finishes no better than seventh.

In 1958, the tides turned.

After taking over the managerial role in the middle of the previous year, Danny Murtaugh galvanized the clubhouse.

And thanks largely to the improved health of future Hall-of-Fame right fielder Roberto Clemente, Murtaugh's efforts pushed the Pirates to their first winning season in team history.

After missing nearly a month and a half of games in 1957 due to back problems, Clemente started the campaign on the right foot in 1958, lashing three hits in a 14-inning Opening Day win.

Already one of baseball's most dynamic two-way threats, the fourth-year phenom used his cannon arm to notch 22 outfield assists.

And in September, he tied an NL record with three triples in a single game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Overall, Clemente slashed .289/.327/.408 with six homers, 24 doubles, ten triples, 69 runs scored, and 50 RBIs.

The Pirates surprised everyone with a second-place finish, ending a breakthrough year at 84-70.

1958 Topps #47 Roger Maris Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $3,750

After he was limited by injury to just 117 games in his rookie season, 23-year-old Cleveland Indians outfielder Roger Maris entered his second year with a clean bill of health.

A few years off from becoming a household name, Maris was just looking to establish himself in '58.

He played 51 games for Cleveland over the first couple of months, hitting .225 with a .699 OPS, nine home runs, and 27 RBIs.

Maris' numbers were hit-and-miss, and his injury history was a big concern to the Indians' management.

So, it was no surprise when Cleveland pulled the trigger on a trade, dealing the young outfielder to the Kansas City Athletics.

Upon arriving in KC, he picked things up a notch, hitting .247 with a .737 OPS, 19 homers, and 53 RBIs in 99 games.

Overall, Maris' 28 homers and 80 RBIs cemented his reputation and big-league status as a productive power hitter.

Maris' rookie card, and the rest of his cards in general, remain among the most sought-after in the hobby for any non-Hall-of-Famer.

1958 Topps #418 World Series Batting Foes

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $3,750

Topps produced one of the most beautiful combo-player cards of the vintage era as a tribute to the '57 World Series showdown between Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron.

Ultimately, Hank Aaron and the Milwaukee Braves came out on top of a back-and-forth Series that saw the Braves narrowly outscore the Yankees 25 to 23.

However, the gap between Aaron and Mantle's individual performances was farther apart.

Mantle played well, slashing 263/.364/.421 with a .785 OPS while going 5 for 19 with 1 home run, 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored.

But Aaron torched Yankee pitching, slashing 393,.414/.786 with a 1.200 OPS while going 11 for 28 with 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, and 5 runs scored.

Aaron drove in nearly a third of Milwaukee's 25 runs by himself.

Still the card has amazing eye appeal and historic value, with the reverse adding a nice write-up: "Mickey Mantle is today the greatest slugger in baseball. He has led the American League in homers, runs-batted-in, and hits, and was its MVP in 1956 and 1957. He hit 52 homers in '56, making him a real threat to Ruth's record. Hammerin' Hank Aaron is probably the most talented hitter in the majors today. He unleashes surprising power, too. He led the NL with 200 hits and with a .328 batting average in '56. Hank Was the MVP last year."

1958 Topps #65 Von McDaniel (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $3,250

1957 Topps #11 Jim Rivera (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $2,500

1958 Topps #78 Ernie Johnson (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $2,500

1958 Topps #85 Luis Aparicio (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,800

Three years into his big-league career, Chicago White Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio got his first taste of the All-Star life.

The 1956 NL Rookie of the Year, Aparicio was a good singles hitter with elite baserunning skills and sparkling defensive prowess.

As spectacular as he was steady at the six, the 24-year-old turned heads for a spirited White Sox squad.

Named to his first Midsummer Classic, Aparicio hit to a .266/.309/.345 slash line with two home runs, 20 doubles, nine triples, 76 runs scored, and 40 RBIs.

Those numbers don't jump off the page.

Yet, Aparicio's AL-best 29 stolen bases sure did, as did his first of five consecutive Gold Gloves.

It was a fine showing for one of the brightest young stars in the game.

Yet, it came in what was a frustrating season for the 82-win White Sox.

With total attendance numbers at Comiskey flagging to under one million for the first time since the turn of the decade, second-place Chicago once against played second fiddle to New York, a full ten games behind the Yankees in the AL pennant race.

1958 Topps #187 Sandy Koufax

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,800

The last person to throw a pitch for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Sandy Koufax entered the team's inaugural year in Los Angeles with more questions than answers.

Feeling underutilized and uninspired heading into his fourth big-league campaign, Koufax talked openly about quitting the game and pursuing other business opportunities.

It's wild to think what could have been if Koufax had gone through with it.

After all, he was just a handful of seasons away from perhaps the most dominant half-decade in the game's history.

Luckily, Koufax didn't leave.

Instead, he embraced an extended workload with the Dodgers in 1958, pitching in a new career-high 40 games (26 starts).

Los Angeles was a mess, though, finishing just above the NL cellar with a 71-83 record.

As for Koufax, he maneuvered through brutal control problems while tantalizing Dodgers fans with brief flashes of greatness to come.

The 22-year-old lefty surrendered over 100 walks (105) in just 158.2 innings pitched and led the Majors with 17 wild pitches.

He ended the season with an 11-11 record, a 4.48 ERA, five complete games, and a save.

The electric stuff was there, for sure, but it remained raw and unrefined.

1958 Topps #70 Al Kaline (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,750

Stuck in baseball's middle class since their World Series win in 1945, the Detroit Tigers were again a pennant race non-factor in 1958.

Finishing the year at an even 77-77, the Tigers finished fifth in the AL for the fourth time in five years.

Detroit was going nowhere and fast.

At least the fans had the predictable brilliance of Al Kaline to tide them over.

A defensive stalwart in right field and a prodigious all-around hitter, the now two-time Gold Glover ended the year hitting .313 (4th in the AL) with a .864 OPS, 16 home runs, 34 doubles, seven triples, 84 runs scored, 85 RBIs, and seven stolen bases.

Elected to his fourth-straight All-Star Game, Kaline earned down-ballot MVP consideration despite the Tigers' irrelevancy.

Detroit's doldrums would last a couple more years, yet Kaline's stock would continue to trend up.

1958 Topps #2 Bob Lemon (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,400

Three years removed from his last of seven consecutive All-Star nods, Cleveland Indians righty Bob Lemon's body was short-circuiting.

In 1957, the future Hall-of-Famer was besieged by injuries.

At the start of 1958, the end became clear for the 37-year-old hurler.

His arm was not responding to conditioning and treatment, and he made just one start on April 22nd before hitting the disabled list the next day.

It was his last MLB start.

After an underwhelming elongated rehab stint with the Triple-A San Diego Padres, Lemon returned to the Indians in late May.

He pitched in just nine more games, ending the season at 0-1 with a 5.33 ERA and 41 hits surrendered in just 25.1 innings pitched.

Lemon pushed himself for one last crack at a comeback early in '59, but it was to no avail.

Enshrined in Cooperstown in 1976, the career-long Cleveland Indian led the American League and ended his playing days with a 207-128 record.

He led the AL in complete games five times, innings pitched four times, led the Majors in wins twice, and won a World Series title in his first All-Star campaign (1948). 

1958 Topps #8 Eddie Kasko (Yellow Letters)

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,300

1958 Topps #486 Willie Mays All-Star

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,100

The 1958 Topps baseball set marked the first time in company history that the checklist contained an All-Star subset to expand the checklist and add more variety.

You can imagine the joy as young collectors learned they had a chance to pull not one but two cards of some of their favorite big-league players.

Bringing up the rear of the checklist from cards #475 - 495, the Sport Magazine All-Star featured one multi-manager card as well as ten American League and ten National League players.

As you can figure out by the player count alone, not everyone who made the '58 All-Star Game made it into the subset.

And some players who did make the subset, like Herb Score, didn't make the '58 All-Star Game.

So, the subset isn't meant to be interpreted as a one-for-one representation of the '58 All-Star Game.

Not surprisingly, Willie Mays is one of the top names in the subset.

Mays was 1-4 in the game, scoring two of the National League's three runs.

1958 Topps #487 Mickey Mantle All-Star

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,100

1958 Topps #285 Frank Robinson

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,000

Frank Robinson was a top-shelf home-run hitter from the jump of his extraordinary Hall-of-Fame career.

In 1956, the Cincinnati Reds left fielder was the unanimous choice for NL Rookie of the Year after clubbing 38 home runs and leading the league in runs scored (122).

After hitting .322 with 29 bombs in '57, the dingers kept on coming in 1958.

The Reds were a tepid bunch in '58, falling well short of expectations with a 76-78 record and a fourth-place finish.

The stress and raw nerves of such a lackluster year led to manager Birdie Tebbetts's resignation in mid-August.

Robinson underperformed, as well, at least compared to his own past and future standards.

Robinson's .269 batting average and .854 OPS stood as his low-water marks for another half-decade.

However, the powerful righty swinger still made a mighty impact with the long ball.

Robinson hammered 31 home runs in '58, the first of five consecutive 30-homer seasons.

He posted 62 extra-base hits altogether.

1958 Topps #246 New York Yankees

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $900

1958 Topps #488 Hank Aaron All-Star

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $900

1958 Topps #343 Orlando Cepeda Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $875

Willie Mays was San Francisco's chosen scapegoat in the Giants' first year by the Bay.

Cepeda was the polar opposite.

A top prospect heading into Spring Training in '58, the 20-year-old first baseman landed an Opening Day starting job with monster bombs and game-changing speed.

It was a match made in heaven from the get-go.

As Cepeda connected in the batter's box, the fans connected with him.

"Right from the beginning, I fell in love with the city," Cepeda said later.

The unanimous choice for NL Rookie of the Year, Cepeda slashed .312/.342/.512 with 25 home runs, an NL-best 38 doubles, four triples, 15 stolen bases, 88 runs scored, and 96 RBIs.

Finishing ninth in the league's MVP race, Cepeda was the fan's MVP from day one, albeit at the expense of the Say Hey Kid.

Cepeda's rookie card has often been overlooked and underappreciated rookie cards of the vintage era.

1958 Topps #310 Ernie Banks

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $850

No matter how miserable the Chicago Cubs were, Ernie Banks made things better.

The Cubs won no more than 74 games in Banks' first ten seasons.

They were mostly downright bad during that deluge of losing campaigns, with little sparkles of utter mediocrity.

Case in point, Chicago's 72-82 finish was the team's second-best finish of that depressing stretch.

Nothing worked for the Cubs.

Nothing, except for Ernie Banks.

An absolute home-run machine, Banks launched himself into the superstar stratosphere in 1958.

He led all of baseball with 47 home runs, 129 RBIs, and 379 total bases.

The 27-year-old shortstop also hit over .300 for the first time while topping the National League in slugging percentage (.614), games played (154 out of 154), and at-bats (617).

And while it wasn't his best fielding year, Banks was still among the elite at the six.

The Cubs could not be counted on to show up every day.

But, Mr. Cub could.

Everybody noticed.

Now a four-time All-Star, Banks was the runaway choice for the 1958 NL MVP award.

He would repeat in '59, becoming the first NL player to go back-to-back

1958 Topps Baseball Cards In Review

You'll have your work cut out for you if you attempt to complete a master 1958 Topps baseball set.

As mentioned, several variations and short prints can be quite tough.

If you're not up for the challenge, there are so many great things about this set that makes collecting the "basic" set or even individual cards a complete joy.

The colorful design needs no introduction.

And the debut of All-Star cards gives it some hobby history.

Big-name rookie cards and plenty of Hall-of-Famers round out an overall enjoyable experience.

Regardless of your goal with the '58 Topps set, it's a good one to collect.

The 494-card checklist was printed across six series, broken down as follows:

• Series 1 (#1 - 88)
• Series 2 (#89 - 176)
• Series 3 (#177 - 264)
• Series 4 (#265 - 352)
• Series 5 (#353 - 440)
• Series 6 (#441 - 495)

Subsets include team cards, combo-player cards and All-Star cards.

As with any set, there will be those who have mixed opinions on this set, mostly stemming from the design.

Most love the bright colors.

But some think it's too much.

Despite your opinion, there is no question that it contains some truly iconic cards and hobby memories inside.