30 Most Valuable 1990 Topps Baseball Cards
Usually, collectors will have a strong opinion one way or the other about 1990 Topps baseball cards:
Either they love them or they hate them…
And it has everything to do with the multi-colored design.
I’ve always liked the look of these cards, and as a kid, I loved ripping packs in search of rookies and star players.
In this guide, we take a look at the 30 most valuable 1990 Topps baseball cards.
Let’s jump right in!
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1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas No Name On Front Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $17,000
You did not read that price incorrectly.
The regular Frank Thomas rookie card (which we’ll get to later) is the key rookie card in this set.
But somehow, a small quantity printed without Thomas’s name on the bottom nameplate made it into circulation.
Many collectors believe the printing dies used for the sheet of orange-bordered cards were somehow blocked at some point, preventing Thomas’s name from being inked.
And because it’s such an incredibly rare error, collectors are willing to pay up big time for it.
Examples of this variation that have achieved a PSA 9 Mint grade can sell between $15,000 and $20,000.
And the one PSA 10 Gem Mint example that exists sold for an eye-popping $149,000 in December 2024.
Even if it’s not in pristine shape, it can still be worth thousands of dollars as it remains one of the most infamous error cards in hobby history.
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1990 Topps Traded #48T David Justice Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Sixty days or so was all it took for David Justice to become Atlanta’s most feared hitter.
And it kinda came out of nowhere.
Selected in the fourth round of the 1985 MLB Draft, the 24-year-old outfielder produced uneven results in five years at the minor-league level.
Furthermore, Justice was pretty unimpressive during his 16-game MLB debut in 1989.
In 1990, Justice started the year at Triple-A following rehab from a broken cheekbone.
He played 12 games for Richmond before the Braves called him up to play out of position at first base.
Justice produced strong numbers despite seeming uncomfortable in the infield.
The real fun began after team legend Dale Murphy was cleared out of right field via an early August trade.
“I only had a great two months. It’s hard to know what kind of year I could have had,” Justice said. “I never have had 500 at-bats. I don’t know what I can do.”
Those two months were something else.
As the rest of the NL-worst Braves sputtered, Justice detonated.
He finished the campaign slashing .283/.320/.403 with 28 home runs, most of which were hit after Murphy was sent packing.
It was a seismic impact that nearly earned him a unanimous NL Rookie of the Year nomination.
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1990 Topps USA#1 George Bush
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $10,000
To honor President Bush, Topps printed 100 or so of these with a picture of him during his college days in his Yale uniform.
The company’s chairman, Arthur Shorin, even presented some of them in a binder to the former president in 1989.
It’s said that those that made it to the White House were coated with a glossy finish.
Like the “No Name On Front” Thomas rookie card, this one is exceptionally rare and card collectors go crazy for this card.
Added to that, there are presidential artifact collectors who also drive up the price for it.
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1990 Topps Traded #130T Dave Winfield
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
A change of scenery can be a powerful thing.
The Yankees star became a target for the New York tabloids after missing all of the 1989 season with a back injury.
Eight straight All-Star appearances weren’t enough.
The team had failed to make the playoffs for all but one of the Hall-of-Famer’s seasons in the Bronx, and fingers were starting to point his way.
On top of that, Winfield’s contract situation was a mess.
At the end of his record ten-year, $23 million contract, the 38-year-old was dangled in trade talks with several suitors.
So, things got tricky when the Yankees reached an agreement with the California Angels on a one-for-one swap for Mike Witt.
Winfield blocked the deal until the Angels agreed on a contract extension. Instead of remaining with the Yankees during the negotiations, he left twenty games into the ‘90 campaign and waited things out.
Eventually, the Angels signed him up for $3.1 million in ‘91.
Now a pariah in NY, Winfield felt renewed on the opposite coast.
After a sub-mediocre start to the season with the Yanks, Winfield returned to form in 112 games with the Halos.
Visibly happier and seeming much lighter in interviews, he slashed .275/.348/.466 with 19 home runs, 18 doubles, two triples, and 72 RBIs in 470 plate appearances (414 at-bats).
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1990 Topps Traded #83T John Olerud Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
John Olerud could have been the first Shohei Ohtani.
Instead, he had to settle for being among the most underrated hitters of the 1990s and early 2000s.
In 1988, Olerud was named Baseball America’s College Player of the Year after going 15-0 with a 2.48 ERA as a starting pitcher and hitting .464 with 23 homers.
After successful surgery for a life-threatening aneurysm, Olerud returned to WSU for a handful of games in 1989 before latching on with the Toronto Blue Jays as a third-round draft pick.
The Blue Jays knew what they had in Olerud and paid him accordingly, inking him for a jaw-dropping $1 million.
They toyed with a two-way role, even letting him pitch and hit in instructional league play after his brief MLB debut in ’89.
Toronto pivoted before the ’90 campaign, though, locking Olerud in as a hitter and hitter only.
The 21-year-old was a lefty killer in a platoon DH role (with sporadic first-base appearances), hitting .342 against southpaws.
He ended the year with the second-place Jays slashing .265/.364/.430 with 14 home runs, 15 doubles, a triple, and 48 RBIs.
As Olerud’s AL Rookie-of-the-Year case strengthened, he joked away the attention.
“Oh no, I’m not a player,” Olerud quipped. “I’m a DH.”
(He finished fourth.).
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1990 Topps Traded #39T Keith Hernandez
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
Keith Hernandez will forever be a Met.
He won a World Series title in New York.
His number was retired by the team in 2022.
And he remains the most distinctive voice of the club’s broadcasting team.
Even though he won his lone MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals (1979), he’s a Met through and through.
That’s what makes his forgotten Cleveland season so intriguing.
After Hernandez missed just under half the previous two seasons due to injury, the Mets cut ties with him and looked to the future.
The Cleveland Indians jumped at the opportunity, inking the 36-year-old first baseman to a guaranteed two-year, $3.5 million contract.
The team’s front office banked on a potential bounceback and Hernandez’s influence on a young, impressionable club.
While he did fine as a clubhouse leader, his body wasn’t ready to play ball.
Hobbled by a list of back and leg injuries, Hernandez played just 43 games, slashing an awful .200/.283/.238 with a homer and eight RBIs in 145 plate appearances (130 at-bats).
He was in obvious pain with nearly every swing.
The 17-year veteran tried to make good on the contract’s second year with a 1991 return but ended up retiring with a bulging disk in his back.
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1990 Topps Traded #31T Cecil Fielder
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
Throughout the 1990s, Cecil Fielder was one of the most feared power hitters in the league.
In fact, no player hit more home runs (219) from 1990 to 1995 than Fielder.
But he seemingly came out of nowhere.
Fielder originally made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985 but mainly saw part-time work at first base and DH for four seasons.
However, it’s understandable when considering the context.
Fred McGriff was doing just fine at first base for the Blue Jays and John Olerud came on strong towards the end of the 80s as a formidable replacement.
So, no one was surprised when Fielder signed with the Detroit Tigers for two years at $3 million ahead of the 1990 season.
And, boy, did he start with a bang in Detroit.
On the last game of the season against the New York Yankees, Fielder sent home runs 50 and 51 of the season over the outfield fence.
That made him just the 11th player in MLB history at the time to hit more than 50 home runs in a season.
His .592 slugging percentage, 51 home runs and 132 RBIs were all MLB bests.
Most will remember Fielder for his time in Detroit, but he also made a significant contribution to the 1996 Yankees championship squad.
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1990 Topps Traded #19T Gary Carter
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
After four All-Star seasons, two MVP candidacies, and a 1986 World Series title, the Hall-of-Fame backstop left New York for San Francisco.
Carter was held to just 50 games in 1989 due to a knee injury.
When he was in the lineup, he didn’t have the same lift or driving power that made him one of the generation’s best-hitting catchers.
The Mets were ready to go younger.
And Carter was still inclined to prove himself.
Compared to the rest of his Hall-of-Fame career thus far, his abbreviated ’89 campaign was an aberration.
By the end of the ’89 campaign, Carter was fifth on the all-time leaderboard with 1,823 games played.
He still had something to give to a contender, and the reigning NL champion San Francisco Giants agreed.
Carter signed on with the Giants in January 1990, returning to his native California.
The Fullerton native rebounded with an admirable part-time performance in 1990, slashing .254/.324/.406 with nine home runs, ten doubles, and 27 RBIs in 272 plate appearances (244 at-bats).
His .724 OPS was his highest since the Mets’ ’86 title season.
Most importantly, Carter was a fantastic resource for a Giants team in transition.
San Francisco finished six games o
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1990 Topps Traded #6T Carlos Baerga Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
The trade that brought Sandy Alomar to Cleveland is an all-time steal.
On the other end of the deal, Joe Carter played just one year with San Diego before heading to Toronto on a multi-year pact.
As for the Indians, they got a franchise catcher who made six All-Star Games in thirteen years with the club.
They also got Carlos Baerga, an essential piece of the team’s 1995 run to an AL pennant.
In 1990, Baerga wasn’t yet what he’d eventually become.
He played 108 games with the Big League club, primarily split between third base and shortstop, slashing .260/.300/.394 with seven home runs, 17 doubles, two triples, 46 runs scored, and 47 RBIs.
Those are fine numbers, yet his lack of patience was the real story.
He struck out 57 times against 16 walks, good for an unsightly 3.56 K/BB ratio.
As he got more experience and started to relax, Baerga found his eye and became one of the more dangerous hitters of the first half of the 1990s.
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1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Partial Blackless Error Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $1,100
Many hobbyists are aware of the “No Name On Front” Frank Thomas rookie card but not as many may know of the “Partial Blackless Error” version of this card.
If you look closely at the name plate at the bottom of the card, you’ll notice that the black trim around Thomas’s name isn’t complete and breaks near his right foot.
It’s so subtle that many may easily look past it but this error can make a huge difference when it comes to price.
Interestingly, it’s more rare than the “No Name On Front” error but doesn’t command nearly the same price premium compared to the regular base card.
As of this righting, there are twelve examples of this card that exist in PSA 9 holders versus nineteen of the “No Name On Front” version.
And there are no PSA 10 examples.
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1990 Topps #336 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $725
After finishing third in the 1989 AL Rookie Of The Year race, Junior began a steady climb towards superstardom.
The dynamic center fielder broke into the mainstream with a highlight package of Gold Glove grabs and loping homers.
He was the face of a new generation of ballplayers: all swagger, speed, and strength.
Yet, it wasn’t until his father left the Cincinnati Reds and joined him in Seattle in 1990 that Griffey truly found his footing.
The first father-son combo to play in the Big Leagues at the same time became the first father-son duo to play for the same team in the same game on August 31st.
“I wanted to cry or something,” Junior said. “It just seemed like a father-son game, like we were out playing catch in the backyard. But we were actually playing a real game.”
With Senior behind him, Junior calmed down and caught fire.
His trademark smile began to widen, especially after the duo’s emotion-fueled back-to-back bombs in a September 14th game against the Angels.
The first-time All-Star slashed .300/.366/.481 for the 77-win Mariners with 22 home runs, 28 doubles, seven triples, 16 stolen bases, 91 runs scored, and 80 RBIs.
I remember searching for this card left and right as a kid.
With a fantastic image of “The Kid” flanked by the “Topps All-Star Rookie” trophy symbol, many would argue this is the best-looking card in the set.
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1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $90
Now, this is what Thomas’s rookie card is supposed to look like when his full name appears at the bottom of the card.
Though he may not have been MLB’s hottest rookie in 1990, he certainly turned into one of the biggest superstars of his era.
In fact, while fellow White Sox rookies Robin Ventura and Scott Radinsky picked up some votes for Rookie of the Year honors in 1990, Thomas didn’t receive any at all.
The following season, though, Thomas broke out in a big way as he finished third in MVP voting and picked up his first of four career Silver Sluggers.
While batting .318 with 32 home runs, 104 runs scored, and 109 RBI, Thomas also led the league in walks (138), OBP (.453), and OPS (1.006), helping to launch his reputation as a disciplined and well-rounded hitter.
His rookie care is a must-have in this set and one of the most iconic cards of the 1990s.
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1990 Topps #701 Bernie Williams Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $80
Bernie Williams was an extremely productive player during the mid to late 1990’s.
And he was an integral part of the Yankees dominance of that era.
I used to love watching him play–he was a class act.
You could argue he was a better center fielder than others (like Lloyd Waner, for example) who made it to the Hall of Fame, too.
His 1990 Topps rookie card has held up over the years with decent value.
Williams remains popular with Yankees fans, obviously, but he was also one of the most well-liked players of his era.
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1990 Topps #1 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75
There’s no other way to put it: Nolan Ryan was built differently.
At 43, the Texas Rangers ace remained the class of MLB power pitchers.
Finishing with a 13-9 record, Ryan won the AL strikeout title for the fourth consecutive season in 1990, spinning 232 strikeouts in 204 innings pitched.
His 3.44 ERA and five complete games were bonkers, considering it was his 24th big-league season.
And his ability to keep hitters half his age off-balance without a side-to-side slider or curve was even wilder.
The year included Ryan’s 300th win (a July 31st dub over the Milwaukee Brewers) and a mind-boggling no-hitter of the defending champion and eventual 1990 AL pennant-winning Oakland Athletics.
Ryan dazzled against the game’s most fearsome lineup, tallying 14 strikeouts (all swinging) and two walks over 130 grueling pitches.
It was a testament to his conditioning and one-of-a-kind commitment to the game.
“Determination, all the years and years of work, it was all right there,” his battery mate John Russell said. “It was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Topps also created a subset for him to commemorate his legendary career, which spanned his time with the Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers.
We’ll get to that a bit later on this list.
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1990 Topps Traded #118T Lee Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
The St. Louis Cardinals went into the 1990 campaign searching for a lockdown closer.
They came out of it with one of the best to ever do it.
The Cards acquired Hall-of-Fame reliever Lee Smith from Boston on May 4th, punting on soon-to-be free agent outfielder Tom Brunansky after extension talks broke down.
(It helped that he was in the middle of a 3-for-41 slump before the trade.)
“We needed a stopper guy, and they needed somebody right-handed to hit the ball a long way for them,” Cardinals GM Dal Maxvill said at the time.
Smith turned out to be more than a stopper.
Within a year, he’d be a Cy Young and MVP candidate.
In 1990, he was the good news for an otherwise shallow St. Louis bullpen.
He pitched to a 2.10 ERA in 53 appearances for the 70-92 Cardinals, notching 27 saves and striking out 70 hitters in 68.2 innings.
His 1.136 WHIP with the team was his best since his All-Star breakout in 1983.
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1990 Topps Traded #86T Dave Parker
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
Just as Keith Hernandez looked weird in a Cardinals jersey in 1990, Dave Parker looked downright odd decked out in Brewers threads.
The difference between Parker and Hernandez, though, was health and production.
While Hernandez had nothing left to give, Parker was an All-Star contributor at the dish.
After two years as the DH in Oakland, the former Pittsburgh Pirates superstar latched on with Milwaukee on a one-year deal.
Parker didn’t have the legs to play defense anymore.
However, the 39-year-old was still a dangerous hitter with a beautiful power stroke.
The former NL MVP (1977) picked up his seventh All-Star nod, hitting to a .289/.330/.451 slash line with 21 home runs, 30 doubles, three triples, 71 runs scored, and 92 RBIs.
He also earned down-ballot MVP consideration and his third (and final) Silver Slugger.
74-win Milwaukee couldn’t pitch worth a lick, ending the year third-worst in the Majors with 4.69 runs allowed per game.
Parker and the offense kept them competitive, competent pitching staff or not, finishing tied for fourth with 4.52 runs scored per contest.
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1990 Topps Traded #63T Kevin Maas Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
If you were a collector in the early 1990s, you know how big the craze was for Kevin Maas rookie cards back then.
With Yankees superstar first baseman Don Mattingly hobbled by injuries, 25-year-old Kevin Maas filled in with extensive playing time at first base and as a DH.
And Maas made the most of it, going absolutely berzerk with a never-before-seen power display to start his career.
Maas first set a then-record for the fewest at-bats needed (72) to reach ten home runs.
And then he did it again on his 133rd at-bat to become the fastest to reach 15 home runs to start his career.
On the season, Maas slashed .252/.367/.535 with 21 home runs, 41 RBIs and 42 runs scored in just 254 at-bats.
In typical fashion, the hobby reacted by sending demand for his rookie cards through the roof.
Many believed he would be next-in-line to take over for Don Mattingly as the next Yankees superstar.
Yet, it didn’t turn out that way.
Maas was decent during his sophomore campaign in 1991 but needed nearly twice as many at-bats to produce similar results.
From there, he saw diminished playing time and bounced around the Majors, Minors and even Japan.
Today, this card still brings back plenty of nostalgia for collectors of that era.
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1990 Topps Traded #20T Joe Carter
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
Joe Carter’s time in San Diego may have been brief, but it was certainly productive.
The Oklahoma City native played in all 162 games and led the National League with 634 at-bats for a sub-par Padres team that finished fourth in the NL West at 75-87.
If there were any negatives about Carter’s performance in 1990, his defensive skills may have slipped, and he may not have been as efficient at the plate.
His .232/.290/.391 slash line spoke to that.
But the production was still there.
Carter smacked 24 home runs, drove in 115 runs, scored 79 runs, stole 22 bases and walked 48 times.
And then, just as soon as Carter found himself in San Diego, he found himself on the way out after the season.
The Toronto Blue Jays were facing an issue of overcrowding at first base, with both Fred McGriff and John Olerud being worthy enough of full-time work at the position.
And San Diego was about to lose first baseman Jack Clark to free agency.
So, the teams worked out a deal: Carter and Roberto Alomar would go to Toronto in exchange for McGriff and Tony Fernandez.
It worked out well for Carter, considering he became a five-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and two-time World Series champ with the Blue Jays.
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1990 Topps Traded #2T Sandy Alomar
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
It never felt like Sandy Alomar had a chance in San Diego.
Even after winning Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year award in 1988 and 1989, he could only go so far.
Benito Santiago was entrenched as the Padres’ everyday starter, and Alomar would have to change positions to see extended playing time.
The best-case scenario for Alomar and the Padres came before the 1990 campaign when the young backstop was dealt to the Indians (along with Carlos Baerga and Chris James) for Joe Carter.
Alomar was now the #1 man in Cleveland, and he played like it.
The 24-year-old started 118 of his 129 games behind the plate and quickly evolved into the most complete defensive catcher in the American League.
Alomar’s catching alone would have made him a smart pick for AL Rookie of the Year.
It was his bat that made it a no-doubter.
Alomar slashed .290/.326/.418 for fourth-place Cleveland with nine homers, 26 doubles, two triples, 60 runs scored, and 66 RBIs in 483 plate appearances (445 at-bats).
Alomar was named as just the third unanimous AL RotY in history, joining Carlton Fisk (1972) and Mark McGwire (1986).
He was also just the third catcher to win the award, alongside Thurman Munson (1970) and Fisk.
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1990 Topps #200 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $70
Don Mattingly’s career was almost a tale of two decades.
With six straight All-Star appearances and one MVP during the 1980s, Mattingly seemed on a clear path to the Hall of Fame.
He could hit for power and average while possessing a rock-solid glove at first base.
But by 1990, the future Yankee Captain was seemingly constantly playing through pain.
Injuries were always the tale of Mattingly’s career, casting a cloud over what looked to be a slam-dunk Hall-of-Fame career in the mid-to-late 1980s.
The impressive home run and RBI totals faded, and Mattingly was overlooked for any All-Star selections in the 1990s.
Even though he still had a top-notch glove on defense and could still hit for average, his power wasn’t nearly what it used to be.
After retiring as a player in 1995, the Indiana native returned to the Majors in 2004 as a coach for the Yankees before slowly working his way up to managing the Dodgers, Marlins, and Blue Jays.
Despite seeing Mattingly’s career begin to decline at the height of his prime, he was one of the hottest names in the hobby of that era, and collectors still love his cards today.
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1990 Topps #730 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $70
There’s bad injury luck.
And then there’s catastrophic injury luck.
The career of the immortal Tony Gwynn falls in the latter category.
In 20 Major League seasons, the generation’s best bell-to-bell hitter lost around 500 games due to various issues.
The list of bumps and bruises that Gwynn endured includes ten different knee surgeries and other dings to his wrist, knees, Achilles tendons, and fingers.
In 1990, the San Diego Padres right fielder lost a few weeks after fracturing his right index finger crashing into the outfield wall in Atlanta.
The training staff had to get creative to get Gwynn back onto the field, attaching a plastic cup to his glove to ease the pain and protect him from future injury.
The digit fracture likely cost him a chance at his fourth consecutive batting title.
Somehow, he still hit .309 for the 75-win Padres with 29 doubles, ten triples, four homers, 79 runs scored, and 72 RBIs in 141 games played.
He landed his sixth All-Star nod and made the most of his plastic cup predicament en route to a fourth career Gold Glove award.
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1990 Topps #220 Barry Bonds
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $70
After four promising seasons, Barry Bonds’ career began to skyrocket in 1990.
It was a season of firsts for the young Bonds.
He hit over .300 (.301), drove in more than 100 RBI (114), hit over 30 home runs (33), and scored more than 100 runs (104) for the first time in his career.
He also set a personal best for stolen bases (52) while leading the league in slugging percentage (.565) and OPS (.970).
The blistering campaign launched the young superstar’s career into the stratosphere.
As a testament to his exceptional performance, Bonds was selected for his first All-Star Game, earned his first MVP title, and was honored with his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.
Still, the superstar slugger’s attitude continued to rub some the wrong way.
Fans raged at Bonds’ perceived lack of effort, swagger, and me-first mentality.
None of this mattered in 1990, though, as he continued to produce fantastic numbers.
Bonds leaped from a five-tool slugger on the verge to the most complete player in baseball.
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1990 Topps #61 Deion Sanders Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $65
1990 was the year that Deion Sanders’ traveling two-sport showcase really got going.
“Prime Time” was selected fifth overall by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 1989.
It was the third time he had been drafted by a professional sports team, following his sixth and 30th-round selections in the 1985 and 1988 MLB drafts.
Most players would choose one and go from there.
Sanders had the bravado and the guts to go for both, consequences be damned.
From the beginning, his decision ruffled the feathers of baseball traditionalists.
There was no way that Sanders could give the game his entire focus, and purists criticized that as a slight.
Sanders didn’t care.
He played 57 games for the 1990 New York Yankees as a left and right fielder, hitting just .158 with a .507 OPS.
The poor showing did little to kill his confidence.
After the 1990 MLB season, Sanders returned to his job as the Atlanta Falcons’ starting cornerback.
He’d continue to dart back and forth between the two sporting worlds for the next five years (and seven years altogether.)
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1990 Topps #692 Sammy Sosa Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
It would take a few years for Sammy Sosa’s career to heat up so I don’t recall this card being too hyped at the time.
But as his career progressed and the home runs kept piling up, he turned into one of the most popular players in the league.
We all know of his association with the PED controversy.
Despite that tarnished reputation, his 1990 Topps rookie still has some value to it in high grade.
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1990 Topps #97 Curt Schilling
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
After a pair of September call-ups in 1988 and 1989, Curt Schilling got his first extended look at the big-league level in 1990.
With the Baltimore Orioles mucking around the .500 mark, manager Frank Robinson wanted to see what he had in the former second-round pick.
Schilling was called up at the end of July and thrust into a pivotal relief role.
To the kid’s credit, he answered the bell.
By most advanced metrics, the 23-year-old righty was one of the game’s most valuable relievers over the season’s final two months.
Schilling pitched to a 2.54 ERA in 35 appearances, scattering 38 hits and surrendering just one homer in 46 innings pitched.
Schilling’s 151 ERA+ and 2.94 FIP were sterling compared to all relief pitchers, let alone rookies.
And while advanced metrics weren’t really a thing in 1990, it was clear that Schilling was one heck of an asset.
Come January, the Orioles parlayed that asset into All-Star third baseman Glenn Davis, shipping Schilling to Houston alongside Pete Harnisch and Steve Finley.
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1990 Topps #300 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
Bo Jackson was an incredibly popular athlete during the late 80s and early 90s.
His reputation as a two-sport superstar earned him a place in commercials, video games, and even cartoons.
He was everywhere.
On the football field, Jackson was one of the game’s best backs with a devastating combination of speed and power.
On the baseball field, Jackson had a cannon for an arm and a compact, powerful swing, which is on full display on this card.
Unfortunately, the 1990 season would be Jackson’s last full season in baseball as a devastating hip injury during a football game in 1991 prevented him from ever playing at his All-Star level again.
Despite the disappointing turn of events in his career, collectors of that era still love Jackson and have built quite the following for his cards these days.
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1990 Topps #570 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
Under manager Frank Robinson, the 1990 Baltimore Orioles finished fifth in the AL East with a 76-85 record.
It was an underwhelming season for the team overall and Ripken’s numbers weren’t the greatest either as he batted just .250 with 21 home runs, 84 RBI, and 78 runs scored.
Still, “The Iron Man” played well enough to earn his eighth straight trip to the All-Star game.
Ripken would regroup during the offseason to turn in the finest season of his career, setting multiple personal bests during the 1991 campaign while taking home his second MVP to go along with a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
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1990 Topps #700 Kirby Puckett
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
From 1986 to 1989, Kirby Puckett was the best defensive center fielder in the game.
The Minnesota Twins superstar was a game-breaking combination of expert instincts, leaping ability, arm strength, and sneaky closing speed.
He showed no signs of dropping off in 1990.
However, manager Tom Kelly was still worried that Puckett needed a break.
If not, Kelly worried that Puckett would burn out before his time.
In August, Kelly penciled Puckett into right field for the first time in his seven-year MLB career.
And while he still featured in center field through the end of 1993, Kelly continued to move the future Hall-of-Famer to right at his discretion.
1990 was, as you might expect, a weird year for Puckett.
It showed at the plate.
The reigning AL batting champion failed to crack .300 (.298) for the first time since 1985.
He registered just 164 hits on the year after leading the league with over 200 hits each of the previous three years.
As Puckett scrambled to find his groove, the Twins slid to 74 wins and last place in the AL West.
All would be forgotten in 1991, but 1990 remained frustrating for everyone in the Twin Cities, Puckett included.
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1990 Topps #450 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
In his first full season back in Oakland after a four-and-a-half-year stint with the Yankees, Rickey Henderson played lights out in 1990, to put it mildly.
Rickey led the AL in four major statistical categories beginning with runs scored (119), stolen bases (65), OPS (1.016), and OBP (.439).
Leading the league in runs scored and stolen bases was nothing new for Henderson, but it was the first time in his career that he outpaced everyone in OBP and OPS.
Within that OBP stat was the remarkable fact that Henderson either walked or hit safely in 125 of the 136 games he played that season.
And he nearly won the batting title with his .325 average, narrowly losing out to George Brett (.329) on the final day of the season.
Not surprisingly, Henderson picked up the AL MVP award that year.
While most of the team struggled at the plate in the World Series that year, Henderson was one of the lone bright spots as he batted .333 (5-15) with an OBP of .444, an OPS of 1.111, two runs scored, and three stolen bases.
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1990 Topps #5 Nolan Ryan “The Rangers Years”
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
For his fourth and final stint in the Majors, Ryan packed his bags in Houston and headed northwest to Dallas.
Most Major Leaguers are finished before they reach their 40s.
But Ryan wasn’t most Major Leaguers.
The legendary fireballer continued to pitch at a high level between the ages of 42 and 46 while in Dallas.
The reverse reads: “The same free agency route that linked him with Houston in 1980 earned Ryan a cash-laden contract with the Rangers last year . . . His return to the American League, to say the least, was successful as Ryan drew to within 11 victories of 300 wins and his 301 strikeouts led the majors, the sixth time he has reached that plateau . . . On June 14, at Texas Stadium, Ryan downed his onetime Angels’ teammates and thus joined the select group of pitchers with wins over all 26 clubs . . . On July 11, at Anaheim, Ryan appeared in his fifth All-Star game and his two inning stint earned him the victory . . . However, his greatest single feat of the season occurred August 22 at Texas when Ryan, with appropriate fanfare, chalked career strikeout No. 5,000, buzzing a 96 mph fastball past Oakland’s Rickey Henderson in the fifth inning.”
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1990 Topps #4 Nolan Ryan “The Astros Years”
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
Ryan may not have been as dominant as many would have expected during his time with the Houston Astros from 1980 to 1988, but “dominant” is a relative term.
After putting up ridiculous numbers in New York and L.A., Ryan never eclipsed the 300-K mark in a single season.
Houston was the only team that never saw Ryan achieve that mark.
The reverse reads: “The decade of the 80’s became a golden era for Ryan in more ways than one. Free agency earned him a rich contract with Houston and during his eight seasons with the Astros he achieved pitching milestones attained by no others . . . On September 26, 1981 he fashioned his record fifth no-hitter, vs. Los Angeles and on April 27, 1983 eclipsed Walter Johnson’s 3,508 strikeout total when he fanned Montreal’s Brad Mills . . . On July 11, 1985 Ryan became the first ever to reach the 4,000 strikeout plateau, victimizing New York’s Danny Heep . . . Ryan’s 270 strikeouts led the NL in 1987 and, at age 40, made him the oldest ever to pace the league in K’s . . . His 106-94 won-lost record in his nine Houston seasons enabled him to equal the fabled Cy Young as the only pitchers to win 100 or more for a club in both leagues, Ryan doing so when he defeated the Mets, July 9, 1988.”
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1990 Topps #3 Nolan Ryan “The Angels Years”
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
Ryan’s next stop was in Los Angeles where he pitched for the Angels from 1972 to 1979.
The reverse reads: “Ryan’s eight seasons with the Angels (1972-1979) not only sustained Horace Greeley’s ‘Go West’ advice, but projected him among the all-time pitching greats . . . Along with authoring four of his record five no-hitters, Ryan won fame and fortune by striking out 2,416 batters in the 2,182 innings he pitched for the California club . . . Working for six managers on a team that was a composite 50 games below .500 during his stay, Ryan was the American League’s strikeout leader seven times, missing only in 1975 when elbow problems, corrected by post-season surgery, idled him much of the second half of that year . . . In five of his Angels’ seasons Ryan had more than 300 K’s, with the 383 he fanned in 1973 the one-season major league standard.”
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1990 Topps #2 Nolan Ryan “The Mets Years”
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
Cards number 2-5 tell the story of Nolan Ryan’s career with the Mets, Angels, Astros and Rangers up to that point in time.
I think it was a great way to salute Ryan and these cards remain one of my favorite subsets of all-time from any set.
The reverse reads: “The pitcher destined to do for strikeouts what Babe Ruth did for home runs was signed by the Mets out of high school in his native Alvin, Texas, in June, 1965 . . . Ryan, although owning ‘a major league fastball’ from the outset, had his expected advance hindered by wildness, bothersome finger blisters and a continuing military obligation…After fanning 445 batters in 291 minor league innings while pitching for five Mets’ farm clubs in three seasons, he reached She Stadium in 1968…But Army Reserve duties and blisters, which trainer Gus Mauch finally alleviated by the application of pickle brine, prevented Ryan from achieving the stability his employers desired…Despite frequent flashes of mound brilliance, Ryan’s lack of consistency finally prompted his inclusion in the December, 1971 trade with the Angels that put him on the path to pitching immortality.”
I think it was a great way to salute Ryan and these cards remain one of my favorite subsets of all-time from any set.
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1990 Topps #757 Larry Walker Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
Larry Walker could flat-out rake with a bat in his hands.
He could also field, as shown by his seven Gold Glove awards.
As a versatile player who could do it all, Larry Walker was a joy to watch.
Walker’s journey to “The Show” started in 1985 when the future Hall of Famer signed with the Montreal Expos for a pittance.
After slogging through the Minors and battling through injury, Walker caught his break in 1989.
He did just enough in 114 games of Triple-A ball to earn a call-up but hit just .170 in his first 20 MLB games.
With Hubie Brooks lost to free agency in the offseason, Expos manager Buck Rodgers named the 23-year-old his starting right fielder in 1990.
His 19 home runs tied Andre Dawson’s rookie franchise record, and his steady play in right field was a critical contribution to the 85-win Expos’ first winning season since 1987.
In a career filled with multiple great seasons, his 1997 season sticks out more than most.
Walker went ballistic that year, smacking 49 home runs, driving in 130 runs, scoring another 143 himself and hitting to the tune of a .363 batting average.
Remarkably, that stat line wasn’t good enough to take home the Triple Crown but he did win MVP honors that season.
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1990 Topps #750 Dale Murphy
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
The face of the Braves became the subject of intense trade talks at the turn of the decade.
After back-to-back MVPs and an explosive six-year stretch over which he averaged over 36 homers and a shade under 105 RBIs per year, Murphy fell off in 1988.
It got worse in 1989, and the trade rumors started to swirl.
The 34-year-old right fielder could veto any trade proposal.
Yet, he seemed understanding of Atlanta’s position as they played the market.
“We really didn’t play that well, and probably because of the way I played. I really didn’t do that well,” Murphy said.
Atlanta didn’t pull the trigger on a deal until early August, giving Murphy four more months to say goodbye to the Braves faithful.
He continued to scuffle as the ink on the wall began to dry.
When he was dealt to the Phillies on August 3rd, the heartbreak was inevitable.
The Braves were moving towards becoming the Team of the 90s, and Murphy’s exit was a sad step in that direction.
Overall, Murphy slashed .245/.318/.417 in 154 games split between Philly and Atlanta.
He slugged 24 homers and added 23 doubles, a triple, 60 runs scored, and 83 RBIs in 629 plate appearances (563 at-bats).
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1990 Topps #675 Jim Abbott
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
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1990 Topps #590 Ozzie Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
Did you know that Ozzie Smith totaled 2,460 hits over his 19-year MLB career?
Many point to the St. Louis Cardinals legend as the epitome of a light-hitting middle infielder.
The predominant narrative paints him as the greatest defensive shortstop of his era despite his perceived shortcomings at the plate.
The truth is different.
While there was little power to speak of, Smith topped .270 nine times in his final twelve seasons.
He hit .262 in 2,573 career games.
That’s a very respectable mark for a defense-first specialist.
In fact, Smith’s 1990 season was one of his worst offensive campaigns post-1983, and it wasn’t all that terrible.
Yes, only 23 of his 130 hits went for extra bases.
Smith was undoubtedly prone to pop-ups and soft grounders, making weak contact more often than not.
However, he still hit at a decent .254 clip with 60 runs scored, 51 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases.
And his efforts were strong enough to land him his tenth consecutive All-Star appearance and eleventh straight Gold Glove.
It was a down year for Smith in a terrible year for the last-place Cards.
It wasn’t a defining moment, more an outlier.
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1990 Topps #331 Juan Gonzalez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
At 16 years old, Juan Gonzalez was a scout’s dream.
The Puerto Rican native was a raw athletic marvel, a perpetual motion machine of cannon throws, explosive hitting, and pure hustle.
Coveted by a long list of MLB teams, the 6-foot-3 center fielder ultimately signed with the Texas Rangers in late May 1986 for $140,000.
By the turn of the decade, Gonzalez was taking his final developmental steps.
On the cusp of a full-time big-league job, Gonzalez opened the 1990 season in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.
It was there, with Oklahoma City, where he proved he’d outgrown the Minor League system.
Gonzalez hit .258 in 128 games for OKC, posting 29 homers and 29 doubles in 537 plate appearances (496 at-bats).
The right-handed power hitter was recalled to Texas for the final month of the ‘90 season.
With the eventual third-place Rangers well out of the AL West race, Gonzalez had time and space to prove his mettle.
And prove it he did, slashing .289/.316/.522 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 95 plate appearances (90 at-bats).
There would be no return trip to the Minors.
Gonzalez remained a Ranger until the end of the 2003 campaign, snagging two AL MVP awards and three All-Star selections along the way.
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1990 Topps #760 Wade Boggs
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Another playoff appearance, another crash and burn for the snake-bitten Red Sox.
It all started so well.
Boston went 76-57 through the first five-plus months of the season, staking an inside track for their third AL East title in five years.
And then, the demons came screaming back.
The Sox lost 17 of their last 29 games, backing their way into a division title thanks to Tom Brunansky’s iconic diving catch in the season’s final game.
Sadly, Brunansky’s heroics weren’t enough to reignite the Sox.
Boston was outscored 20-4 in the ALCS, losing four straight to Oakland without scoring more than one run in a single game.
For the great Wade Boggs, it was another October nightmare.
The other six months weren’t so hot either.
The 32-year-old third baseman put together the worst season of his nine-year career thus far, posting new lows in batting average (.302) and on-base percentage (.386).
His 44 doubles and 187 hits were worth plenty to the AL East champs, but his .804 OPS was well off the torrid pace of his previous seven campaigns.
Boggs worked to make up for lost time in the ALCS with a blistering 7-for-16 performance.
Sadly, the rest of the Red Sox lineup did nothing to help him, and Boston’s postseason losing streak stretched to ten games.
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1990 Topps #715 Greg Maddux
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
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1990 Topps #690 Mark McGwire
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
The Oakland Athletics were the hottest team in baseball in 1990 as they’d go on to finish 103-59 in the regular season and swept the Red Sox 4-0 in the AL Championship Series.
With a well-rounded offense led by the heavy-hitting “Bash Brothers” Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, the A’s had no problem putting runs on the board all season long.
However, things changed in the World Series as they couldn’t seem to figure out the Cincinnati Reds pitching and shockingly found themselves on the other end of a sweep.
After belting 38 home runs and driving in 108 RBI during the regular season, McGwire’s power stroke was silent when it mattered most.
“Big Mac” batted just .214 with zero home runs and zero RBI, while fellow “Bash Brother” Jose Canseco didn’t fare much better.
The dynamic duo had been shut down, something that was unheard of heading into the World Series.
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1990 Topps #250 Jose Canseco
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Although back problems hampered him during the 1990 season, Jose Canseco still managed to blast home runs at one of the highest rates of his career as he would belt 37 in just 481 at-bats.
For his efforts, Canseco earned a trip to his fourth All-Star game and picked up the second Silver Slugger of his career at that point.
Unfortunately, the back issues kicked in at the wrong time as he struggled with back spasms throughout the entire postseason.
Although Canseco batted just .182 (2-11) with one RBI in the AL Championship versus the Red Sox, the Athletics collectively played well enough to sweep Boston.
Unfortunately for Oakland, Canseco was even worse in the World Series, batting 0.083 (1-12) with one home run and two RBI.
This time, the team couldn’t overcome the dip in production and fell quickly to the Reds, 4-0.
1990 Topps Baseball Cards In Review
So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1990 Topps cards.
As you can see, it will take them being professionally graded in gem mint condition to be worth much.
This set was a monster and contained a 792 card checklist in total.
Within the set were also several different subsets, including:
- All-Stars
- Checklists
- Manager Cards
- Nolan Ryan 5,000 Strikeouts
- Record Breakers
- Topps All-Star Rookies
- Turn Back The Clock
It really is a pretty decent set overall.
And for those of us who grew up collecting these as kids, they’ll always have a huge nostalgic factor to them despite not having the most monetary value.
