15 Most Valuable 1993 Score Baseball Cards

1993 Score #489 Derek Jeter Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $125

Derek Jeter turned many heads during his time as a standout baseball player at Kalamazoo Central High School, hitting above .500 in multiple campaigns.

As fate would have it, Jeter caught enough attention from New York Yankees scouts that the legendary organization decided to use the sixth pick of the 1992 MLB Draft on him.

Nobody knew it at the time, but that decision set the wheels in motion for one of the most remarkable careers in New York Yankee history.

Jeter played well during a short stint in Rookie and Class A ball during the remainder of the 1992 season.

As evidence, Jeter entered the 1993 campaign for the Class A Greensboro Hornets as the 44th-best prospect, according to Baseball America.

The future Hall of Famer quickly lived up to expectations, slashing .295/.376/.394 with five home runs, 71 RBIs and 85 runs scored.

After one more full year in the Minors in 1994, Jeter's career as the shortstop for the New York Yankees began on May 29, 1995, when Tony Fernández and Pat Kelly were sidelined with injuries.

In 20 seasons with the Yankees, Jeter earned 14 All-Star appearances and helped the Bronx Bombers win five more World Series titles, cementing his legacy as one of the most iconic players in club history.

1993 Score #1 Ken Griffey Jr.

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50

The 1993 MLB season was when the baseball world saw Ken Griffey Jr. take things to an even higher level.

With four seasons under his belt, the 23-year-old superstar headed into 1993, having already made three All-Star appearances while winning three Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger.

Had Griffey simply maintained his standard level of production at that point, it would have been plenty to keep Seattle Mariners fans content.

But, "The Kid" had something more in store for the Kingdome crowd.

Relying on his ever-smooth swing and increased plate discipline, Griffey slashed .309/.408/.617 while belting 45 home runs, 109 RBIs and an AL-leading 359 total bases.

As if he wasn't already a pain for opposing pitchers, Griffey decided to transform into an absolute nightmare.

The MLB was officially on notice that Griffey was one of the most powerful and productive hitters in the league and he would remain that way for years to come.

His towering drives and incredible swing almost made people forget at times that he was a Gold Glover, too.

You can almost envision Griffey sending one to the moon by looking at this card.

1993 Score #23 Don Mattingly

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50

After missing the playoffs in the previous eleven seasons since making his original MLB debut in 1982, Don Mattingly and the Yankees nearly got a shot at the playoffs in 1993.

Yet, for a twelfth season, it wasn't meant to be for Don Mattingly.

The Yankees were a great team that season, finishing with an 88-74 record for second place in the AL East.

Unfortunately, the Toronto Blue Jays were even better, finishing seven games ahead of the Yankees en route to a second consecutive World Series title.

Despite the postseason disappointment for Mattingly and Yankees fans, one of the brightest stories of the campaign was that "Donnie Baseball" had found rejuvenated power at the plate.

His 17 home runs and 86 RBIs weren't quite at the level he'd produce in the 1980s, but the positive news was he could still produce with the bat.

And, of course, he still had terrific defensive skills at first base, earning his eighth Gold Glove for his efforts.

1993 Score #59 Nolan Ryan

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40

Nolan Ryan's 27th and final season in the Majors was rough for the future first-ballot Hall of Famer.

At 46 years old, Ryan fought through constant injuries and aches, requiring lots of preparation between starts to ready himself for action.

Yet, two distinct moments that occurred that year will live in baseball infamy forever.

The first one was kind of amusing in hindsight.

The other one was just plain sad.

If you watched Major League Baseball in 1993, you'd almost certainly remember a particular incident that occurred during an August 4 outing against the Chicago White Sox.

After Ryan drilled White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura with a fastball, one of the wildest moments of either of their careers unfolded when Ventura charged the mound in a livid rage.

Upon meeting Ryan, though, Ventura quickly found himself in a headlock as Ryan began punching him repeatedly.

That incident lives on in MLB lore, with Ryan the clear winner.

As for the sad incident, just over a month after that fight with Ventura, Ryan heard the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow "pop like a rubber band" during a late-season game at Seattle.

That injury brought one of the most impressive careers in MLB history to an unfortunate close.

1993 Score #71 Rickey Henderson

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40

Oakland A's superstar Rickey Henderson made MLB history on May 1, 1991, when he stole the 939th base of his career to move one ahead of Lou Brock into first place all time.

And in 1993, Henderson again made baseball history on June 16, 1993, when he stole his 1,066th base to break the record previously set by Yutaka Fukumoto, the all-time leader in Nippon Professional Baseball.

The 1993 season, his fifteenth in the Majors, was yet another fantastic year for the prolific lead-off man.

Through the first 90 games with the Oakland Athletics, Henderson hit .327 with 17 home runs, 47 RBIs, 77 runs scored and 31 stolen bases.

But, unfortunately, Oakland rarely turned that production into wins.

So, when the Toronto Blue Jays came calling, looking for help to make another deep run into the playoffs, the Athletics agreed to a trade.

Henderson didn't maintain the same hitting trajectory he was on in Oakland, but Toronto did reap the benefits of his 22 stolen bases and 37 runs scored in 44 regular season games.

As a finale to an eventful season for Henderson, he and Paul Molitor joyfully trotted around the bases when Joe Carter sent a game-winning homer over the fence to seal a World Series win for the Blue Jays.

1993 Score #504 Ken Griffey Jr. All-Star

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40

The baseball card market was incredibly competitive by the time this set was released.

Companies were doing anything they could to set themselves apart.

One of the things that Score became known for were creative subsets and cards like the All-Stars in this set that almost seemed gimmicky at the time.

Some collectors enjoyed these caricature-styled cards while others didn't but, one thing's for sure, Score accomplished its goal of standing out from other brands.

For the most part, kids enjoyed them and it's easy to understand why, as the cartoon appeal made them fun and enjoyable for youngsters.

During his fifth season in the Majors in 1993, Griffey again turned in an All-Star campaign, his fourth straight.

And over his 22-year career, he'd make a trip to the Midsummer Classic thirteen times.

1993 Score #536 Ken Griffey Jr. Dream Team

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40

The "Dream Team" subset featured eleven of the biggest stars of the day shown in a black-and-white color scheme that gave the cards a dramatic look and feel.

It's anyone's guess how Score came up with this group of players as huge names at the time, like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Tony Wynn, Ryne Sandberg and others didn't make it.

Still, it was a good list since, of the eleven players, eight turned out to be Hall of Famers.

Ken Griffey Jr., Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, Ivan Rodriguez, Roberto Alomar, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, and Dennis Eckersley all eventually received the "Call to the Hall."

Charles Nagy, Andy Van Slyke, and Gary Sheffield were all incredible players but didn't end up with resumes worthy of Cooperstown.

Of the group, Griffey Jr. was and still is the most popular in the subset.

1993 Score #606 Kirby Puckett

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40

Throughout his twelve seasons in Major League Baseball, Kirby Puckett was consistently one of the best outfielders in the game.

Known for his strengths with both the bat and glove, Puckett earned six Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards over his Hall of Fame career.

And he became a fan favorite and Minnesota sports icon after helping the team to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991.

During the 1993 campaign, Puckett was as steady as ever, slashing .296/.349/.474 with 22 home runs, 89 RBIs, 89 runs scored and 39 doubles.

He wouldn't win a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger that season, but he made the All-Star team for the eighth season.

Unfortunately, the Twins' pitching staff struggled all year as their runs allowed ballooned from 653 in 1992 to an eye-popping 830 in 1993.

Because of that, Minnesota fell to fifth place in the AL West with a 71-91 record.

The Twins would turn in two more losing records in 1994 and 1995 before unexpectedly having to say goodbye to their beloved superstar in 1996.

Because of an unfortunate vision loss in one eye, Puckett was forced into retirement at just 36 years old.

1993 Score #286 Mike Piazza Rookie Prospect

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35

Few players rose from basically being overlooked to as high as Mike Piazza ascended in the history of Major League Baseball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't draft Piazza until the 62nd round of the 1988 MLB Amateur Draft until they selected him with the 1,390th pick.

And the reason they did so was basically that Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, a long-time friend of Piazza's father, Vince, was doing his friend a favor.

That's not to say Piazza wasn't talented from an early age.

It was more so that most didn't think he would be able to make it as a first baseman at the professional level.

Fortunately, Lasorda convinced Piazza to switch to playing catcher to increase his chances of moving up the professional ladder.

The switch worked, and on September 1, 1992, Mike Piazza made his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs.

And the following season, he became their full-time catcher for the 1993 campaign.

From that point, Piazza's career exploded.

In 149 games and 547 at-bats, Piazza slashed .318/.370/.561 with 35 home runs, 112 RBIs and 81 runs scored to earn 1993 NL Rookie of the Year honors and his first of ten career Silver Sluggers.

1993 Score #321 Pedro Martinez Rookie Prospect

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35

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1993 Score #6 Cal Ripken Jr.

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30

Though the Orioles finished the 1993 season at 85-77 and tied with the Detroit Tigers for third place in the AL East, Baltimore fans still had reason to be happy.

Despite spraining the MCL in his knee after slipping on the grass during a benches-clearing brawl with the Seattle Mariners on June 6, 1993, Cal Ripken Jr. suited up the next day for consecutive game number 1,791.

Had Ripken been unable to play, his streak would have ended at 1,790, just 340 games shy of Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130.

Fortunately for Ripken and baseball fans everywhere, the streak remained intact.

As for Ripken's performance that year, he led the Majors in at-bats (641) for the second time in his career while slashing .257/.329/.420.

His 24 home runs and 90 RBIs showed his incredible skill with the bat and earned him a seventh Silver Slugger.

He also kept another streak alive by participating in his eleventh-straight All-Star Game.

Overall, it was another standard year for one of the greatest shortstops who ever played.

1993 Score #24 Tony Gwynn

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30

The San Diego Padres were terrible in 1993, finishing with a 61-101 record and in last place of the NL West, 43 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves.

Only the New York Mets played worse than the Padres that year, finishing with an MLB-worst 59-103 record.

There simply wasn't much to cheer for in San Diego that year.

Still, as was the case almost every season, they hoped their beloved superstar, Tony Gwynn, would take home another batting title.

Heading into the year, the Hall of Famer already had four batting crowns to his name and had a reputation as one of the game's most feared hitters and one of the toughest outs.

Gwynn played well all season long and finished with another incredible batting average of .358, which usually would be enough to win another title.

Unfortunately for Gwynn and Padres fans, Colorado's Andrés Galarraga was just a bit better, hitting a career-high .370 average for the expansion Colorado Rockies.

Gwynn would immediately bounce back the next season, batting for an eye-popping .394 average for his fifth title

1993 Score #3 Frank Thomas

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25

Throughout the 1990s, Frank Thomas was no stranger to blasting towering shots over the outfield fence, as he was seemingly good for 30-40 homers per season.

So, I love how the image on this card portrays Thomas in that exact light.

Who knows how this particular at-bat ended for "The Big Hurt," but by the looks of his reaction, it's fair to say that the ball likely had a chance at ending up in the outfield stands.

After smashing 32 and 24 home runs in 1991 and 1992, Thomas eclipsed the 40-home run mark for the first of five times in his career with 41 home runs in 1993.

He also hit .317 with 106 runs scored, 106 RBIs, and 112 walks.

In doing so, Thomas joined Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams as the only players to hit .300+ with more than 20 home runs and more than 100 walks, RBIs, and runs scored for three straight seasons.

Amazingly, Thomas did it another four years after that, setting himself apart as the only player with those numbers in seven consecutive seasons.

As a tip of the hat to Thomas's incredible 1993 season, he rightfully took home his first of two career MVP Awards.

1993 Score #57 George Brett

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25

Nobody was surprised when George Brett received 98.2% of the vote needed for election to the Hall of Fame when he became eligible in 1999.

At the time, only Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan and Ty Cobb had received a higher vote percentage.

Not only was Brett an incredible baseball player, he played with a longevity that few others could ever hope to manage.

At 40, Brett suited up for the Kansas City Royals for the 21st time in 1993 and still slashed .266/.312/.434 with 19 home runs, 75 RBIs and 69 runs scored in 560 at-bats.

Another postseason run would've been a great way to cap his career, but at 84-78, the Royals finished ten games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL West.

And then, Brett decided to retire from the game he so dearly loved.

At the time, no other third baseman had more hits (3,154) than him until Adrian Beltre eventually surpassed him with 3,166 years later.

A thirteen-time All-Star, three-time batting champion, MVP and World Series champion, George Brett left a legacy as one of the greatest third basemen to ever hold down the hot corner.

1993 Score #482 Barry Bonds

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25

Coming off a three-year run during his final days as a Pittsburgh Pirate in which Barry Bonds won two MVPs in 1990 and 1992 and finished as runner-up in 1991, the superstar slugger needed a fresh start.

It's no secret that his days in Pittsburgh were controversial and his relationship with fans was rocky.

But it was also no secret that many teams were hesitant to sign him to a new contract because of that reputation.

That was especially true considering the amount of money Bonds was seeking.

However, one guy didn't hesitate to pounce on the opportunity to sign the generational talent, no matter the controversy that came with him.

After buying the San Francisco Giants for $100 million during the 1992 offseason, new owner Peter Magowan signed Bonds to a six-year, $43 million contract.

The previous owner wanted to move the Giants to Tampa Bay.

Magowan wanted to bring baseball relevance back to San Francisco.

The impact of the deal was immediate, as the team improved from 72 wins in 1992 to 103 wins in 1993 behind Bonds' leadership and production.

The Giants fell one game shy of winning the NL West but Bonds brought the MVP trophy to San Francisco.

1993 Score Baseball Cards In Review

As you can see, while the values of these cards may not be as eye-popping as others in the hobby, many can still command a respectable price in top grade.

And the Derek Jeter rookie is certainly a must-have for the many Yankee and Jeter collectors throughout the hobby.

For those who like hobby trivia and facts, after a couple of years of making sets that featured two series, Score decided to print all 660 cards in the checklist in one series.

Within the checklist there are some decent subsets near the back end of each series, including:

• Award Winners (#481 - 486)
• Draft Picks (#487 - 501)
• AL All-Stars (#502 - 512)
• Highlights (#513 - 519)
• World Series Highlights (#520 - 521)
• NL All-Stars (#522 - 531)
• Dream Team (#532 - 542)

This set is certainly not going to break the bank or set any records for highest-priced cards of the era but it does pack plenty of nostalgia.