25 Most Valuable 1988 Donruss Baseball Cards
For some reason, I feel like I shouldn’t like 1988 Donruss baseball cards…
Their design wasn’t the greateSt. The rookie cards weren’t as great as other sets from the 1980’s.
But I just can’t help it…
I loved this set as a kid and it still brings many fond memories to me to this day.
The set contained 660 cards in total, offered several subsets and even a 63-piece Stan Musial puzzle that kept you busy trying to assemble with pieces of it randomly inserted into packs.
While it may not be the best set of the 1980’s, there’s no question it has its place in the history of the “junk era”.
And in this guide, I will cover the 25 most valuable 1988 Donruss cards that some collectors still enjoy pursuing in high grade today.
Let’s jump right in!
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Ross Uitts – Owner
- #1
1988 Donruss #61 Nolan Ryan
PSA 10 Value $120Total PSA Population 965PSA 10 Population 324PSA 10 Grade Rate 33.6% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Nolan Ryan needs no introduction and his popularity in the hobby remains as strong as ever.
Whether you’re talking vintage or modern baseball cards, Ryan is always a key to any set in which he appears.
There are just so many Nolan Ryan collectors out there and they’re always looking for any of his cards in top grade.
One of the more visually-appealing cards on this list, Ryan is pictured in his retro Astros uniform midway through his delivery working to blow yet another fastball past an opposing hitter.
- #2
1988 Donruss #657 Gregg Jefferies Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $80Total PSA Population 247PSA 10 Population 113PSA 10 Grade Rate 45.7% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Picked 20th overall by the New York Mets in the 1985 Draft, Gregg Jefferies slugged his way up through the Mets’ Minor League system, earning a call-up in late 1987.
He was the youngest player in the Majors at 19 years old.
New York manager Davey Johnson had a problem on his hands to start the 1988 season.
One year off a second-place NL East finish and primed to contend, the Mets’ starting lineup was too deep to take a chance on a rookie.
At least initially.
Jefferies started in Triple-A for more seasoning, where he was sometimes inconsistent, hitting .282 with a modest .717 OPS.
Regardless, the California native was called up in late August, this time to stay.
The kid asserted his worth in 29 late-season games, slashing .321/.364/.596 with six homers, eight doubles, two triples, and 17 RBIs.
New York went 24-7 with him on the roster, clearing the rest of the NL East by fifteen games.
Jefferies started all seven games at third in the NLCS, going 9-for 27 (.333) with two doubles, two runs scored, an RBI, and four walks.
His rookie card was extremely popular when 1988 Donruss first hit hobby shop and store shelves.
One thing I’ve always thought was funny was how this card was labeled a “short print,” a term used in the hobby when relatively fewer copies of a card are produced than others in a given set.
In an era of excessive printing and market saturation, the term “short print” just sounds funny as there were likely still a bazillion of them in circulation.
- #3
1988 Donruss #326 Barry Bonds
PSA 10 Value $75Total PSA Population 614PSA 10 Population 110PSA 10 Grade Rate 17.9% (Set Avg: 31.4%)As a kid, I used to love those old Pirates teams that featured Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Andy Van Slyke.
Those three made for a hell of an outfield and they were also exciting at the plate, especially Bonds and Bonilla.
We all know the controversy that hangs over Barry Bonds due to the PED scandal but you can’t deny that he possessed an incredible skill set, likely one of the best the game has ever seen.
The guy was an unbelievable five-tool talent and we’ll see if he ever cracks the Hall of Fame.
For now, this second year Bonds card remains one of the most desirable in the set and features a great image of the young slugger in his Pirates uniform.
- #4
1988 Donruss #1 Mark McGwire Diamond Kings
PSA 10 Value $70Total PSA Population 294PSA 10 Population 56PSA 10 Grade Rate 19.0% (Set Avg: 31.4%) - #5
1988 Donruss #220 Bo Jackson
PSA 10 Value $65Total PSA Population 544PSA 10 Population 111PSA 10 Grade Rate 20.4% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Bo Jackson was all over the place during the late 1980’s: Nike campaigns, dominating home games of Tecmo Bowl on Nintendo, and many other outlets.
What do you expect when you’re both an NFL Pro Bowler and MBL All-Star?
We’ll forever remember Bo Jackson for his two-sport stardom but will also be left wondering what might have been had he not suffered that hip injury on the football field.
His popularity in the baseball card hobby is as strong as ever as many of those kids who collected his cards back in the 1980’s have now re-entered the hobby as adults desiring to relive fond childhood memories.
- #6
1988 Donruss #171 Cal Ripken Jr.
PSA 10 Value $55Total PSA Population 266PSA 10 Population 64PSA 10 Grade Rate 24.1% (Set Avg: 31.4%)The 1988 Baltimore Orioles didn’t do much to entertain their fans.
So, one fan decided to take things into her own hands.
(Or lips, for that matter.) Everything fell apart as soon as the O’s began their regular-season schedule.
With his team 0-for-6 after the campaign’s first two series, Baltimore owner Edward Bennett Williams made a brash move, firing manager Cal Ripken Sr., father of his superstar shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. It was far from the magic fix this talent-stricken team needed.
Baltimore lost 15 consecutive games from there, setting an American League record with a 0-21 start.
Baltimore ended the campaign with the league’s worst record (54-107) despite another All-Star campaign from Ripken Jr. Yet, things did get exciting for one night at least when a lady ran on the field to smooch Ripken after a homer.
Dubbed the “Kissing Bandit,” Morganna was arrested 19 times from 1969 to 2000 for trespassing on MLB fields.
- #7
1988 Donruss #34 Roberto Alomar Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $50Total PSA Population 1,955PSA 10 Population 558PSA 10 Grade Rate 28.5% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Pictured as a member of the San Diego Padres on his rookie card, Roberto Alomar would lend his talents to seven different ball clubs over his Hall of Fame career.
His time with Toronto, Baltimore and Cleveland was when he truly cemented his legacy as one of the greatest second basemen to ever play.
Alomar had many tools in his arsenal as he consistently hit, defended and ran the bases at a high level.
The 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover (the most of any second baseman in history) earned a much-deserved induction into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
- #8
1988 Donruss #40 Mark Grace Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $50Total PSA Population 1,206PSA 10 Population 455PSA 10 Grade Rate 37.7% (Set Avg: 31.4%)This card was one of the hottest in my circle of collecting friends when this card was first released.
I grew up in Indiana so many in the area were Chicago Cubs fans.
And the hype surrounding Mark Grace could not have been bigger so everyone had to have this card.
Grace never did quite reach superstar status or develop into a Hall of Fame-caliber player but he was extremely consistent and effective at the plate and on the base paths.
- #9
1988 Donruss #368 Kirby Puckett
PSA 10 Value $50Total PSA Population 182PSA 10 Population 66PSA 10 Grade Rate 36.3% (Set Avg: 31.4%) - #10
1988 Donruss #26 Cal Ripken Jr. Diamond Kings
PSA 10 Value $45Total PSA Population 221PSA 10 Population 61PSA 10 Grade Rate 27.6% (Set Avg: 31.4%) - #11
1988 Donruss #164 Tony Gwynn
PSA 10 Value $45Total PSA Population 256PSA 10 Population 73PSA 10 Grade Rate 28.5% (Set Avg: 31.4%)San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn was a .300 hitter in each of 19 consecutive seasons from 1983 to 2001.
His only miss came in his abbreviated, 54-game debut in 1982.
And it wasn’t like he left room for doubt.
With his rookie season taken out of the equation, Gwynn hit nearly .340 from the mid-1980s through his ’01 retirement.
Along the way, the Padres’ corner outfielder collected 15 All-Star appearances, seven Silver Sluggers, and a National League record eight batting titles.
Oddly enough, one of those batting crowns was earned with one of Gwynn’s worst season-to-season averages.
In 1988, runs and batting average cratered deeply.
It was the new Year of the Pitcher, with 1-0 and 2-1 run games the norm.
Gwynn, impervious to pitching trends as ever, earned his third title with a .313 mark.
He was one of just five NL hitters who cracked .300.
What’s great about this is that Gwynn’s .313 average was the second-worst of his 19-year masterclass.
- #12
1988 Donruss #277 Rickey Henderson
PSA 10 Value $45Total PSA Population 216PSA 10 Population 77PSA 10 Grade Rate 35.6% (Set Avg: 31.4%)The Oakland A’s had their sights on bringing Rickey Henderson back well before he returned in mid-1989.
In 1988, the A’s and the New York Yankees were at different stages of their franchise trajectories.
Buoyed by reigning Rookie-of-the-Year Mark McGwire and soon-to-be MVP Jose Canseco, Oakland bludgeoned their way through the AL schedule to finish with an MLB-leading 104 wins.
The Yankees, on the other hand, were one of five good-but-not-great teams in a mediocre NL East race.
New York ended at 85-76, only 3.5 games out but still in fifth place.
While the Yankees played frustratingly inconsistent ball, Henderson shone, earning MVP votes and an All-Star spot with a .305 average and MLB-high 93 stolen bases.
This caught the attention of Oakland’s front office, and they began maneuvering for a trade call.
Once they were dumped by the Dodgers in a shocking five-game World Series loss, rumors of a Henderson reunion picked up steam.
By the following summer, he was back in the trademark green & gold.
- #13
1988 Donruss #644 Tom Glavine Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $45Total PSA Population 2,448PSA 10 Population 643PSA 10 Grade Rate 26.3% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Remember how dominant those Braves teams of the 1990’s were?
Well, you’re looking at one of the reasons why they had so much success.
Glavine wasn’t overpowering but he was extremely crafty and knew how to break down opposing hitters with methodical precision.
His smarts, determination and longevity helped him to rack up 305 career wins, one of the highest totals of any lefty who ever stepped on the mound.
Much like his pitching style, his rookie card may not be flashy but it sits consistently at the top of key cards in this set.
- #14
1988 Donruss #7 Paul Molitor Diamond Kings
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 77PSA 10 Population 44PSA 10 Grade Rate 57.1% (Set Avg: 31.4%) - #15
1988 Donruss #153 Wade Boggs
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 90PSA 10 Population 25PSA 10 Grade Rate 27.8% (Set Avg: 31.4%)There was a time when Wade Boggs felt like an equal to the great Ted Williams.
History will remember Williams as the GOAT, and rightfully so, but that’s because Boggs did his damage over a compact, blistering stretch.
Williams won six batting titles to five for Boggs, spreading them out to all ends of his 19-year career.
Boggs, on the other hand, won his five in a six-year period from 1983 through 1988.
Boggs regressed to the mean late in his career, whereas Williams did not.
However, what a peak he had.
Even Williams didn’t put five seasons of .357 or more within six or even seven years.
Boggs wasn’t just the top pure hitter of the 1980s, he was an outlier in MLB history.
The last of Boggs’ five crowns came in 1988.
Ending the campaign as a Silver Slugger and a sixth-place finisher for MVP, the 30-year-old Red Sox third baseman led the Majors in average (.366), on-base percentage (.476), OPS (.965), walks (125), and runs (128), among other categories.
- #16
1988 Donruss #204 Will Clark
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 81PSA 10 Population 42PSA 10 Grade Rate 51.9% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Whether or not you believe Will Clark is a Hall-of-Fame snub probably comes down to what stats matter most to you.
When considering first basemen for enshrinement in Cooperstown, most voters tend to defer to the usual counting stats (home runs, RBIs, extra-base hits, and the like).
Clark hit a career-best 35 home runs in 1987 and followed that up with his second-best total in ’88 (29).
However, that means he had only one 30-bomb season to his credit, a death knell for the candidacy of most corner infielders.
Four 100-RBI campaigns and six 20-homer campaigns don’t often get it done.
However, this sidesteps the true impact Clark had on four MLB teams over 15 years.
Clark hit over .300 for his career (.303), and his overall OPS+ of 137 is better than Cooperstown legends like Ken Griffey Jr. (136), George Brett (135), Al Kaline (134), Tony Gwynn (132), and Wade Boggs (131).
- #17
1988 Donruss #217 Don Mattingly
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 317PSA 10 Population 119PSA 10 Grade Rate 37.5% (Set Avg: 31.4%)It was hard to find any hotter baseball cards than those of Don Mattingly during the late 1980’s.
He seemed to be on a surefire trajectory to one day join countless other Yankees in the Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, he was routinely bitten by the injury bug and his production dropped off substantially during the 1990’s.
Today, his cards can still be found listed among the most valuable in many of those 1980’s sets and this one is no exception.
- #18
1988 Donruss #263 Ozzie Smith
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 115PSA 10 Population 46PSA 10 Grade Rate 40.0% (Set Avg: 31.4%)The sharp rise and fall of the 1980s St. Louis Cardinals would make for an underrated documentary watch.
From 1982 to 1987, the Cardinals oscillated between championship-caliber and mediocre, splitting three blah campaigns with two pennant wins and a 1982 World Series title.
However, the spoils of St. Louis’ success would soon be their undoing.
According to the testimony of manager Whitey Herzog, the Cardinals’ clubhouse slowly fractured due to late nights, rampant cocaine use, and ceaseless infighting.
When 1988 rolled around, the party finally caught up.
Veterans underperformed, the team came up whiffing in clutch situations, and injuries reared their ugly heads.
It all added up to just 76 wins and the start of a seven-postseason drought.
One player who stayed the course, however, was the incomparable Ozzie Smith.
While his hitting regressed to below league-average (.270 avg, 98 OPS+), “The Wizard” elevated over the NL for a Gold Glove and an NL-best 3.2 dWAR.
- #19
1988 Donruss #295 Robin Yount
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 87PSA 10 Population 51PSA 10 Grade Rate 58.6% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Robin Yount’s 1989 NL MVP season was a late-career triumph, but we shouldn’t overlook the strides he took in 1988 to get there.
While his Milwaukee Brewers teammates flailed early in the year, Yount was undeterred, stitching together one of the most complete performances of his Hall-of-Fame career.
And when Milwaukee stormed back into the division race late in the year, it was their captain who led the way, hitting .319 and .326 in August and September, respectively.
The 87-win Brewers came up just short, two games back of the division-winning Red Sox.
Yet, they would have been lucky to finish at .500 without Yount in the lineup.
The 32-year-old centerfielder finished in the top ten in the AL in WAR (5.7) while playing all 162 games.
His 21 double plays grounded into may have been killers, yet they were completely offset by his .306 average, 13 home runs, 38 doubles, and AL-best 11 triples.
- #20
1988 Donruss #369 Eric Davis
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 52PSA 10 Population 27PSA 10 Grade Rate 51.9% (Set Avg: 31.4%)One year before Jose Canseco became the first player to cross the 40/40 barrier, Cincinnati Reds center fielder Eric Davis almost opened the 40/50 club.
Despite a rib injury that cost him 17 of Cincy’s final 27 games, Davis ended the campaign with 37 home runs and 50 stolen bases.
Everything seemed to align for Eric the Red to make history in 1988.
But an injury-riddled start nixed that right away.
Both fans and people in the organization began to openly question Davis, wondering aloud if he was milking his injuries.
Davis floundered over the season’s first two months, and the chatter got louder.
Reds general manager Murray Cook cut trade rumors off at the knees, stating that he wouldn’t “grace it with a reply.” Instead of brooding, Davis kicked into gear.
Sidestepping a laundry list of injuries, he ended the year slashing .273/.363/.489 for the second-place Reds with 26 homers, 35 stolen bases, 18 doubles, three triples, 81 runs scored, and 93 RBIs.
Under the microscope and angry, Davis seemed tired of the Cincinnati grind.
However, things would cool down in the offseason, and he’d return in 1989 on a one-year, incentive-laden deal.
- #21
1988 Donruss #539 Greg Maddux
PSA 10 Value $40Total PSA Population 275PSA 10 Population 76PSA 10 Grade Rate 27.6% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Greg Maddux was the most consistently dominant pitcher of the 1990s and early 2000s.
It took working through some kinks in the 1980s to make that happen.
1988 was Maddux’s big breakout season with the Chicago Cubs, but it was as uneven as it was impressive.
The 22-year-old righty was the NL’s Cy Young frontrunner after three months, turning in ERAs of 2.20, 2.06, and 2.22.
He was an obvious choice for his first All-Star Game and was seriously considered for the NL’s starting role before Dwight Gooden was selected.
It felt like the Cubs’ franchise ace had arrived earlier than anticipated.
Then, the second half of the season began.
Bedeviled by uncharacteristic control problems, Maddux faded big-time as the Cubs completed another losing season.
It all averaged out to an 18-8 record with a 3.18 ERA.
Maddux completed nine of his 34 starts, striking out 140 (against 81 walks) in 249.0 innings.
- #22
1988 Donruss #78 Dale Murphy
PSA 10 Value $35Total PSA Population 133PSA 10 Population 58PSA 10 Grade Rate 43.6% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Dale Murphy’s Hall-of-Fame candidacy was literally cut off at the knees.
If you focused on the Atlanta Braves icon’s 1980-87 output, you’d see one of the generation’s most feared power hitters, if not its most feared.
Murphy won back-to-back MVPs in ’82 and ’83, and back-to-back NL home run crowns in ’84 and ’85.
He made the All-Star team seven times in the first eight years of the decade.
Then, Murphy’s legs stopped cooperating.
The toll of multiple procedures on both knees became painfully apparent in 1988 as the right-handed slugger struggled to get lift or keep his swing on track.
The 32-year-old right fielder was still able to play 156 games, but his quick decline in athleticism knocked him way out of the Gold Glove conversation.
Murphy also posted his worst batting average (.226) in a decade and his fewest homers (24) since the strike-shortened 1981 campaign.
Murphy’s compromised legs also led to grounding into an MLB-worst 24 double plays.
- #23
1988 Donruss #102 George Brett
PSA 10 Value $35Total PSA Population 193PSA 10 Population 80PSA 10 Grade Rate 41.5% (Set Avg: 31.4%)After two injury-plagued years, George Brett returned to the MVP conversation in 1988.
The Kansas City Royals’ corner infielder missed nearly three months of combined games in 1986 and 1987.
He still hit at an All-Star level, yet it was hard for Brett to be consistently great when he was in and out of the lineup so frequently.
In ’88, Brett put his offseason conditioning to work and played his most games (157) since the 1976 season.
The 35-year-old got most of his reps, pushing his average above .300 (.306) for the first time since 1985 and the tenth time in his career.
Overall, the Hall-of-Fame slashed .306/.389/.509 with 24 home runs, 42 doubles, 90 runs, 82 walks, and 103 RBIs in 681 plate appearances (589 at-bats).
He won his third Silver Slugger and earned just his second share of MVP votes (12th) since 1982.
Two years later, Brett would use this momentum to secure a third batting title, becoming the only player with crowns in three different decades.
- #24
1988 Donruss #242 Ryne Sandberg
PSA 10 Value $35Total PSA Population 177PSA 10 Population 87PSA 10 Grade Rate 49.2% (Set Avg: 31.4%)Early in the 1988 season, Cal Ripken Jr. met the infamous Morganna the Kissing Bandit at home plate after a round-tripper.
An interloper who risked arrest nearly two dozen times in search of smooches, Morganna became a cult figure among baseball fans.
Later in the ’88 season, Morganna went for it again.
On August 8th, the Chicago Cubs tried to put the misery of another losing year behind them with the first-ever night game at Wrigley Field.
This was the franchise’s moment for a rare center-stage appearance, and it was also Morganna’s cue for a show.
Seconds before Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg stepped in for his first at-bat, Morganna leaped over the barricade and bee-lined for the Hall-of-Famer.
She was stopped short of her goal, but the interruption had a positive effect.
Sandberg homered on the first pitch he saw, a thrilling start to Wrigley’s night slate.
Sadly, the game was washed out by rain, and both Morganna and Sandberg’s efforts were for naught.
- #25
1988 Donruss #625 The Ripken Family
PSA 10 Value $35Total PSA PopulationPSA 10 PopulationPSA 10 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 31.4%)
Ross’s Take
So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1988 Donruss cards.
As you can see, it will take them being professionally graded in gem mint condition to be worth much and that’s not easy considering how easily those colored borders will show wear and tear.
Either way you can’t argue there were a few good rookie cards and many great stars of the day in the 660-card checkliSt. And along with that Stan Musial puzzle we mentioned earlier, the set also contained multiple different subsets and inserts, including: Diamond Kings Rated Rookies MVPs To those who love this set, it can really bring some huge nostalgic value and to those who despise it, well, to each his own.
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Ross Uitts – Owner
