The rookie baseball cards from the 1968 season introduced some of the biggest names the sport has ever seen. Players like Nolan Ryan, Reggie Jackson, and Carlton Fisk debuted in 1968 and went on to stellar careers in Major League Baseball. Their rookie cards from that season are some of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards ever printed.
Released by Topps, 1968 was the 57th year the company produced baseball cards as the exclusive maker of hockey and football cards as well. For baseball, more and more young stars were emerging each season in the late 1960s. Names like Ryan, Jackson, Fisk, and others would appear on 1968 Topps rookie cards waiting to burst onto the scene.
Nolan Ryan’s rookie card is likely the most well known and valuable from the 1968 set. As the #496 card in the series, it features Ryan as a member of the New York Mets wearing the team’s classic blue and orange colors. At the time, no one could have predicted that Ryan would go on to strikeout over 5,000 batters, throw seven no-hitters, and become arguably the greatest pitcher in MLB history. His rookie card has sold for over $100,000 in mint condition.
Another future Hall of Famer and one of baseball’s icons, Reggie Jackson had his rookie season in 1968 as well. As a member of the Oakland Athletics, Jackson’s #526 Topps card introduced Baseball fans to “Mr. October.” It features a headshot of the 21-year old slugger in the green and gold A’s uniform. Jackson would take his stellar power hitting to new heights with the Athletics and later the New York Yankees, winning five World Series titles and being named World Series MVP three times. High grade 1968 Topps Reggie Jackson rookie cards have sold for over $50,000.
Catcher Carlton Fisk debuted with the Boston Red Sox organization in 1968 and his #495 Topps rookie card marked the beginning of what became a Hall of Fame career. Known best for his dramatic home run in the 1975 World Series, Fisk played his entire career in the Boston and Chicago White Sox uniforms he wore on his inaugural baseball card. As one of the greatest catchers of all-time and a true icon of the Red Sox franchise, PSA 10 graded examples of Fisk’s 1968 Topps rookie have exceeded $10,000 at auction.
Some other notable rookies featured in the 1968 Topps set included Don Sutton with the Los Angeles Dodgers on card #592. “Sutton would win 324 career games and helped the Dodgers win several pennants and World Series titles during his illustrious career. His rookie is valued around $3,000 today. Al Kaline’s final rookie card ran in 1968 as the Detroit Tigers great completed his career. On card #479, Kaline looked back on a Hall of Fame run with the Tigers.
Two future 500 home run club legends had their rookie cards in the set as well. For the Philadelphia Phillies, #436 Mike Schmidt’s rookie card introduced a player who would become arguably the greatest third baseman ever. Schmidt hit 548 career home runs and won three NL MVP awards. Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dave Parker debuted on card #289. “The Cobra” would go on to hit 339 homers in his career playing for the Reds, Pirates, and others. Both Schmidt and Parker rookie cards can be acquired for under $1,000 still.
While not all rookies featured in the 1968 Topps set went on to the same career heights of the aforementioned players, they all provided a first look at the next generation of baseball stars. Sets from the late 1960s are considered some of the most iconic in the history of the hobby due to all the talent they introduced. The rookie cards of Ryan, Jackson, Fisk, Sutton, and others have become extremely valuable over 50-plus years since their release as representations of the early years of some of baseball’s all-time greatest players. Today, maintaining high grades of these inaugural cards remains important to collectors pursuing pieces of baseball history from the 1968 season.
The 1968 Topps baseball card set holds a very special place in the hobby. It introduced legends like Nolan Ryan, Reggie Jackson, and Carlton Fisk among others. While impossible to predict true greatness from a rookie card alone, these players more than lived up to the hype. Their rookie cards remain some of the most coveted and financially valuable in the entire collecting world. For any fan or collector of the sport, possessing a nicely centered and cornered example of a 1968 rookie like Ryan or Jackson brings you as close as possible to owning a piece of the origins of some the MLB’s all-time best.
