The 1968 Topps baseball card set ushered in a new era for the sport and the hobby, featuring several star rookies who would go on to Hall of Fame careers. While not quite as iconic or valuable as the 1952 Topps set that introduced players like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Sandy Koufax, the 1968 Topps rookie class remains one of the most recognizable in the hobby’s history.
Topping the list of rookies from 1968 Topps is Nolan Ryan, whose #575 card kicked off one of the most impressive pitching careers in baseball history. Still holding numerous strikeout records over 50 years later, Ryan would go on to tally 5,714 total strikeouts and pitch until he was 46 years old in 1993. His rookie card today can fetch over $1,000 in near mint condition showing just how storied his career became. Also making their Topps rookie card debuts in 1968 were Reggie Jackson, Joe Morgan, and Johnny Bench, all future Hall of Famers.
Jackson’s #577 card shows him as a Kansas City Athletics player before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles and then achieving superstardom with the New York Yankees of the 1970s. “Mr. October” put together a remarkable MLB career hitting 563 home runs and is one of the most clutch postseason performers of all-time. In pristine condition, Jackson’s 1968 Topps RC has sold for over $6,000. Second baseman Joe Morgan’s #326 card featured him as a member of the Houston Astros, the team he broke out with on his way to 12 All-Star selections and two World Series rings with the Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s. Darryl Strawberry and Cal Ripken Jr. also made their cardboard debuts in 1968 Topps, before their great careers had really begun.
But the biggest star rookie of the entire 1968 Topps set was undoubtedly Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench, whose #110 card introduced “Johnny Bench” to the hobby in his true rookie season. Bench went on to win a record 10 Gold Gloves as a catcher in the National League to go along with two MVP awards and parts of two decades shaping arguably the greatest defensive catcher of all-time. His 1968 Topps RC today regularly fetches over $10,000 in top grades due to his immense playing career and the smaller population of high-grade examples that have survived since 1968. Bench holds a special place in the hearts of Reds fans and the hobby alike as one of the true superstars emerging from the 1968 Topps set.
While the stars above received the most attention and value today, several other notable players had their cardboard coming out parties in the 1968 Topps baseball issue. Hall of Famer Tom Seaver’s #210 card featured his debut with the “Miracle Mets” who shocked baseball by winning the 1969 World Series. Future 300-game winner Don Sutton’s #432 card showed him as a 20-year old pitching prospect for the LA Dodgers. Catchers Bob Boone (#145) and Ted Simmons (#309) both had decades-long MLB careers after their rookie introductions in 1968 Topps. Outfielder Bobby Bonds’ #158 card previewed a power-speed combination that would make him a perennial All-Star in the 1970s. And Pirates first baseman Willie Stargell’s #229 card pictured the man who would help lead Pittsburgh to two World Series championships in the 1970s.
Beyond the star talent featured, the 1968 Topps set itself was a transitional year for the design and production process. At 660 total cards, it was the largest Topps baseball issue to date and also featured the last of the classic black-bordered design that had been a staple for several years. Topps would embrace more colorful designs and borders starting the following year. The1968 set also began Topps’ transition toward using action photos instead of basic posed portraits for many cards. Though still crude compared to today’s technology, it showed a willingness to evolve the on-card design beyond the basic headshot style. Gumless cards which made up the higher numbers were also introduced, doubling as a “Premium” subset to the main644-card run found with gum.
As one of the first mainstream mass-produced baseball card issues of the post-war era, the 1968 Topps rookie class reached a broad audience of young collectors just starting to enjoy the hobby. These now 55-year old cardboard introductions remain touchstones for veterans who collected them as kids and newcomers to the pastime just discovering the origins of so many all-time great players. While the condition of surviving ’68 rookie cards varies widely, their cachet in the hobby ensures the big names like Bench, Ryan and Jackson will retain value for generations of fans and collectors to come.
