The 1989 baseball card season saw some significant releases at both the major and minor league levels that featured many future stars just starting their professional careers. While packs of Topps, Donruss, and Fleer cards hunted fans chasing rookie cards of Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens in the big leagues, savvy collectors were also scouring sets from the lower minors for potentially valuable stars of tomorrow. Thirty years later, many of the top prospects from ’89 have seen their cardboard skyrocket in value as their on-field success is now cemented in baseball history. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most valuable stars from ’89 minor league issues that have held up extremely well over time.
Perhaps the highest valued card from any ’89 minor league set is the Cal Ripken Jr. rookie from Topps Traded. While Ripken had already established himself as an All-Star in the majors by 1989, Topps took the unusual step of including a “rookie” card in update sets after a player’s first season. Only appearing as the #T73 tracer in the Traded version, Ripken’s third year card is one of the most coveted in the hobby. In high grade it can fetch over $1000, a testament to Ripken’s Hall of Fame career and the card’s extreme scarcity. He’s arguably the most successful player ever to have a “rookie” in update issue.
Staying in the elite AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays system boasting arguably the top three prospects that year. Among them, the Devon White Bowman rookie dominates. White went on to win a Gold Glove in center for the Jays 1990 championship team and fellow ’89 Blue Jays prospects Joe Carter (Donruss) and Roberto Alomar (Donruss, Fleer, Score) also shine. A PSA 10 White can bring $500 while high grade Alomar and Carter rookies range from $150-300. The hottest Jays prospect crop in hobby history at the time has only gained in notoriety.
In the National League, a huge star emerged from the Atlanta Braves system in 1991: Chipper Jones. The 18-year old phenom’s rookie season was 1989 with the Double-A Greenville Braves and his Donruss RC has stood the test of time. High grade examples over $300 with a PSA 10 grading a impressive $650+. Chipper went on to a Hall of Fame career and his early cards were some of the earliest signs of his greatness. Likewise, the Texas Rangers had another third baseman ready to breakout in 1990: Randy Velarde. Velarde’s PSA 10 rookie from Score Pizza sells for $400 due to his early success with the Rangers.
While pitchers are usually riskier prospects, flamethrowers like Billy Wagner made their minor league debuts in ’89. Wagner’s rookie issues from Bowman Traded and Score sell for $60-100 graded due to his dominance as a late-inning reliever. Big righty hurlers like Juan Guzman also shined – his 1990 Expos debut made cards from the previous season like Fleer notable holds graded near $100. Guzman won 15+ games twice in the early 90s. Fellow power pitchers like Roger Clemens’ apprentice Derek Wallace also gained traction from ’89 Donruss issues. Wallace went 46-15 over 3 minor league seasons and his pristine rookie commands near $200 PSA 10.
Veteran collectors in 1989 knew stars were brewing in the Cincinnati Reds system as well. Both Hal Morris and Chris Sabo had enjoyed successful summers in the minors the prior year before joining the “Nasty Boys” in 1990. Morris’ Donruss RC in PSA 10 fetches $150 while the sports’ first public homosexual player Sabo’s Donruss gem mint is around $125. Both infielders provided solid, consistent production in Cincinnati for years. Elsewhere, the robust Seattle Mariners system was on the verge of bearing fruit. Speedster favorite Harold Reynolds led the way. A pristine PSA 10 of his coveted ’89 Fleer Update Issue Auto sells for $375.
Moving down the ladder a bit, set collectors seeking future talent focused heavily on the low-A ball issues in 1989 as well. Bowman’s prospect-packed Traded release often yielded finds. Third base power hitter Dave Magadan of the Mets’ Class-A Lynchburg squad shone – graded 8s of his rookie sell for $75-100 as he became a reliable big leaguer. Likewise, power-hitting catcher Benito Santiago emerged for the Padres. An ’89 Traded Santiago 8 can be had for $70. He made his debut in 1987 but this was his first baseball card appearance.
While stars are the headliners, role players also gained collector attention from enterprising fans scouring the minors. Versatile infielder Luis Alicea and defensive-minded catcher Dan Wilson each made their card debuts in ’89 Bowman Traded for the Rangers and Mariners, respectively. Alicea enjoyed a 12-year career while Wilson was a mainstay behind the dish for over 15 seasons. High grades of their rookies can still be acquired for $50-75 showing the cards of even contributors hold nostalgic value.
The 1989 minor league baseball card season saw the earliest cardboard appearances of a who’s who of future Hall of Famers and all-stars. From Cal Ripken Jr. to Chipper Jones to Harold Reynolds, today’s most prominent ’89 minor league rookies sell for hundreds grading perfectly as the players established themselves among the games’ immortals. And with the boom of vintage collecting in the 2010s, ungraded examples still preserve value in the $15-50 range. For savvy collectors then and now, scouring the lower levels for tomorrow’s stars was as rewarding as chasing current big leaguers – perhaps even more so given results of the ensuing decades.
