In 1990, Topps released its annual set of Major League Baseball All-Star cards. The set commemorated the best players from both the American League and National League as selected by fan voting to represent each league in the 59th MLB All-Star Game held that year at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The 1990 season marked a transition period in Major League Baseball as several star players from the 1980s were nearing the end of their careers, while a new generation of talent was beginning to emerge. The set reflected this changing of the guard with cards featuring veteran superstars and young rising stars alike.
Some of the biggest names featured in the set included Nolan Ryan, who at age 43 was still dominating hitters as the ace of the Texas Rangers staff. The “Ryan Express” had posted a 16-10 record with 232 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA on his way to his 7th career All-Star selection. Also included was Oakland A’s slugger Jose Canseco, who led the AL with 39 home runs and 117 RBI en route to his 3rd consecutive All-Star nod.
Other offensive standouts in the set were Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Bell, who followed up his 1987 MVP season by batting .308 with 26 homers and 86 RBI, and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Hal Morris, who hit .326 with 13 homers and 83 RBI in the first half of the season to earn his lone All-Star selection. On the pitching side, Oakland’s Dave Stewart and Toronto’s Jimmy Key both made the roster after combining for a 26-10 record with over 200 strikeouts before the break.
While veterans like Ryan, Canseco, and Stewart anchored the set, it also featured several young rising talents who were beginning to make names for themselves, including Toronto shortstop Tony Fernandez, Cleveland outfielder Albert Belle, and Oakland third baseman Carney Lansford. Fernandez had established himself as one of the premier defensive shortstops in baseball while also batting .305, while Belle slugged 19 homers and drove in 55 runs before the break in just his rookie season. Lansford, meanwhile, was enjoying one of his best offensive seasons, batting .311 with 10 homers and 50 RBI through the All-Star break.
The National League portion of the set highlighted the dominance of the Cincinnati Reds, who sent a league-high five players to start in the Midsummer Classic, including first baseman Morris, second baseman Billy Hatcher, and pitchers Norm Charlton and Rob Dibble to go along with outfielder Eric Davis, who was enjoying a monster season batting .293 with 21 homers and 57 RBI.
The Reds’ NL Central rival Pittsburgh Pirates also had strong representation, led by star outfielder Barry Bonds, who was in the midst of his breakout season, batting .294 with 21 homers and 55 RBI before being selected to his 3rd All-Star Game. Bonds was joined by teammate Bobby Bonilla, who hit .290 with 14 homers and 50 RBI for the Pirates in the first half of the year.
Other notable NL selections included San Diego Padres slugger Jack Clark, who led the NL with 28 homers at the break; New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden, who was 10-5 with a 2.97 ERA in the first half of the season; and Atlanta Braves first baseman Sid Bream, who hit .311 with 10 homers and 43 RBI before his lone All-Star selection.
Rookies featured in the set included the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Todd Worrell, who posted a 1.77 ERA and 11 saves as the Dodgers’ closer before the break; the Montreal Expos’ Dennis Martinez, who won 10 games with a 2.67 ERA in the season’s first half; and the San Francisco Giants’ Matt Williams, who blasted 16 homers and drove in 47 runs in his debut season.
The 1990 Topps MLB All-Star set was a snapshot of both the established stars and rising young talents that shaped the league at the dawn of the new decade. For collectors, it commemorated the great performances that earned over 80 players selection to the Midsummer Classic at Wrigley Field that year. While many of the players featured are now retired, the cards continue to be a nostalgic reminder of baseball’s best in a pivotal year of transition for the sport.
