The 1998 Topps baseball card set is remembered as one of the premier issues of the 1990s. While not the most valuable set overall, it featured several hugely important rookie cards and memorable highlights from the 1997 season. The design had a clean, basic look featuring action shots of players on a white background. Several of the cards from the set have become extremely valuable over time. Here are some of the most notable cards collectors seek out from the 1998 Topps release.
The biggest card from the 1998 Topps set is undoubtedly the Alex Rodriguez rookie card. Still just 22 years old in 1998, Rodriguez was already showing signs of becoming one of the all-time greats. In just his second full season with the Seattle Mariners in 1997, A-Rod hit .300 with 36 home runs and 123 RBI, finishing third in AL MVP voting. His rookie card, featuring an action shot of him swinging the bat, was the most sought-after card in the entire set upon release. Over time, it has become one of the holiest grails for collectors seeking a modern-era star’s first Bowman/Topps card. In high grade, the Rodriguez rookie has sold for over $500,000, making it one of the priciest cardboard collectibles ever.
Another hugely valuable rookie from the 1998 Topps set is the Nomar Garciaparra card. After breaking into the majors in 1997, Garciaparra stole the show in 1998 by winning the AL batting title with a .323 average to go along with 30 home runs and 98 RBI for the Red Sox. His slick defensive skills at shortstop also helped cement his stardom. The Nomar rookie depicts him crouched down ready to field a ground ball. Like many stars’ first cards, it has attained exceptional value graded high, with PSA/BGS 10 examples selling for over $10,000. For Red Sox fans and collectors alike, the Garciaparra rookie is a true piece of cardboard history.
Sammy Sosa’s amazing 66-home run season with the Cubs in 1998 is immortalized in the ’98 Topps set as well. After belting 40 dingers in ’97, Sosa shocked the baseball world by smashing a new single-season record with his mammoth total. The muscle-bound outfielder became the face of baseball’s home run boom. Topps captured Sosa in the midst of one of his legendary upper-deck shots, bat flying behind. High-grade versions with the iconic “66” reflection on his jersey have reached over $500. While not quite the all-time rarity of an A-Rod or Nomar rookie, Sosa’s mammoth 1998 season makes this one a holy grail in its own right.
Breaking traditional rookie cards norms, the 1998 Topps set also included a special “Postseason Perfomer” parallel card for Dodgers standout Todd Hollandsworth, who excelled on the biggest stage as a rookie. Hollywood’s contributions to LA’s NL West title run and postseason appearances earned him Early Rookie status, despite having played parts of two previous seasons. In gold parallel form with green foil lettering and a playoff game action shot, the Hollandsworth remains a keenly sought card nearly 25 years later.
Two other young stars making names for themselves included Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr. power cards from 1998. Big Mac smashed 58 homers of his own to keep pace with Sosa in their epic home run race. His rendition in a Blues uniform for the hated Cardinals sold many packs. Meanwhile, the Griffey Jr. issue pictures him unleashing his sweet swing during a 1997 game at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. High-grade copies of both future Hall of Famers continue to hold immense mainstream popularity and secondary market value more than two decades later.
Veteran superstars had their moment in the ’98 Topps set as well. Cal Ripken’s 3,000th career hit card became a huge iconic memorabilia piece after the Oriole Iron Man reached the milestone on September 6, 1995. Topps perfectly captured one of the most famous achievements in baseball history with an action photo of “The Streak” celebrating around the bases after getting his ‘hitoric knock. It remains a universally recognizable piece of cardboard history among both casual fans and avid collectors.
Another all-time great’s chase for history also made the 1998 Topps checklist. The Nolan Ryan Express was perhaps in the final stages of his legendary career as a 43-year-old pitcher for the Texas Rangers. But Ryan’s chase for career strikeout king status added intrigue during the 1997 campaign as he closed in on late Dodgers great Don Drysdale for second all-time. Topps commemorated his effort with a card showing the ageless flamethrower dealing one of his illustrious blow-by-blows. The inclusion of these immobile pieces of sports history made the ’98 set a true time capsule.
While star power and memorable moments drove the set’s most collectible cards, 1998 Topps also highlighted several rising young hurlers who would go on to have big careers. Cards featuring a 20-year-old Randy Johnson in a Diamondbacks uniform and a 24-year-old Pedro Martinez donning Expos colors continue to hold appeal as affordable pieces of those future Hall of Famers’ early days. Elsewhere, Cubs flamethrower Kerry Wood’s dominant 20-strikeout game as a rookie also earned special mention in the ’98 checklist. Such inclusions of future talents added to the lasting nostalgia and value of the year’s Topps baseball release.
In summarizing, while high-dollar stars like Rodriguez and Sosa reap the monster money today, the 1998 Topps set remains beloved among collectors for its accurate snapshot of the 1997 MLB season and beyond. Icons like Ripken, Ryan, and even veterans McGwire and Griffey sold racks upon racks, instilling the issue with an impressive mix of established names and bright futures. For finding memorable rookie stubs and tracking major milestones, ’98 Topps earned its place among the premier baseball card releases of the 1990s boom. Time has only deepened the set’s nostalgia and strengthened secondary values, making it a true gold mine for investors and historians of the pastime alike.
