The 1998 Topps baseball card set was the 57th annual release from Topps and featured cards of Major League Baseball players, managers, coaches and umpires. Some key notes about the 1998 Topps checklist:
The base set included 792 total cards, with each team’s roster taking up around 20 cards on average. As was customary, retired players and managers from the Baseball Hall of Fame were also included.
Topps inserted serially numbered parallel sets within the base cards, including “Ultra” parallels numbered to only 99 copies each. These featured different colored borders and were highly sought after by collectors.
Rated rookies in 1998 who received special attention from collectors included Nomar Garciaparra, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Brian Giles, Ben Grieve and Mark Kotsay. Each went on to have solid MLB careers.
Existing stars who graced the cover of packs or had special “Hit Parade” parallel inserts included Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez. They were among the most recognizable faces in the game at the time.
Unique inserts in 1998 Topps included “Diamond Anniversary” cards honoring past World Series champions, “Topps All-Time Fan Favorites” covering legendary players, and “Vintage Stock” reprinting cards from the 1930s and 1940s.
International players also received Topps cards for the first time, with over 50 stars from Asian leagues, Mexico and other countries featured with English and foreign language stats. This expanded the brand’s reach.
Now let’s examine some of the key individual cards and storylines from the 1998 Topps checklist in more depth:
Ken Griffey Jr. (#1) – As arguably the most popular player in baseball during the late 1990s, Griffey naturally landed the coveted #1 spot. He was coming off back-to-back AL MVP awards with Seattle. This was the final Topps issue before he was traded to Cincinnati after the 1999 season.
Nomar Garciaparra (#109) – The Red Sox phenom slugged 30 homers and batted .306 as a rookie, establishing himself as the future of the franchise. He became a perennial All-Star and batting champion over the next few seasons. Rookie cards like Nomar’s are always desirable.
Pedro Martinez (#199) – In his fifth full season, Pedro was cementing himself as the most unhittable pitcher in MLB. He went 19-7 with a stingy 1.90 ERA and led the Expos to postseason play. Topps predicted his greatness with a shiny Parallel insert.
Tony Gwynn (#258) – As he closed in on his eighth batting title in nine years, Gwynn was as steady as they come. Even at 36, he continued to tantalize collectors with his sweet swing on 1998 Topps cards. A true hitting genius of his era.
Cal Ripken Jr. (#266) – After breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played record in 1995, Ripken was still going strong for the Orioles. This card commemorated his chase for 3,000 career hits, which he would accomplish a few years later.
Mark McGwire (#348) – In the wake of hitting an MLB-record 58 home runs in 1998, Big Mac became the most powerful slugger in the league. His monstrous physique and mighty uppercut made for one of the set’s most iconic visuals.
Sammy Sosa (#363) – Not to be outdone, Sosa blasted 66 longballs of his own to join McGwire in a chase for the record books. The duo essentially saved baseball that summer. Their home run duel was one of the most thrilling sporting events in history.
Trevor Hoffman (#476) – As the dominant closer on the Padres, Hoffman was establishing himself as one of the best at his position. He would go on to break the all-time saves record. Topps foresaw his success early on.
Greg Maddux (#510) – At age 31 and still in his prime, Maddux was arguably the most effective pitcher in MLB. He won the Cy Young for the fourth time in five years in 1998 while leading the Braves to yet another division title.
Ken Griffey Jr. (Ultra Parallel /99) – The chase for rare parallels truly captured collector fever during the baseball card boom. Griffey’s black border Ultra, found about once per case of wax, drove prices through the roof on the secondary market.
The 1998 Topps baseball card set delivered many future Hall of Famers and iconic on-field performances that translated perfectly to the collector space. Rookie cards, parallel inserts and storylines like McGwire vs. Sosa’s home run race created sustainability for the hobby during a renaissance period. While player acquisition values have cooled since the 1990s peak, sets like 1998 Topps remain hugely popular and historically significant for any collection.
