The 1998 Topps baseball card set was the 67th annual set produced by Topps and featured cards of Major League Baseball players and teams. Some key facts and highlights about the 1998 Topps set include:
Size of set: 660 cards total. The base set contained 652 player and coach cards, while insert sets added 8 more cards to the count. This was one of the larger Topps sets of the 1990s but still smaller than modern issues.
Design: The design featured a large color headshot of the player against a colored team border background. Topps insignia and the player’s name/team were printed at the bottom. The backs featured career stats and season highlights. It was a clean, simple design that was a slight departure from some of the more elaborate designs in the mid-90s Topps issues.
Rookies of note: This set featured the rookie cards of future stars like Nomar Garciaparra, Scott Rolen, Todd Helton, Kerry Wood, and Roy Halladay. Of these, Garciaparra’s and Wood’s rookies would become some of the most desired and valuable from the 1990s.
Chase inserts: The ‘Chase’ insert set featured cards highlighting different MLB player collections like ‘300 Wins Club’, ‘500 Home Runs’, ‘3000 Hits’, and more. Each card gave a brief bio of the featured players.
Photo variations: Several of the stars like Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Ken Griffey Jr. featured different photo variations between their base cards. Collectors enjoyed finding the different photos during pack breaks.
Parallels: For the first time, Topps issued ‘Printer’s Proof’ parallel cards that were identical to the base issue but printed on gold-toned card stock. Approximately one per case produced these ultra-rare parallel versions of select players.
Insert sets: In addition to the Chase inserts, Topps issued ‘Diamond Kings’ career retrospective insert sets highlighting retired stars like Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron, and Ozzie Smith. There was also a “Team Leaders” insert recognizing league batting/ERA champions.
Design quirks: Some errors like upside-down photos (Randy Johnson), blank backs (Garciaparra), and missing team logos created some memorable mistakes in the set, adding to collector intrigue.
The 1998 baseball season itself featured plenty of storylines that translated to the cards. The home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa dominated headlines. McGwire’s chase of Roger Maris’ single-season home run record captivated the country, and collectors eagerly sought McGwire’s cards from that historic ’98 season.
Ken Griffey Jr. remained one of the most popular players in the game. Meanwhile, veterans like Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn continued producing at a high level. Rising young stars like Chipper Jones, Kerry Wood, and Nomar started to emerge. On the pitching side, hurlers like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez were at the peak of their respective careers.
The rookies from 1998 like Helton, Rolen, Garciaparra and Wood showed glimpses of the impact players they would become. Helton launched his career with a .315 average and 149 hits in his rookie campaign. Rolen finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after batting .283 with 21 home runs for Philadelphia. And Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout debut instantly made him one of the most exciting rookie pitchers in baseball history.
In terms of condition and collectibility today, well-centered 1998 Topps cards in high grade still attract solid prices due to the quality rookie class and historical context of the home run chase season. Rookies of Garciaparra, Rolen, Helton and Wood especially command big bucks in pristine Mint or Gem Mint condition. But there is also strong collector demand for stars of the era like McGwire, Griffey, Ripken, Maddux and others. The 1998 Topps set remains a highly collectible issue from the vintage 1990s era of baseball cards.
The 1998 Topps baseball card set was a larger-than-average issue that captured a very memorable home run chase season. Its classic design featured top players and a premier rookie class from that period. Between the historical context, star power, and desirable rookie cards, the 1998 Topps set endures as one of the most popular sets from the 1990s collecting era.
