The 1998 baseball season was one filled with memorable moments both on and off the field. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled for the single season home run record down the stretch, while a major labor dispute threatened to cancel the World Series for the first time in 90 years. These storylines and more were captured in the various 1998 postseason baseball card sets produced after the conclusion of the season.
Topps led the way with their flagship postseason baseball card release. The 408 card base set featured all 30 MLB teams, highlighting their biggest stars and standouts from the 1998 season. Notable rookie cards in the set included Scott Rolen, Nomar Garciaparra, and Jermaine Dye. Veteran stars like McGwire, Sosa, Greg Maddux, and Ken Griffey Jr. received showcase cards as well. Each card contained statistics from the 1998 regular season along with a photo from that year. Parallels and insert sets within Topps Postseason included Diamond Kings, Millennium Moments, and a 60-card World Series subset.
Just like the home run chase captivated the sport during the summer, McGwire and Sosa’s record-breaking accomplishments dominated the postseason card landscape as well. Both sluggers received special extended parallel chase cards within Topps and other brands highlighting their home run totals increasing on a game-by-game basis throughout August and September. By season’s end, McGwire had set the new single season record with 70 home runs while Sosa was right behind with 66 in a back-and-forth battle that helped revive baseball’s popularity nationwide.
Upper Deck also had a strong postseason offering called 1998 Collector’s Choice. It featured the same team breakdown as Topps but with photo variations on many of the bigger stars. Serial-numbered parallels and inserts told additional stories from the season as well. Gold parallel cards numbered to only 25 copies each sold for top dollar at the time. UD also released mini-boxes of chase cards for McGwire, Sosa, and Cal Ripken Jr. as he closed in on Lou Gehrig’s all-time record for games played.
With interest in the home run race still white hot, Fleer went all-in on McGwire and Sosa with a commemorative metal card duo encapsulated and sold individually. These premium commemoratives captured the iconic photo of the two sluggers embracing after McGwire broke Roger Maris’ single season record. Only 1998 copies were made of each, perfectly tying into the historic season. Donruss also jumped in with a Postseason Cubs and Cardinals parallel card pair focused solely on McGwire and Sosa’s chase.
Beyond the huge individual stars, quality rookie cards from the 1998 season could also be found across the various postseason products. Top prospects like Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, and Eric Chavez debuted in Topps, Upper Deck, and Donruss sets ready to make their mark in the years ahead. Parallels and serial numbered variations of these rookies further increased their appeal to collectors at the time and future value in the hobby.
All the while, fall classics like the Division Series, League Championship Series, and World Series played out amidst the backdrop of labor tension between MLB owners and players. Donruss released a playoff subset highlighting performance from those postseason rounds right as the Yankees were winning their 24th World Championship over San Diego. In the end, the home run chase and playoff showcase cards from 1998 created an era that was a turning point for revitalizing interest in the sport and its collectibles market during a tumultuous time. To this day, cards from brands like Topps, Upper Deck, Donruss, and Fleer remain some of the most iconic in hobby history due to capturing such a uniquely memorable season.
