The 1989 baseball card season marked one of the last gasps of the junk wax era before the market crashed in the early 1990s. While many of the common cards from sets like Donruss, Fleer, Score, and Topps has little inherent value today, there are still some noteworthy rarities and stars from 1989 that can be worth a decent amount of money for collectors. Let’s take a deeper look at the 1989 Score baseball card set and some of the top cards that still hold value today.
The 1989 Score set contains 792 total baseball cards issued over two series. The designs that year featured players photographed from the waist up in front of a painted baseball backdrop. While fairly basic and reminiscent of the junk wax era aesthetics, the photos are generally of good quality and the cards sized standardized at 2.5 x 3.5 inches, which is convenient for most collectors and storers of cards. The whole set in Near Mint to Mint condition is only worth around $50-$75 today, but there are some standout singles that maintain strong values.
One of the biggest stars featured in the 1989 Score set was Oakland A’s slugger Jose Canseco, who was coming off his 1988 Rookie of the Year and MVP season where he led the majors with 42 home runs and 124 RBIs. His base rookie card from 1988 Topps is one of the key early flagship rookie cards, but his 1989 Score card #34 remains quite valuable as well, routinely selling for $15-25 in Near Mint condition. This is likely due to the dynamic action photo and Canseco possessing arguably his best card image ever in a Score uniform.
Another huge star with lasting value from the 1989 Score set is Chicago Cubs/Florida Marlins pitcher Gregg Maddux. While not technically a rookie card since he debuted in 1986, his 1989 Score card #110 is considered one of his best and most iconic cards due to the classic smiling close-up portrait. In Near Mint condition, it consistently sells in the $40-60 range. What makes it so desirable is that it captures Maddux at the beginning of his dominant pitching career where he would go on to win 4 Cy Young Awards and dominate for two decades.
Staying in the realm of future Hall of Fame pitchers, Nolan Ryan’s 1989 Score card #91 remains quite sought after as well since it shows the legend pitching for the Texas Rangers later in his career. His expressive on-field style and accomplishments make him a beloved player amongst collectors. In Near Mint, his ’89 Score usually sells between $15-25. The San Diego Padres tandem of Benito Santiago and Fred McGriff also have strong 1989 Score cards. Santiago’s #302 as a promising young catcher goes for $10-15 while McGriff’s intimidating #353 close-up pulls in $7-12.
Two other top rookie cards maintained value from the 1989 Score set. Seattle Mariners starter Randy Johnson has found renewed collector interest lately and his rookie card #676 has increased markedly, now selling for $40-60 in top grades. While he made his debut a month into the 1988 season for the Montreal Expos, the 1989 Score card was considered his true rookie. Meanwhile, Oakland Athletics slugger Mark McGwire maintained popularity over the steroid era controversy and his rookie card #610 from Score fetches $20-35 still. Both capture these future Hall of Famers very early in their ascendant careers.
While the 1989 Score set as a whole carries fairly little worth today, there are still particular standout stars and rookie cards that hold significant value for dedicated collectors. Key cards like Canseco, Maddux, Ryan, Santiago, McGriff, Johnson and McGwire have proven to be prescient choices that maintained long term interest. For enthusiasts of 1980s/90s cardboard and seminal images of these all-time great players, high quality examples from ’89 Score remain a worthwhile investment even after 30+ years. The combination of star power, quality photos, and memorable rookie or early career portrayals have allowed these singles to retain collecting relevance.
