Roger Clemens is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time and his baseball cards are highly sought after by collectors. Clemens played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 2007 for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros. He won 7 Cy Young Awards and was named to 11 All-Star teams in his legendary career, cementing his place among the elite in baseball history. Here are some of Roger Clemens’ most valuable baseball cards and what collectors need to know about them:
1984 Fleer #219 Roger Clemens (Rookie Card) – Clemens’ rookie card is one of the crown jewels of any baseball card collection. The 1984 Fleer set was his true rookie card issued as Clemens made his MLB debut that season with the Boston Red Sox. In high grade condition like PSA 10, this card can fetch upwards of $10,000. Even well-centered mint condition copies in PSA 8 or 9 grade still demand thousands of dollars due to the rarity of Clemens’ rookie. The Fleer 1984 design also features a striking headshot photo of the young Rocket that makes this one of the best looking rookie cards in the hobby.
1986 Topps Traded #85T Roger Clemens – This card was issued as an update set addition in 1986 after Clemens’ breakout season where he won the American League Cy Young and MVP awards. It shows him in a Boston Red Sox uniform and is among his earliest flagship Topps cards. High grade examples can sell for over $1,000 because it captured Clemens at the beginning of his dominant career. The ’86T set is also quite scarce compared to the basic Topps flagship issues. This serves as a key intermediate Clemens card for collectors working to complete his early career narrative in their collections.
1998 Topps Hollywood Stars #H1 Roger Clemens – Topps experimented with various gimmick sets in the late 90s, including this Hollywood Stars promotion which depicted various MLB stars dressed up as famous actors or characters from movies and TV shows. Clemens is dressed as Yosemite Sam on this unique card that has gained significant popularity among specialists. High grade PSA 10 or BGS 9.5+ copies can sell for $500-700 due to the novelty aspect paired with Clemens’ star power. It offers a fun and memorable take on one of the pitchers’ career years with the Toronto Blue Jays.
2000 Bowman’s Best Refractors #R37 Roger Clemens – In the midst of Clemens’ successful run with the New York Yankees, Bowman featured this impressive refractor parallel from their high end set. The vivid colors and refractive quality of the card stock make for an eye-catching visual presentation of the Rocket. Top graded PSA/BGS 10 examples have exceeded $400-500. The 2000 Bowman’s Best set remains a set that is desired by modern collectors and Clemens was a major star player during that period.
2001 Topps American Pie #14 Roger Clemens / David Wells – This “duel” card from Topps’ American Pie set shows Clemens and David Wells together, commemorating their matchup on April 22, 2001 where they engaged in an epic pitchers’ duel. Only one run was scored in the complete game contest won by Clemens and the Yankees. High grade copies of this unique “hit” pairing card can be around $200-300 for top condition copies. It represents an iconic game and matchup from Clemens’ later Yankees tenure.
2003 Fleer Greats of the Game Century’s Best #CB-RC Roger Clemens – As one of the premier pitchers across Major League history, Clemens was included in this prestigious retrospective insert set honoring the top 100 players from the 20th century. The card features a sharp full body photo of The Rocket in mid-windup. PSA/BGS 9+ examples tend to sell in the $150-250 range reflecting Clemens’ legendary career accomplishments recognized in this premium commemorative issue.
2004 Fleer Greats of the Game Undefeated #U1 Roger Clemens – This parallel insert from Fleer captures Clemens after his 20th career one-hitter in 2004, moving him past Cy Young on the all-time list at the time. His dominance and pitching prowess is on full display. Sharp, near-pristine copies in the PSA 9-10 range demand $150-300 based on Clemens’ rarity in the highest available modern condition grades. It stands as one of his finest post-rookie Fleer inserts recognizing one of his many hallowed career records and milestones.
In summary, Roger Clemens’ baseball cards are among the most historically significant and sought after issues in the entire hobby. His legendary 24-year career, seven Cy Young awards, over 4,000 strikeouts, and recalls to some of the game’s most memorable individual pitching performances make Clemens a true icon of the sport. Whether collecting his iconic rookie card, select key vintage issues, or premium inserts from the peak of his career, Clemens cards hold value, appeal, and prestige within collections. With asking prices often measured in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, especially for high quality examples, his cards represent prized targets for enthusiasts seeking to build around one of baseball’s all-time great pitchers.
