The 1989 baseball card season featured some of the biggest stars and young up-and-comers of the late 80s era. While the junk wax era had started to diminish card values overall, there were still some highly sought after rookie cards and stars of the day that hold value even today. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the top cards from 1989 and what they may be worth in today’s market.
One of the most coveted and valuable cards from 1989 is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey was already showing superstar potential in his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners in 1989. His sweet left-handed swing and ample five-tool talents had scouts and fans eagerly anticipating a Hall of Fame career. This anticipation translated to huge demand for his rookie card. In pristine mint condition, Griffey’s Upper Deck rookie card can fetch over $10,000 today. Even well-centered, nicely centered copies in excellent condition bring $1,000-$2,000. The card captured Griffey at the beginning of what became one of the great careers in baseball history.
Another star who had a monster rookie season in 1989 was Gregg Jefferies of the St. Louis Cardinals. Jefferies hit .321 with 17 home runs and 82 RBI that year to finish third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Griffey and alDonruss Darryl Strawberry. While Jefferies career ultimately fizzled due to injuries and attitude problems, his rookie potential made his 1989 Donruss and Score cards very desirable at the time. In near mint to mint condition, the Jefferies rookie fetches $150-300 today.
Speaking of Donruss, their flagship set in 1989 included rookie cards of future all-stars like Sandy Alomar Jr., Tom Glavine, and Moises Alou. All were relatively affordable even in top grades, with Alomar around $50-100, Glavine $30-60, and Alou $15-30 for mint copies. The Chicago Cubs had a bevy of young stars emerge in 1989 as well, and Shawon Dunston’s performance led to solid prices for his ’89 Donruss and Score cards in the $15-30 range.
Star power was well-represented in 1989, headlined by the likes of sluggers Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Nolan Ryan. Canseco was coming off back-to-back 40+ home run seasons and his ’89 rookie streak parallel fetched up to $300 in pristine condition. Big Mac hit a career-high 32 home runs in 1989 and his Donruss card brought $60-100. And ageless wonder Nolan Ryan in an Angels uniform could pull $10-20 for a well-centered ’89 Fleer.
Rickey Henderson had arguably the best season of his Hall of Fame career in 1989. Playing for the Oakland A’s, Henderson batted .276 with 33 home runs, 93 RBI, and 116 stolen bases. That elite stolen base total is still tied for the single season record. Henderson’s high action photo and statline made his ’89 Topps, Donruss and Score cards very popular, with mint Topps examples bringing as much as $75-150 today.
Baseball card values also tend to get a boost when historic events are captured. Such was the case for Davey Johnson’s 1989 Upper Deck card, which features a photo from him managing the Mets in the ’88 NLCS against the Dodgers. That playoff series win was the Mets first since the days of Seaver and Koosman, so Johnson’s managerial accomplishment elevated the card. Graded mint copies have sold for $50-100.
Rookie fever also extended to pitching prospects in ’89. The Toronto Blue Jays had a touted hurler make his debut that year in Dave Stieb, and his Donruss RC has maintained decent $10-20 value. Tom Glavine took home NL Rookie of the Year honors and starting for the Atlanta Braves as a 23-year old. Near mint or better copies of his rookie cards from that season can still fetch $50-100 in today’s market.
Upper Deck stood out as the premier brand of the late 80s and some of their star shots from 1989 still hold great nostalgic appeal. Nolan Ryan’s intense windup and can’t-miss rookie Griffey Jr. remained two of the brand’s most iconic images from that year, still worth $20-40 and $75-150 respectively in top condition. The classic design, sharp photography and player selection ensured Upper Deck cards retained strong collectability decades later.
While 1989 was deep in the junk wax era, there were still several star rookie cards, notable personal accomplishments, and iconic photos that helped insulate certain cards from the downward value pressure of the time. Pristine copies of the Griffey Jr., McGwire, Henderson, Glavine and Canseco rookies as well as stars like Ryan remain worthwhile investments today for collectors of 80s and 90s baseball memorabilia. The star power, historic moments and visual aesthetics of the best ’89s make them stand out over 30 years later.
