The 1990 Score baseball card set is considered one of the greatest rookie card crops of all time. While extremely iconic rookie cards were produced in the late 1980s, the 1990 Score set stands out as having an incredible collection of rookies that went on to have Hall of Fame careers. Let’s take an deeper look at some of the most notable rookies featured in this classic set.
Perhaps the most well-known and valuable rookie card in the 1990 Score set is that of Griffey Jr. Ken Griffey Jr. was one of the most anticipated prospects ever to reach the big leagues and his athleticism and smooth left-handed swing immediately captivated baseball fans. In his rookie year of 1989 with the Seattle Mariners, Griffey Jr. showcased breathtaking defense and hit .264 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs. Baseball card collectors knew they had a future star on their hands.
Griffey Jr.’s 1990 Score rookie card, featuring him swinging a bat on the front, is one of the most iconic baseball cards ever produced. Even in low grades, this card brings in thousands of dollars nowadays. High grade Griffey Jr. rookies have reached astronomically high prices in the six-figure range. When factoring in his excellent career statistics and thirteen All-Star appearances, it’s easy to see why his rookie card is so coveted and valuable. At the time of printing, no one could predict Griffey Jr. would become the face of baseball in the 1990s, but collectors knew they had something special.
Another huge name making his rookie card debut in the 1990 Score set was Chipper Jones. Like Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones played his entire career for one franchise, starring for the Atlanta Braves from 1993-2012. Also drafted first overall in 1990, Jones spent some time in the minors before joining the Braves in 1993. He would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, featuring eight All-Star appearances and a NL MVP award in 1999 when he led the Braves to a World Series title. Jones holds the record for most career home runs by a switch hitter, finished with over 2500 hits and a career .303 batting average.
Chipper Jones’ 1989 minor league rookie card from Score has also gained significant popularity and value over the years. This was collectors’ first glimpse of the future superstar who would carry the Braves’ offense for decades. High grade Chipper Jones rookies can sell for over $1000. Like Griffey Jr., the combination of star power, career success and sole franchise tenure makes Jones’ early cards highly sought after.
The 1990 Score set also contained the rookie cards of notable starters Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, who along with Greg Maddux made up the dominant Atlanta Braves pitching rotation of the 1990s. Glavine went on to win 305 career games and two Cy Young awards during his time with Atlanta and the Mets. Smoltz pitched for 21 seasons, earning 213 wins and 154 saves while winning a Cy Young of his own. Both pitchers are considered locks for the Hall of Fame.
Even in low grades, early Glavine and Smoltz rookie cards carry value due to their impressive careers and status as integral parts of champion Braves teams. Collectors enjoy owning cards showing the early years of superstar pitchers before they blossomed into consistent aces. These rookie cards provide a unique historical context since many fans were not yet familiar with Glavine and Smoltz at the time of their first Score issues.
A few other notable rookies appearing for the first time in the 1990 Score baseball set include Jeff Bagwell, Derek Jeter, and Frank Thomas. Bagwell smacked 15 homers in his rookie season of 1991 en route to a career .297 batting average and 449 home runs as a Houston Astro. Jeter became baseball’s premier shortstop through the late 90s/early 2000s, amassing over 3000 hits and winning 5 World Series titles with the Yankees. Thomas was the 1990 AL MVP in his rookie year with the White Sox, going on to hit 521 home runs and produce like a Hall of Famer through his prime.
Each of these superstars – Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Glavine, Smoltz, Bagwell, Jeter, and Thomas – have cemented their places in the Baseball Hall of Fame. For collectors who purchased 1990 Score packs as teenagers, they unknowingly obtained the first ever cardboard reproductions of future legends. This creates special nostalgia surrounding these early issues, which still hold immense value on the vintage baseball card market thanks to stellar career accomplishments.
The combination of Hall of Fame talents, singular franchise tenures, iconic on-card images, and remembrances of a collector’s younger days all contribute to make the 1990 Score rookie cards so desirable and expensive today. This single release encapsulated many of the game’s biggest 1990s stars in their raw, early big league forms. For historians and investors alike, obtaining a complete set with the star rookies in high grades serves as a historical baseball artifact chronicling the early years of arguably the most gifted rookie class in card-making history. The legend and allure of 1990 Score lives on generations later due to the superstars it introduced us to during baseball’s golden age.
