The 1989 Score baseball card set was unique for several reasons. It marked Score’s return to the baseball card market after a decade-long absence. The set also featured innovative vertical card designs that stood out compared to the traditional horizontal layout used by most other manufacturers at the time. While not the most visually appealing set of its time, 1989 Score cards triggered a resurgence of interest in the hobby and included several key rookie cards that havegrown enormously in value in the decades since. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most valuable and important 1989 Score baseball cards today.
Perhaps the single most coveted and expensive card from the 1989 Score set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of, if not the best, player to ever play the game, cards featuring Griffey’s first major league appearance hold legendary status among collectors. In pristine mint condition, Griffey’s 1989 Score rookie can fetch well over $10,000 today. Even well-centered, graded examples in Excellent or Near Mint condition often sell for $3,000-$5,000. What makes the card so desirable is not just Griffey’s eventual Hall of Fame career, but also the fact that his rookie card was the one that truly broke through to mainstream popularity and got the entire country collecting again during the early 90s boom.
Another tremendously valuable 1989 Score rookie is that of Barry Bonds. Like Griffey, Bonds went on to have a historically great career and is regarded as one of the best hitters in MLB history. Bonds won a record seven NL MVP awards during his career. His skinny, baby-faced rookie card shows promise of what was to come. Highly graded versions can reach $5,000+ due to his legendary playing resume and the card’s obvious significance as his true first major league card released. Even well-centered, ungraded examples in top shape bring $1,000+ due to strong, enduring collector demand.
While not a true rookie card, the 1989 Score trading card of Nolan Ryan at age 42 is also extremely significant and pricey for collectors today. It was Ryan’s final season before retiring and serves as his final card produced before hanging up his spikes. As one of the most accomplished pitchers in baseball history with a record 7 no-hitters, collectors clamor for any Ryan card they can get their hands on. A PSA 10 Gem Mint copy of his ’89 Score traded recently for a staggering $15,000 due to its utter perfection and iconic subject matter capturing a legend at the very end of his storied career. Even moderately-graded versions can cost over $1,000.
The Mark McGwire rookie card from the 1989 Score set is also a highly-desirable piece for collectors. Issued before McGwire’s 1987 debut, it is technically not his true rookie, but it captures McGwire in his earliest playing days and was the first widely available card released of him as a major leaguer. McGwire went on to smash the single-season home run record in 1998 and remains one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball history. Pristine, high-grade examples of his ’89 Score card have exceeded $3,000 at auction. Most valuable copies grade a PSA 8-9 and still pull $500-$1,000.
While stars like Griffey, Bonds, Ryan and McGwire naturally take the spotlight, there are several other lesser-known but still very valuable 1989 Score cards worth discussing. The Ivan Calderon rookie card is one of the set’s true hidden gems. Calderon played only 30 career games in the majors but his card was grossly underproduced compared to demand. High grades have sold for over $500 due to rarity alone. Another rare pull is the Todd Zeile rookie, which has also exceeded $500 in top condition despite Zeile having a relatively average career offensively. The same rarity premium applies to cards of Bill Pecota and Scott Bankhead, two career backup catchers whose rookie cards can reach $300+ graded.
While not the most artistically designed set from the heyday of the card boom, 1989 Score holds tremendous historical significance as the issue that reintroduced baseball cards to a massive audience of collectors. Relying less on visual flash than substance, the cards within tell the stories of all-time great players in their earliest years as well as obscure ones lost to history. Fueled by the success of stars like Junior, Bonds, and Big Mac, values have only escalated over time, making high-grade examples of virtually any card from the set a sound long-term basketball investment today. The 1989 Score baseballs cards truly launched a renaissance and remain icons in the hobby decades later.
