Roger Clemens is widely considered one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history. The relentless right-hander played for 24 seasons in the big leagues from 1984 to 2007, most notably starring for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Clemens amassed an impressive 354 wins, a 3.12 ERA, and 4,672 strikeouts over his career, winning seven Cy Young Awards. Unsurprisingly, Clemens has countless baseball cards in circulation from his playing days. The value of Clemens cards can vary quite a bit depending on the specific card and its condition.
One of the most valuable Clemens rookie cards is his 1984 Fleer card. Considered one of his true rookie cards since it was from his first full season in the majors, the 1984 Fleer Clemens is highly sought after by collectors. Fresh off winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1983, Clemens was seen as one of the game’s up and coming stars. In high grade/near mint condition, the 1984 Fleer Clemens rookies can sell for thousands of dollars. A PSA/BGS 9 or PSA 10 graded version would certainly fetch at least $1,000 and could go for over $5,000. Even in raw, ungraded condition but still near mint, the 1984 Fleer sells in the $300-500 range typically. So if you happen to have a well-preserved copy of Clemens’ rookie tucked away, it’s definitely worth getting professionally graded and could be quite valuable.
Another prized Clemens card is his 1986 Topps debut. While not technically a rookie since he had broken out in 1984-85, the 1986 Topps was Clemens’ first main Topps card as he was steadily joining the game’s elite. A PSA 10 copy in pristine condition recently sold for over $4,000 online. In general mint condition otherwise, 1986 Topps Clemens fetch $400-700 each. His 1987 and 1988 Topps cards are also very collectible since they capture Clemens at the peak of his Red Sox dominance. Mint 1987s go for around $150-250 depending, while 1988s in the same grade sell closer to $100.
Beyond rookies and early career issues, Clemens cards from his Yankees years in late 90s-2000s also carry value. This includes flagship releases like 1998, 1999, 2000 Topps Traded, and 2001 Topps among others. In high grade, these can each sell in the $50-150 range. But it’s the rare and parallel Clemens issues that really attract serious dollars. Examples include 1998 SP Authentic autographed relic card (PSA 10 recently went for $4,000), 2000 Topps Transcendent Memorabilia auto patch 1/1 (sold for over $6,000), and 2005 Exquisite Patch Parallel auto /25 ($2,000 PSA 10 price tag).
While many common Clemens cards from later in his career have very little value, his true rookie cards and early Red Sox/Yankees parallels hold significant collector interest – especially in top condition. With Clemens’ Hall of Fame credentials and storied career, key cards will always be in demand from vintage baseball collectors. Taking the time to assess condition and get high quality pieces professionally graded can make a big difference in return on investment potential down the road as well. So in many cases, Roger Clemens cards from the right years with solid preservation absolutely have financial worth for savvy sports memorabilia investors or fans.
