Ken Griffey Jr. was one of the most exciting players in Major League Baseball during his era, with electrifying plays in the outfield and monster home runs that captivated fans of the game. As a young phenom coming up through the Seattle Mariners system in the late 1980s, Griffey’s talents were on full display in his rookie Bowman baseball cards. One of the most coveted and valuable among Griffey’s early cards is the 1986 Bowman #246 rookie card.
Released in 1986 as Griffey’s true rookie card while he was still in the Mariners’ minor league system, the Bowman #246 captured Griffey at the dawn of what would become a legendary career. Still just 16 years old at the time of the photo on the card, Griffey’s immense talents were already evident. Standing 6’3″ and weighing 190 pounds even as a teenager, Griffey’s athleticism, power, and speed made him a can’t-miss prospect. The Bowman #246 captured this hype and excitement over Griffey’s future in Major League Baseball in a single trading card image.
On the surface, the Bowman #246 looks fairly standard for a baseball card of the era. It features a simple blue color scheme with Griffey’s name across the top, his stats and bio on the back, and the classic Bowman logo in the bottom corner. It was the photo itself that made the card truly special. With Griffey wearing his Everett AquaSox minor league uniform and flashing the confident smile that would become his trademark, the Bowman #246 captured the fresh-faced excitement of a rising star at the dawn of his career. This photo perfectly encapsulated why scouts were so high on Griffey and the immense promise he showed even as a teenager.
When the Bowman #246 was released in 1986 packs of the Bowman set, it wasn’t necessarily expected to be the hugely valuable rookie card it would become. Griffey had yet to make his MLB debut, and many top prospects end up falling short of expectations. Everything Griffey did in his rookie 1987 season with the Mariners and beyond validated that this Bowman #246 was documenting the early days of what would become a surefire Hall of Fame career. In his rookie season, Griffey hit .264 with 8 home runs in just 104 at-bats and showed glimpses of the five-tool talent he possessed.
Over the next 13 seasons with Seattle and Cincinnati, Griffey lived up to all the hype around his talent and established himself as one of the game’s all-time greats. He smashed 630 career home runs, won 10 Gold Glove Awards, and took home the 1997 NL MVP Award. Griffey was a staple in the All-Star Game, appearing a record 13 consecutive times from 1990-2002. Defensively, his graceful play and rocket throws from center field thrilled fans endlessly. Statistically, Griffey finished within the top 10 in career home runs and slugging percentage. It’s no surprise he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 with over 99% of the vote in his first year of eligibility.
Because Griffey so fully lived up to the immense promise displayed by his Bowman #246 rookie card, that single trading card grew to take on an outsized significance. It became the physical manifestation of capturing a true superstar at the very beginning of a legendary career. While production numbers of Griffey’s rookie cards were high for the mid-1980s, demand for the Bowman #246 has always far outstripped its original printing quantities. In the decades since its release, the Griffey #246 has become one of the most iconic and valuable rookie cards in the hobby.
In the mid-2010s, as interest in vintage sports cards and memorabilia began to surge to new heights, prices realized for high-grade Griffey #246 rookie cards broke previous records. In 2016, a PSA NM-MT 8 copy of the card sold for an astounding $101,747.50 at auction. Other near-mint to mint copies regularly sell for $50,000 or more when crossing the auction block or in private sales. Even well-centered examples in EX-MT condition can sell for $10,000 or higher. For a card produced in the mid-1980s baseball card boom in relatively high numbers, these kinds of prices show just how iconic the Griffey #246 has become.
While rarer, lower-graded copies of the Griffey #246 have also achieved impressive prices. A beat-up PSA 3 copy in ragged condition sold for over $3,000 due to its significance as a true Griffey rookie. The card’s appeal clearly transcends grade or condition. For collectors, the Bowman #246 rookie of Ken Griffey Jr. embodies the thrill and promise of capturing a future superstar before the rest of the world knew his greatness. It documents one of the most exciting careers in baseball history from its very earliest stages. That makes this classic 1986 Bowman card one of the true crown jewels of any sports card collection.
The Ken Griffey Jr. 1986 Bowman #246 rookie card has become an iconic piece of baseball memorabilia due to how fully Griffey lived up to the immense potential on display in his rookie photo. As interest in vintage cards has exploded, prices realized for high-grade Griffey #246s have broken records, showing that this single card manages to encapsulate the early promise and excitement of one of the game’s all-time great careers. For collectors and fans alike, the Griffey #246 rookie card from Bowman in 1986 will always be remembered as a pivotal artifact from the dawn of a truly legendary MLB tenure.
