Deion Sanders was a rare two-sport star who played in both the NFL and MLB simultaneously for a few years in the early 1990s. As a result, Sanders has baseball cards from his time spent in the majors along with his much more extensive football card collection. Let’s take a deeper look at Deion Sanders’ baseball cards and collecting them.

Sanders was drafted by the New York Yankees in the selection of players in 1985. He opted to play football at Florida State instead. Sanders had an excellent college football career with the Seminoles and was drafted 4th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1989 NFL Draft. After breaking in successfully in the NFL in 1989, Sanders asked the Yankees for a chance to play baseball as well in 1990. They granted his request and he made his MLB debut that season.

So Sanders’ baseball card collecting really starts with his rookie cards from 1990. Among the major Sanders rookie cards from that year include issues from Donruss, Fleer, Score, and Topps. Of those, the Topps card is usually considered the prized rookie. It features a colorful action photo of Sanders in a Yankees uniform with stats from his brief 1990 season on the back. Mint condition 1990 Topps Deion Sanders rookie cards can fetch over $100 due to his fame and the card’s classic design.

Sanders would only play 21 games for the Yankees in 1990, batting .181 with 1 home run and 9 RBI. But he created interest and intrigue by being a rare two-sport athlete. Card companies capitalized on his dual fame by including him in 1991 baseball card sets as well despite not playing that season due to the MLB lockout. Prominent Sanders cards from 1991 include issues from Score and Upper Deck, the latter being the first year for that influential brand.

After the lockout ended, Sanders tried his hand at baseball again for part of the 1992 season, this time signing with the Cincinnati Reds. So he has additional baseball cards from 1992 as a Reds player, including his first card in the flagship Topps set wearing a Cincinnati uniform. However, Sanders hit just .236 in 35 games for the Reds that season before fully focusing on his NFL career again.

The Atlanta Braves took a chance on Sanders in 1994, signing him that May to add speed and athleticism to their outfield and lineup. He responded by hitting .333 in limited action over 14 games. This stint resulted in a final batch of major baseball cards featuring Sanders, highlighted by issues from Donruss Preferred, Finest, Leaf, and Stadium Club. Especially hard to find is his 1994 Leaf Baseball Draft Picks and Prospects card, one of his last in the sport.

While his baseball stats over parts of 5 MLB seasons were modest at best, totaling a .261 average with 51 hits, 2 HR, and 28 RBI in 103 games, Deion Sanders left an indelible mark in the sport by excelling while also starring in the NFL. He remains one of the few to ever play professionally in both the MLB and NFL concurrently. This dual fame led to Sanders being included on baseball cards more than his actual production merited and created an interesting niche collecting category.

Sanders’ rarity as a two-sport star and his Hall of Fame football career have led to strong collector demand for his baseball cards decades later. Well-centered examples of his primary rookie cards, especially from Topps, Donruss and Score in 1990, remain popular holds in collections. His brief 1994 stint with the Braves that ended his MLB journey is commemorated by desirable issues like Topps Traded, Stadium Club and Finest. Overall condition is imperative when appraising Sanders’ baseball cards due to the age. But for collectors intrigued by unique crossover athletes, Deion Sanders’ tiny but fascinating baseball card collection endures.

While Sanders made his mark overwhelmingly in the NFL as a nine-time Pro Bowler, his attempt to pull off professional baseball and football simultaneously created a lasting memorabilia footprint in MLB card form as well. The rarity he brought to that arena by way of his exceptional athletic gifts and star power keeps fans engaged with his baseball collecting niche decades later. From flagship rookie issues to scarce Braves cards, Sanders’ five season baseball card storyline stays an engaging one for enthusiasts of crossover sports stars.