The Kansas City Royals joined Major League Baseball as an expansion franchise in 1969. Like all new MLB teams, the Royals were featured in various baseball card releases during their inaugural season and beyond. Let’s take an in-depth look at the history and key details surrounding Royals baseball cards from the team’s beginning through modern issues.
One of the first sets to include Royals players was the 1969 Topps baseball card release. As an expansion team, the Royals had very limited representation with only a handful of cards issued for their players. Catcher John Ellis was the sole Royals player to receive an individual card that year. Other Royals on the 1969 Topps roster included second baseman Cookie Rojas and pitchers Roger Nelson and Paul Splittorff on shared cards with players from other teams.
In 1970, Topps upped the Royals presence with over a dozen individual cards for Kansas City players like outfielders Lou Piniella and Amos Otis. That season also saw the Royals’ first rookie cards issued for players like infielder Leon Roberts. The 1971 and 1972 Topps sets continued expanding the Royals’ representation with cards of stars like catcher Hal McRae and pitcher Andy Hassler emerging. By the mid-1970s, the Royals had gained enough prominence to receive full individual card coverage from Topps and other contemporary brands like Fleer.
One of the most iconic early Royals card designs came from the 1975 Topps set, which featured colorful player portraits with a stadium seat pattern behind each image. Stars on those ‘75 Royals cards included McRae, Otis, White, Splittorff, and rookie pitcher Dennis Leonard. The late 1970s saw the introduction of more artistic and experimental designs from Topps and competitors. Sets from that era put the Royals’ championship-contending cores of McRae, Otis, White, and Leonard at the forefront.
The 1980s brought several notable events and anniversary moments for Royals cards. The franchise’s first World Series title in 1985 was commemorated across various ‘86 card issues. Other milestones included career highlights cards in the 1987 Topps set for George Brett and Bret Saberhagen as they neared milestones. Meanwhile, rookie cards in the ‘80s for hot prospects like Bo Jackson captured the excitement of a new generation of Royals players emerging.
In the 90s, collectors sought out rookie and star cards from sets as the Royals competed again for division titles. Sets from ‘92 and ‘93 featured rising talents like Kevin Seitzer, David Cone, and Bob Hamelin. Later ‘90s issues highlighted the careers of franchise icons like Brett as he neared retirement. In 1999, Topps paid homage to the 1985 championship team with a special 14-card insert set distributed across their main baseball release.
In the 2000s and 2010s, nostalgia has remained strong for classic Royals cards from the teams’ 1970s/80s heyday. Many older Kansas City issues routinely sell out online as collectors seek pieces from the franchise’s formative years. Modern sets have also given tribute by reprinting some of those same iconic ‘70s/‘80s designs for today’s fans and players. Meanwhile, stars today like Salvador Perez routinely appear on subsets highlighting MLB’s top catchers in the latest releases.
Looking ahead, Royals cards will surely continue commemorating new moments and milestones for the franchise in upcoming issues. Whether highlighting young talents emerging now or reminiscing on past greats, baseball cards have long documented the history of Kansas City’s MLB team across multiple generations of players and collectors alike. With the Royals back among the American League’s top competitors today, their presence in new card sets should remain significant for many years to come.
