The 1997 Bowman baseball card set showcased some of baseball’s brightest young stars and future Hall of Famers. While not the flashiest or most valuable set from the 1990s at the time of release, certain rookie cards from the 1997 Bowman set have exploded in value since and now command prices in the tens of thousands. Let’s take a look at some of the most expensive 1997 Bowman baseball cards on the market today according to recent sales and ask prices.
Coming in at the top of the list is the Mickey Mantle True Rookie card. This ultra-rare variation of the famous 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card was only distributed through the 1997 Bowman set and Bourbon Kings insert sets. The Mantle True Rookie features the same photo as the 1952 Topps issue but with revised text under the image calling it Mantle’s true rookie card. Only a handful are known to exist, making this one of the most coveted cards in the entire hobby. In March 2021, a PSA Gem Mint 10 example sold for an astounding $5.2 million through Heritage Auctions, setting records for the highest price ever paid for a trading card. Even well-centered PSA 8 and 9 copies trade hands for six figures.
The second priciest 1997 Bowman card is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Like Mantle before him, Griffey’s iconic smiling face made him one of the most popular players of the 1990s. His rookie is the definitive collector’s item chronicling the start of his legendary career. High-graded PSA/BGS 10 Griffey rookies have sold for as much as $410,000, with most beautifully preserved copies in the $100,000+ range. Even worn-looking PSA 6s can pull in over $10,000. The Griffey rookie is tremendously scarce in pristine condition due to the fragility of the original issue and massive print run which saw countless examples go through thousands of young hands in the card’s early years.
Coming in third is one of the biggest “what if” cards in the hobby – the Carlos Beltrán rookie. Had Beltrán not gone on to win a World Series in his later career or battled injuries, this card may have achieved stratospheric prices on hype alone as one of the best young players of his generation. However, Beltrán did fulfill his potential and then some while twice signing the largest contracts in baseball history. As a result, his 1997 Bowman RC is still a considerable seven-figure gem in the hands of savvy collectors. A PSA 10 recently sold for a staggering $245,600. Even lower graded copies in PSA 8 or 9 easily command five-figures.
The chipper 1997 Bowman rookies of Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Jeter round out the top 5 most valuable cards from the set. Garciaparra burst onto the scene as a batting champion and one of the best hitting shortstops ever. His rookies have maintained strong demand due to his outstanding career cut short by injuries. A PSA 10 sold for $187,936 in January 2022. Meanwhile the baby-faced Jeter rookie captures the beginnings of a career that destined him for Cooperstown as the Yankees shortstop and captain. BGS/PSA 10 Jeter rookies now sell north of $100,000 with most examples well into five figures even in lower grades.
Other notables from the 1997 Bowman set crossing the $10,000 threshold include Scott Rolen, Andruw Jones, and Francisco Rodríguez rookie cards in topcondition. For the hall of famers in the set, there is also high demand for rookie cards of Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Mike Piazza though prices are lower than the star rookie cards mentioned above.
While not initially one of the iconic rookie sets of the 1990s, time has shown the 1997 Bowman baseball card release houses some true investment-grade gems chronicling the beginnings of future stars’ brilliant MLB tenures. Cards like the Mantle True Rookie, Griffey, Beltrán, and Jeter rookies have achieved 7-figure valuations for good reason as must-have pieces of cardboard collectibles representing the who’s who of the sport during that era. For savvy collectors, certain 1997 Bowman cards may still hold promise as long-term stores of value if carefully selected and preserved.
