The 1991 Leaf baseball card set was one of the most highly anticipated issues of the early 1990s. Produced during the height of the baseball card boom, the ’91 Leaf set featured numerous young stars and career milestones that made many of the cards very desirable among collectors. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the most valuable and coveted cards from that year.
The undisputed king of the ’91 Leaf set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of the most iconic rookie cards ever printed, Griffey’s dominance on the baseball diamond and popularity among fans helped drive massive demand for this card. In PSA 10 Gem Mint condition, the Griffey Jr. rookie has sold for well over $100,000, making it one of the most expensive modern-era cards on the market. What makes the card so desirable is that it captures “The Kid” at the very start of his Hall of Fame career, before he became a 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover with the Mariners and Reds organizations.
Another huge star of the 1991 Leaf set is Frank Thomas and his rookie card. Like Griffey, “The Big Hurt” went on to have an incredible career that culminated with a Hall of Fame induction. Thomas was a two-time AL MVP who belted 521 home runs and drove in 1,703 runs over 19 seasons mostly with the Chicago White Sox. His rookie perfectly captures the brute strength and raw talent that would make Thomas a fixture in the middle of the Sox’ lineup for years. High-grade Thomas rookies in PSA 10 condition have sold for over $10,000, reflecting the card’s undisputed status as one of the key Athletics rookie cards from the early 1990s.
While the Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas rookies get most of the glory, there are numerous other young stars and key milestone cards that make the 1991 Leaf set highly collectible. For example, the Chipper Jones rookie is extremely scarce in high grades and consistently sells for $1,000-$2,000 even in PSA 8 condition. Another huge card is the Ivan Rodriguez rookie, as “Pudge” went on to win 13 Gold Gloves as one of the greatest defensive catchers ever. His card often trades hands for $500-$1,000.
The Barry Larkin and Roberto Alomar rookie cards are also popular, as both shortstops enjoyed Hall of Fame careers. And Larkin’s card in particular stands out as one of the more visually appealing designs from the early ’90s Leaf issues. The Randy Johnson rookie is another highly sought-after card, capturing “The Big Unit” in his infancy with the Mariners before he dominated MLB hitters with his blazing fastball for decades.
In addition to rookies, the ’91 Leaf set contains several star veterans reaching major career stats. The Nolan Ryan 6000th Strikeout card is exceptionally rare and desirable, as it documents “The Ryan Express” achieving one of baseball’s most unbreakable pitching records. In PSA 10 condition, this one-of-a-kind card has sold for over $20,000. Cal Ripken’s card celebrating 2,000 hits is also exceedingly scarce in top-grades and commands prices well over $1,000.
Even more common vintage stars like Ozzie Smith have special milestone cards that stand out. Smith’s card for his 30th career home run is a sharp, visually pleasing reminder of the Wizard’s smooth defensive skills and surprising occasional power. Kirby Puckett’s card showing him batting right-handed is a unique novelty, since Puckett was exclusively a left-handed batter throughout his HOF career with the Twins.
The 1991 Leaf baseball set remains a veritable gold mine for collectors over 30 years later. Loaded with rookies of future stars and special career moments for baseball icons, it provides a true snapshot of the MLB talent and history from that transformative early 90s era. Key cards like the Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas rookies are among the most iconic and valuable modern cards period. For dedicated collectors, searching through thousands of ’91 Leaf commons still holds the chance to unearth forgotten gems and rediscover the early promise of diamond greats.
