Five Cards to Collect for Dave Winfield Fans
In this story:
Not many athletes in history can claim the toolset of the great Dave Winfield. The only one ever drafted by teams in four professional leagues, the 6-foot-6 slugger opted for baseball and ended up in Cooperstown, with a Hall of Fame career that included twelve All-Star appearances, over three thousand hits, and 465 home runs across 22 big league seasons.
A wealth of notable cardboard likenesses were produced of the Minnesota native both during and after his illustrious career. Below are five that should be part of any Winfield collector's vault.
1974 Topps #456 (RC)
The crown jewel of any Winfield collection is undoubtedly his 1974 Topps rookie card. What makes this rookie extra special is his unique path, leaping straight from college to San Diego without playing a single game in the minor leagues.
CardLadder data shows PSA 10 sales reaching as high as $74,400, while PSA 8 copies have traded around $295. The population tells the real story: only 10 Gem Mint versions exist compared to almost 2,500 PSA 8s, explaining the dramatic price gap between grading levels.
1975 Topps #61
Winfield's sophomore entry offers great value for those looking for graded mementos without rookie premiums. The '75 design seems to fit the Padres' aesthetic, with a clear shot of the towering power threat taking a swing for the camera.
The PSA 9 pop report shows just 114 in existence, yet recent sales are just over $600, a relative bargain. Drop down a grade to Near Mint-Mint and you might not even spend a c-note.
1979 Topps #30
Arguably his finest season in the bigs, Winfield amassed an 8.3 WAR in '79 behind a .308 average with 34 home runs and a league-leading 118 runs batted in. Closing out the decade with a slight smirk on a profile piece, the only PSA 10 on record sold for $20,000 back in early 2023.
Drop down to PSA 9 and you're looking at just under $500 for recent sales. PSA 8s have sold for as low as $40 of late.
1981 Topps Traded #855
Winfield's Traded set entry commemorates his move to the Big Apple, where he inked a 10-year, $23 million contract, the richest such deal in pro sports at the time. The card is the first one to feature him in Yankee pinstripes.
A Gem Mint card just sold for $153, not bad considering only 76 are registered with PSA. One of the most affordable of his noteworthy collectibles, this feels like a must-have for Winfield supporters.
1985 Donruss "Two for the Title" #651
Perhaps no card better captured Winfield's time under unpredictable owner George Steinbrenner than this dual-player tribute to one of the game's most legendary batting crown races—one that pitted the high-paid cleanup hitter against the small town rookie.
Both Winfield and teammate Don Mattingly were unstoppable during the first half of the '84 campaign, with the veteran sporting a lofty .370 average at the break to the future fan favorite's .330, a lead that seemed almost insurmountable. By month's end, however, the lead was cut to just seven points—setting up a battle in the New York tabloids.
It came down to the final day, with Donnie Baseball going 4-for-5 (.343) and Winfield managing just a lone hit to finish at .340. The pair shook hands and embraced on the field, showcasing sportsmanship for the crowd.
The most affordable in our list, recent PSA 9 sales have been between $32-44, while PSA 8s can be found around $18. The card exists in two variations from the black-bordered set, a well-liked design among some collectors.
Scott Orgera is a sportswriter and statistician with more than three decades of experience. He has covered thousands of MLB and NFL games, along with most other major sports. A member of the BBWAA, his bylines appear in the Associated Press, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, and Forbes, among others. He also co‑authored 976‑1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground. Having worked card shows with his family in the 1980s, Scott has remained active in the hobby ever since and now owns a card and memorabilia shop just outside New York City.