Five essential Chicago Cubs rookie cards of the modern era

The Chicago Cubs, dating back to 1870, have played at Wrigley Field since 1916. They were early National League powerhouses and recently finished the 2025 regular season with the league's fourth-best record, aiming to build on their legacy.

Here we'll cover essential modern-era Cubs rookie cards, excluding early club legends like Frank Chance, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Mordecai Brown, Hack Wilson, and Gabby Hartnett. Pre-war Hall of Famer rookie cards are in rare and obscure releases, sometimes selling for more than $100,000.

Fortunately, for modern rookie cards, you don't have to look back 150 years, and many great options fit most budgets. The cards listed below feature the most beloved and dominant Cubs of the last 75 years.

1. 1954 Topps Ernie Banks #94

Ernie Banks' rookie card is one of the iconic cards of the 1950s, alongside those of Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, and Bob Gibson. It is a timeless card that encapsulates Banks' spirit with his smile and classic batting stance. If there is one post-1950 Cubs rookie card to own, it's that of Mr. Cub, a 14-time All-Star and two-time MVP.

There are no PSA 10s on the card. There are nine PSA 9s, and according to Card Ladder, the most recent sale was in Nov. 2023 for $144,000. The most recent PSA 8 sale (population 146) was for $20,300. His rookie card has remained relatively stable over the past two years in both PSA 8 and 7 grades.

2. 1983 Topps Ryne Sandberg #83

Sandberg's 1983 Topps rookie card is one of the most famous from the decade. The 193 Topps set boasts a classic design and features a trio of Hall of Fame rookie cards, including those of Ryne Sandberg, Tony Gwynn, and Wade Boggs.

Sandberg's rookie in PSA 10 (population 817) most recently sold for $1,590. PSA 9s have a higher population of 7,372 and last sold for $104.

Sandberg, one of the most beloved Cubs, spent nearly his entire career in Chicago, except for 13 early games with the Phillies. Traded in 1982, he became a 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner.

3. 1961 Topps Billy Williams #141

Williams began his career in 1959, earning regular playing time by 1961, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year award. A six-time All-Star and .290 hitter with 426 home runs and 1,425 RBI, he's 11th among left fielders in WAR.

Williams spent the first 16 years of his career in Chicago before finishing with two seasons in Oakland.

The 1961 Topps set is notable for Cubs fans because it features rookie cards of Williams and Ron Santo. Williams's rookie card has been graded 4,776 times by PSA, about 500 more than Santo's. Only two PSA 10s exist, with the last sale in Nov. 2021 for $92,000. PSA 9s (population 52) most recently sold for $3,800 in March 2025.

4. 1961 Topps Ron Santo #35

It's shocking that it took Ron Santo 38 years to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, two years after his death. The Cub great was a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove winner. He ranks seventh all-time among third basemen in WAR.

Santo's 1961 Topps rookie came out one year after finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, when he finished fourth behind Art Mahaffey, Pancho Herrera, and Frank Howard. Santo's card has been submitted 4,284 times to PSA, resulting in 15 PSA 10s and 122 PSA 9s.

The most recent PSA 10 sold for $18,192 (Jan. 2024); the most recent PSA 9, for $1,110 (Aug. 2025).

5. 1987 Donruss Greg Maddux #36

Jumping ahead to a different era, the 1987 Topps Traded and 1987 Leaf rookie cards are more valuable, but the 1987 Donruss is the quintessential Maddux rookie card. It's peak junk wax gold. If Maddux had experienced his greatest success as a Cub, he'd be up to number 2 on the list.

While Maddux played for seven seasons in Chicago, making two All-Star appearances and winning a Cy Young Award, he signed with Atlanta just as he was becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in history.

Back to his Donruss rookie card; there are 2,989 PSA 10s, making it a widely available and inexpensive card for its grade. According to Card Ladder, the most recent sale was for $363. His legacy as a Cub is also helped by the fact that he spent two and a half more seasons playing in Chicago right after leaving Atlanta. In those seasons, he earned two Gold Gloves and led the league in games started in 2005.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟒

Cubs resign Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, 11 years after they let him sign with the Atlanta Braves in free agency.

He did notch his 3000th strikeout in a Cubs uniform against the Giants. pic.twitter.com/V8QTg0Hwhf
— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) March 23, 2020

Honorable mentions: 1982 Topps Lee Smith, 1977 Topps Bruce Sutter