Most Essential Cards From 1990 Topps Baseball
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Topps throughout the years always tried to be appealing. Whether it was the basic white boarders, or the wood look of the 1987 cards, Topps constantly changed their design. The 1990 Topps baseball series was definitely unique. They went all in on the multi colored, very vibrant design. In some cases, they did a great job on color matching with the player. In other cases, they threw whatever boarder they wanted.
Years later, due to better technology, better stock, these cards have now been relaunched as inserts in the 2025 Topps packs.
1990 had some good group of rookies that debuted in this set. We are going to look back at the top 3 most iconic cards, their careers, and what you can expect to pay for such card.
Incredible players who did not make this list are David Justice, John Olerud, and Greg Vaughn.
3. Larry Walker and Bernie Williams
I am not big on giving out ties, but I honestly couldnt leave one of these guys off the list. Both had incredible careers, with one of them getting into the hall of fame.
While Bernie Williams never got into the hall of fame, he was one heck of a player. Manning the center field position for his whole career, he was one of the glue pieces that brought 4 championships to the NY Yankees. The 5x All-Star, was as good in the field as he was with the bat, winning 4 Gold Glove awards. Williams would finish his career batting almost .300, driving in 1,257 RBI's, and finished with 2,236 hits.
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One of the last PSA 10 Bernie Williams RC went for about $75.
Larry Walker was a good player when he was with the Montreal Expos. But he was a great player for the Colorado Rockies. The 10 years he played for the Rockies, Walker batting average was off the chart at .334. For a three year stretch it was an insane .369. The 5x All-Star would end up winning 7 Gold Glove awards, being one of the best right fielders in his generation. The 1997 MVP would end up with a WAR of 72.8, finishing with over 1,300 RBI's, and 1,300 runs scored.
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You can easily pick up his Topps RC in a PSA 10, for around $40.
Deion Sanders didnt make an All-Star game, and certainly didnt make the Baseball Hall of Fame. However what he did do, was absolutely incredible. When Deion Sanders was playing football at the highest level, winning super bowls, getting named to All-Pro after All-Pro, he was also trying to make a name for himself on the diamond. Due to scheduling conflicts, Sanders typically played less than 100 games in a season. However during that time, he made his presence felt. From batting .304 with 14 triples in 1992, to stealing 38 bases two years later, players were aware of him at all time. Sanders is considered one of the greatest defensive backs of all time, and collecting his baseball RC is another unique avenue for any collector.
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A 1990 Topps Deion Sanders RC PSA 10 is a cheap option for just $40.
1. Frank Thomas
If you know this set, the you know the Frank Thomas RC would land at number 1. Considered one of the greatest first baseman's of all time, this 6 ft 5 behemoth was a monster at the plate. His first 8 years in the league, Thomas would bat .330, and smash 257 home runs. He would get walked over 100 times each season, and was in the Top 10 in MVP voting 7 times (bringing the award home twice). In 19 years, he would have a .301 career batting average, drive in over 1,700 runs, and score 1,494.
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For being around $80 for a PSA 10, it's a great card to have for an All-Time great.
