PSA's Most Graded Pitcher Card of All-Time

J.J. Hoover, former Cincinnati Reds pitcher, has opened Hoovs Hangout in Alexandria, Kentucky
J.J. Hoover, former Cincinnati Reds pitcher, has opened Hoovs Hangout in Alexandria, Kentucky | Liz Dufour/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Pitchers don't get the love that hitters do in the card collecting hobby. However, pitcher cards are still some of the most valuable and sought-after among collectors. Some examples of high-demand pitcher cards include the rookie cards of Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan. For the modern collector, Paul Skenes is a collecting phenomenon. Which pitcher has the most graded cards of all time?

Greg Maddux once said, "Chicks dig the long ball." It's also true for collectors. Pitcher cards go for a pittance compared to the game's biggest hitters (Paul Skenes' MLB Debut Patch Card aside). But here's the twist: collectors dig Greg Maddux.

Maddux's 1987 Donruss rookie card is PSA's most-graded pitcher card ever. According to Gem Rate, it's been graded over 35,500 times with 2,949 Gem Mint grades. His '87 Donruss card is a junk wax treasure, showing a moustachioed Maddux in the beginning of his windup.

Maddux's 1987 Donruss PSA 10 has sold for an average of $270 in the past three months, according to Card Ladder. Maddux's card still commands a hefty price for such a large population. His Mint PSA 9s, population 14,603, sell for about $20.

Related: Paul Skenes 1/1 Debut Patch Card Unveiled At Dick's House of Sports

1987 Donruss Greg Maddux
Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

The second-most graded pitching card? That would belong to Roger Clemens' 1985 Topps rookie card. It's been graded 35,049 times. However, it has a much lower Gem Rate. Only 1.1% of all grading submissions were PSA 10s, resulting in a scarcity that bumps Clemens' PSA 10s to sell for an average of $1,100. His PSA 9s, population 9,134(!), sell for $40 - $50.

1985 Topps Roger Clemens
Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

Since we're going down the rabbit hole, what is the third-most graded pitcher card? That would be Pedro Martinez's 1991 Upper Deck Final Edition rookie card. It's an inexpensive card in PSA 10 because of its high population (5,096). Sales have averaged $55 over the past three months, according to Card Ladder.

1991 Upper Deck Final Edition Pedro Martinez
Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

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Horacio Ruiz
HORACIO RUIZ

Horacio is an avid sports card collector and writes about trending card auctions and news across several major hobby sites, including Sports Collectors Daily and Collectibles on SI.

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