Top Iconic Yankees Players and Their Rookie Cards
With the incredibly rich history of the New York Yankees, it may be a little difficult to narrow down the Top 5 greatest of all-time. There have been so many legendary players to step on the diamond, helping the team to win 27 Championships. Playing over 120 years, the Yankees have won almost 11,000 games, an all-time win percentage of .570.
We are going to explore the Top 5 Yankee players of all-time, as well as take a peek at their rookie cards. Typically I like to give a honorable mention and recognize a player that is just outside of the list. However, because that can be another slew of players, today I will mention someone that is on a war path, and may end up on the Top 5 anyways.
Couple of housekeeping rules when making the list:
1. They must of played a minimum of 5 years with the New York Yankees.
2. They must of had some of their best years with the Yankees.
Soon to Be: Aaron Judge
When healthy, Aaron Judge is must watch TV. With a 6' 7 frame, and 282 lbs of pure muscle, he just mashes baseballs all of the park. He is already a 2x MVP, and has finished in the top 5, 4 times. Judge has hit over 50 home runs 3 times, peaking at 62 in 2022. He is a 4x Silver Slugger award winner, and 6x All-Star. His 162 game average is completely off the chart, averaging 52 home runs, and 118 RBI's. Through the time this article is being written, Judge is batting an insane .396, and has clobbered 23 home-runs.
One of the more popular Aaron Judge RC out there, is his 2017 Topps Chrome PSA 10. With his current hot streak, this card has been selling for around $250-300.
Number 5: Derek Jeter
For 20 years, Derek Jeter played only shortstop, and only for the Yankees. Jeter played his first full year at 22 years old, won the Rookie of the Year award, and never looked back. Nicknamed "The Captain" Jeter would help orchestrate his team to win 5 Championships. The 14x all-star would finish with over 3,400 hits, and 8 Top 10 MVP finishes.
Derek Jeter's most iconic card is the 1993 SP Upper Deck Foil. While there are plenty out there to be had for a resonable cost, the PSA 10 is the white whale. With only 22 registered a PSA 10, this particular card can run hundreds of thousands of dollars. Per cardladder.com, the last one sold at auction back in March, and sold for $324,000.
Related: Top 5 Iconic Red Sox Players and Their Rookie Cards
Number 4: Joe Dimaggio
What Joe Dimaggio did was absolutely incredible. If he didnt miss 3 season for the war, he would probably be higher on this list. Dimaggio finished in the Top 10 for the MVP all but 3 seasons. He took the award home twice, and was an all-star every year he played. In just 13 seasons, Dimaggio would end up with over 1,500 RBI's, while carrying a career .325 batting average. Still considered an unattainable record, Dimaggio hit safely in 56 games back in 1941.
Due to the popularity of this set (possibly because of the fun colors and images), most consider the 1938 Goudey Heads Up to be Dimaggio's most sought after. A PSA 1 just recently sold for over $3,700, with an SGC 3 recently selling for over $7,200.
Number 3: Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle was everything you could ever wish for in a baseball player. The gold glove center fielder played his entire career with the Yankees, and was idolized by the fans. The switch hitting Mantle would belt 536 home runs, drive in over 1,500 runs, and crossed the plate almost 1,700 times. The 20x all-star won 3 MVP, was in the Top 5 discussion 9 times, and brought home the championship 7 times.
The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle RC is one of the most sought-after rookie of all time. A pristine RC graded by PSA can cost you millions of dollars. Data provided by GemRate states there are only 3 PSA 10s in existence. Currently Probstein has a PSA 2.5 on Ebay, and with 6 days left, its already at $42,000.
Related: Top 5 Seattle Mariners of All -Time, and Their Rookie Cards
Number 2: Lou Gehrig
Nicknamed "The Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that lasted 56 seasons. Beyond staying on the field, Gehrig was considered one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. A career .340 hitter, Gehrig would hit 493 home runs, and drive in almost 2,000 RBI's. Gehrig would also cross homeplate an astonishing 1,888. He would finish in the Top 5 in MVP voting 9 times, winning the award twice.
A pristine 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig can set you back a mortage payment. Roughly a year ago, a confirmed sale on REA had a PSA 8 sell for $162,000. However, if you play your cards right, a PSA 4 can typically be had for around $8,000-9,000.
Number 1: Babe Ruth
The man who changed the way the game was played. The man who hit home runs that still havent landed. Ruth would lead the league in home runs 12 times, and became the all-time home run leader (until Hank Aaron came around) with 714 bombs. He would drive in and score over 2,000 runs apiece. Babe Ruth would walk over 2,000 times, and had a career batting average of .342. Ruth was a 7x champion, and beloved by all.
Because of the timing of when Ruth played, his RC is extremely rare. A high grade rookie can set you back a cool couple of million. In 2023, a 1916 Sporting News SGC 7 was sold for $1.7 million. The SGC 7 is still the highest grade to this date, by SGC. Due to the rarity of this card, they are not typically out in the wild. To show what this card looks like, below is a picture of a reprint via eBay.
