The Most Iconic Baseball Card of Each Decade: The Modern Era
In this story:
In Part One, we looked at the defining card of each early decade and how the hobby evolved from its 19th-century origins into the post-war boom. Beginning in the 1960s, the baseball card market continued to grow. Rookie cards gained importance, national distribution expanded, and condition slowly became a driving force in long-term value.
But every decade has more than one heavyweight baseball card. Alongside each defining card is a runner-up that helped shape the era and remains a cornerstone for serious collectors. Here are the most iconic baseball cards and their runner-up cards from the 1960s through the 2020s.
1960s: 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan / Jerry Koosman #177 Rookie Card
Universal Population Count: 31,343
Highest Sale Price: $600,000
Why is this Card so Iconic? This is the only rookie card of Nolan Ryan, the all-time MLB leader in strikeouts (5,714) and no-hitters (7). His long career (1966–1993) spanned generations of collectors, making this rookie card an ultimate "must-have" for fans of multiple generations.
When the 1968 Topps #177 first came out in the late 1960s, Jerry Koosman was actually the headliner of this card. Koosman had a historic 19-win rookie season and was a hero during the 1969 "Miracle Mets" World Series run.
1960s Runner Up: 1969 Topps Mickey Mantle “White Letter”
1970s: 1975 Topps George Brett #228 Rookie Card
Universal Population Count: 31,343
Highest Sale Price: $158,600
Why is this Card so Iconic? Many stars in the 1970s had to share their rookie cards with other players, but Brett’s card features him alone. Collectors prefer the solo status, and this card has a vibrant ‘70s design that is instantly recognizable.
Brett is an all-time great as he is one of only five players in MLB history with 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a .300 career batting average. He also remains the only player to win batting titles in three different decades.
1970s Runner Up: 1973 Topps Mike Schmidt #615 Rookie Card (with Ron Cey and John Hilton)
1980s: 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. #1 Rookie Card
Universal Population Count: 190,729
Highest Sale Price: $6,600
Why is this Card so Iconic? This is the most iconic modern baseball card of all time. It is the very first card by Upper Deck, who made Topps cards look old and outdated with their “super-premium” card features. The photo shows a young, smiling Griffey, who is easily the most popular player of his generation.
1980s Runner Up: 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson #482 Rookie Card
1990s: 1993 SP Derek Jeter #279 Rookie Card
Universal Population Count: 52,121
Highest Sale Price: $468,000
Why is this Card so Iconic? The 1993 SP set by Upper Deck raised the bar for the baseball card industry, creating an even more high-end look with silver-foil card surfaces. The delicate silver foil surface and dark edges that are notoriously prone to scratching and chipping, making high-end copies extremely rare. Jeter’s legacy as one of the greatest Yankees and shortstops ever make this one of the most sought after cards of the 90s.
1990s Runner Up: 1990 Topps Frank Thomas "No Name on Front" #414 Rookie Card
2000s: 2001 Topps Traded Albert Pujols #T247 Rookie Card
Universal Population Count: 7,208
Highest Sale Price: $4,105
Why is this Card so Iconic? This is the flagship rookie card of one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time. Pujols is one of just a handful of players to ever hit 700 home runs, but in 2001 he wasn't expected to make the Cardinals out of Spring Training. Therefore, he did not have a flagship rookie out of the base 2001 Topps set. Because of the dark green border, this card is harder to find in high grades.
2000s Runner Up: 2001 Topps Chrome Traded Ichiro Suzuki #T266 Rookie Card
2010s: 2011 Topps Update Mike Trout Rookie Card
Universal Population Count: 25,095
Highest Sale Price: $6,365
Why is this Card so Iconic? Mike Trout was the biggest name in baseball for about a decade, and this card became the most talked-about rookie since the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Collectors have always appreciated the clean, simple design, which helped make it an instant classic. This card is credited with helping revive the popularity of base cards.
2010s Runner Up: 2018 Topps Chrome Shohei Ohtani #150 Rookie Card
2020s: 2024 Topps Chrome Update Paul Skenes Rookie Debut Patch Autograph 1/1
Universal Population Count: 1
Highest Sale Price: $1.11 million
Why is this Card so Iconic? This is definitely the most famous card of the 2020s. It features the actual patch Skenes wore during his MLB debut. In March 2025, it sold at auction for $1.11 million. This card made national headlines and it is on display at the Dicks Sports Goods flagship store. For now, it is the most iconic card of this decade.
2020s Runner Up: 2025 Topps Chrome Update Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge MLB Gold Logoman MVP Autograph Relic
David is a collector based in Georgia and a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and New York Knicks. He is an avid sports card collector with a strong passion for vintage baseball cards and vintage on-card autographs. David enjoys obtaining autographs through the mail and loves connecting with other knowledgeable collectors to discuss the history and evolution of the hobby. He also previously wrote about the New York Giants for GMENHQ.com