The Top 3 Cards of Josh Gibson, The Most Underrated Power Hitter Ever
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Josh Gibson was one of the greatest hitters that has ever lived, maybe the greatest. He was born in 1911 in Buena Vista, Ga., and 12 years later, his father moved the family to Pittsburgh. Growing up playing in the Negro National League, so he has limited playing-days cards.
Gibson's cards are incredibly difficult to find, especially in high grades. Which makes them a true collectors piece for those who are fans of baseball history.
Josh Gibson's Career
In 1930, he became a professional baseball player by fate while in the stands at a Homestead Grays game; catcher Buck Ewing injured his hand. Gibson, already known for his monstrous home runs, was invited to replace the catcher. Before he was picked out of the stands and signed with the Grays, he played amateur and semi-professional baseball for Pittsburgh sandlot teams. Sandlot teams played on vacant lots, parks, or rough dirt, not in professional stadiums.
Gibson played most of his career with the Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords. Before that, they lured him away from the Grays in 1932 with a $100-a-month signing bonus. He would go back to the Grays in 1937. The biggest difference between the Negro National League (NNL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) was the number of games in a season. The NNL had about 60 games per season, while MLB had 154. This is a major reason there are few arguments for Josh Gibson to be recognized as the home run king. Gibson, unofficially, hit roughly 800 home runs; officially, he hit 176. Most of the games that Gibson played were not part of the NNL season, but were games nonetheless.
1950-51 Toleteros Josh Gibson SGC 1.5
The most sought-after Gibson card came from tobacco packages in Puerto Rico. Because of the tropical weather in Puerto Rico, many of the cards were damaged, so they are very hard to find in a high grade. An SGC 1.5 sold for $120,000 on Jun 2, 2025.
2023 Bowman Chrome 1st Bowman Josh Gibson Superfractor
In 2023, Bowman created the Retrofractor, in which players from the past who had not yet received their 1st Bowman card would receive one. In 2023, the Bowman Draft had Gibson's 1st Bowman, and the Superfractor sold for $25,000 Jun 3rd, 2024. Gibson would play 14 years of professional baseball and has some incredible stories about his home runs, ranging from 600-foot home runs to hitting a ball completely out of the old Yankee Stadium.
2024 Topps Now Josh Gibson
In 2024, Major League Baseball acknowledged two huge records that were broken. MLB has announced that NNL stats will be counted alongside MLB numbers. While the season lengths were drastically different, there wasn't much to compare with stats like home runs, RBIs, or runs, but averages are a whole different game. Gibson took over two records, one, the single-season record for highest average, hitting .466 in 1943. His career average, .372, is the highest career average for any hitter, previously held by Ty Cobb, who hit .366.
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Craig Cormier lives in New York City with his wife, Stephanie, and dog, Ziggy. He is a passionate sports card collector, focusing primarily on baseball, basketball, and football. He proudly roots for the Yankees, Knicks, and Jets. One of his biggest sports goals is to visit every Major League Baseball stadium—and he is already halfway there! Outside of collecting, he enjoys playing softball, attending trade nights at local card shops, and exploring card shows.