Would You Rather: 1987 Topps Bonds RC vs. 1992 Fleer Update Kent RC?
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Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent shared a clubhouse in San Francisco for six seasons. Kent hit cleanup behind Bonds, won the 2000 National League MVP Award while Bonds finished second, and the two anchored one of baseball's most dangerous lineups. On December 7, 2025, both appeared on the same Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot. Kent got 14 of 16 votes and punched his ticket to Cooperstown. Bonds got fewer than five votes and can't appear on another Era Committee ballot until 2031, the stain of suspected PED use trailing the California native like an ever-present shadow.
The hobby appeared to respond to the vote in two different ways. Kent's rookie jumped because he's headed for enshrinement. Bonds' rookie rose because collectors may be betting the rejection makes him undervalued. Both cards in PSA 10 now trade in the $400-$650 range — a genuine decision for anyone weighing career numbers against institutional recognition.
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1987 Topps Barry Bonds #320
The woodgrain borders frame a skinny Pittsburgh outfielder who would morph into arguably the most dominant hitter in baseball history. The stats box backs that up: 762 home runs, seven MVPs, a .298/.444/.607 slash line, and a still-standing record of 2,558 walks. His 73-homer 2001 season remains the single-season mark and will likely stand for the foreseeable future.
That said, voters keep saying no. The BBWAA passed on Bonds for ten years of regular balloting. Now the Era Committee has spoken. The card doesn't care about steroids or Hall of Fame politics, but the market price does.
PSA 10 copies sold for between $490-$620 in early January 2026. The pre-San Francisco image carries weight for collectors who remember Bonds as a tool-heavy outfielder born into big league lineage — before the bulk, before the records, before BALCO.
1992 Fleer Update Jeff Kent #U-104
Kent's rookie offering captures him in a New York Mets uniform, shipped from Toronto in late August that year. He had cards in both Blue Jays and Mets digs in ‘92, but the Fleer Update tends to command the higher mark.
His 377 career home runs stand as the most ever by a second baseman. Five All-Star selections and four Silver Sluggers round out a résumé that committee voters finally recognized as Hall-worthy. The Cooperstown nod has pushed PSA 10 copies past $400, with room to run as the July induction draws closer.
The Collectors’ Ballot
Between the lines, the gap between these two was a canyon. Bonds' prolific output dwarfs Kent's in virtually every category that matters. Yet the latter stands on the precipice of baseball immortality, while the former remains in a class of untouchables.
Bonds is the contrarian play here, a bet that history eventually corrects the record, or that 762 home runs matter more than a plaque. Kent is the steadier hold, a newly minted Hall of Famer whose card should see increased demand through induction weekend and beyond.
For collectors who watched both in the Bay, the choice might come down to something simpler: which player do you want to represent that era? The voters made their call; now you get to make yours.
Scott Orgera is a sportswriter and statistician with more than three decades of experience. He has covered thousands of MLB and NFL games, along with most other major sports. A member of the BBWAA, his bylines appear in the Associated Press, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, and Forbes, among others. He also co‑authored 976‑1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground. Having worked card shows with his family in the 1980s, Scott has remained active in the hobby ever since and now owns a card and memorabilia shop just outside New York City.