# Best Baseball Rookie Cards From Every Decade

> Top baseball rookie cards from each decade, including record-breaking finds and budget picks.
- Title: Best Baseball Rookie Cards From Every Decade | Shortify
- Summary: Top baseball rookie cards from each decade, including record-breaking finds and budget picks. The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth card sold for $7.2 million in…
- Keywords: baseball, rookie cards, babe ruth, lou gehrig, joe dimaggio, satchel paige, jackie robinson, mickey mantle, pete rose, mike schmidt, rickey henderson, derek jeter
- Source: Collectibles On SI — https://si.com/collectibles/the-best-baseball-rookie-cards-from-every-decade
- Published: 2026-10-18T01:02:21+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: baseball, rookie cards, babe ruth, lou gehrig, joe dimaggio, satchel paige, jackie robinson, mickey mantle, pete rose, mike schmidt, rickey henderson, derek jeter
## Collectors Shift to Smaller Collections
More collectors have embraced building smaller, more focused collections by selling off lower-value cards to own iconic ones that might otherwise seem too expensive.
## 1910s: Babe Ruth Card
The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card reached an all-time high of $7.2 million in 2023.
## 1910s: Budget Pick
The 1909-1911 T206 Tris Speaker PSA 1 card sold for $770.
## 1920s: Lou Gehrig Card
The 1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig rookie card reached an all-time high of $782,400 in 2021.
## 1920s: Budget Pick
Jim Bottomley’s 1923 Maple Crispette V117 Rookie Card #19 sold for $700.
## 1930s: Joe DiMaggio Card
The 1933-36 Zeenut Joe DiMaggio throwing variation sold for $79,300 in 2025.
## 1930s: Budget Pick
Hank Greenberg’s 1934 Goudey Rookie Card #62 PSA 1 sold for $900.
## 1940s: Jackie Robinson & Satchel Paige
The 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige rookie cards reached all-time highs of $468,000 and $432,000 in 2022 and 2018, respectively.
## 1940s: Budget Pick
Yogi Berra’s 1948 Bowman Rookie Card #6 PSA 2 sold for $750.
## 1950s: Mickey Mantle Card
The 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card reached an all-time high of $3,192,000 in 2022.
## 1950s: Budget Pick
Sandy Koufax’s 1955 Topps #123 PSA 1 sold for $870.
## 1960s: Pete Rose Card
The 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card reached an all-time high of $264,000 in 2021.
## 1960s: Budget Pick
Tom Seaver’s 1967 Topps #581 PSA 1.5 sold for $930.
## 1970s: Mike Schmidt Card
The 1973 O-Pee-Chee Mike Schmidt rookie card reached an all-time high of $91,500 in August, 2026.
## 1970s: Budget Pick
George Brett’s 1975 Topps #228 PSA 8 sold for $860.
## 1980s: Rickey Henderson Card
The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie card reached an all-time high of $4,000 in 2026.
## 1980s: Budget Pick
Barry Bonds’ 1986 Topps Traded Rookie Card #11T PSA 10 sold for $915.
## 1990s: Derek Jeter Card
The 1993 SP Derek Jeter rookie card reached an all-time high of $600,000 in 2022.
## 1990s: Budget Pick
Chipper Jones’ 1991 Topps Desert Shield Rookie Card #333 PSA 6 sold for $995.
## 2000s: Albert Pujols Card
The 2001 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols Autograph Refractor #340/500 reached an all-time high of $462,000 in 2022.
## Key takeaway

The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth card sold for $7.2 million in 2023, while the 2013 Aaron Judge card holds the record for the most expensive modern baseball card.