Let's talk about rookie cards
Sports card collectors can't seem to agree on rookie card definitions. What do you consider a rookie card?
Sports card collectors can't seem to agree on rookie card definitions. What do you consider a rookie card?
1993 Upper Deck SP Foil #279
1993 Upper Deck SP Foil #279
Derek Jeter's 1993 rookie cards have very little debate surrounding them. They predate the rookie logo and prospect card rule from 2006. Card collectors view these pre-rookie year cards as his rookie cards, even though his MLB debut was in 1995, with many other prospects from that era receiving the same treatment. Jeter has a handful of 1993 cards, but Upper Deck SP foil rookie card is his most desirable.
1987 Topps #320
1987 Topps #320
Barry Bonds has an uncommon scenario with his rookie cards. His 1986 cards are included in Update/Traded sets though he played over 100 games during his 1986 rookie year. Beckett made the designation "XRC" for these cards, which it later abandoned (though cards with this designation were grandfathered into keeping it), and his 1987 cards are generally considered his true rookie cards. A core tenant of "rookie cards" is that they can't span multiple years, so the 1986 traded/update card eligibility will dictate if the 1987 base set cards are eligible.
1961 Topps #287
1961 Topps #287
1961 was Carl Yastrzemski's rookie year, and his 1961 Topps card says "1961 Rookie" similar to other rookie cards in the set. However, the 1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski is widely regarded as his rookie card. If a card must be printed on or after a player's rookie season to count as a rookie card, the 1961 Topps card would become a rookie card.
2021 Bowman's Best #49
2021 Bowman's Best #49
Like Wander Franco, Rodriguez has a 2021 Bowman's Best card that should have been labeled "prospect." Unlike Franco, Rodriguez had not yet begun his rookie year in 2021. Rodriguez has numerous 2022 cards with the rookie logo meeting all of the standard criteria to be a rookie card. If either the logo rule is enforced, or the card must be printed during the player's rookie year, the Bowman's Best card is not a rookie card.
