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?
1996 Score #240
1996 Score #240
Derek Jeter has a unique rookie card scenario. Jeter qualified as a rookie in both 1995 and 1996, with Jeter winning Rookie of the Year in 1996. However, the hobby views his 1993 cards as his rookie cards. Given that rookie cards can't span multiple seasons, either his 1993 cards qualify or his 1995 cards. His 1996 cards are not eligible to be rookie cards under any conditions, even though he was the 1996 ROY.
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 #366
1987 Topps #366
1985 Topps contained a subset of 1984 Team USA cards. One of those cards featured a young Mark McGwire a full year before he had played his first MLB game in 1986. Many collectors and Beckett price guides labeled the 1985 Topps card as a rookie card, sealing its fate. McGwire has several 1987 cards that are all generally viewed as rookie cards in the modern era. However, if the 1985 card is a rookie card, the 1987 cards lose that designation.
2022 Topps Now #228
2022 Topps Now #228
Julio Rodriguez is a 2022 rookie. Like Wander Franco, Rodriguez has a 2021 Bowman's Best card that should have been labeled "prospect." Rodriguez's Topps Now card has the rookie card logo. However, Topps Now cards are not released in packs and have a limited distribution window.
