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Updated August 30, 2022
Hello! If you’re looking for a list of the best Ken Griffey Jr rookie baseball cards, then you’ve come to the right place.
Ken Griffey Jr was one of the most electrifying players in baseball during his 22-year career and is known throughout baseball for having one of the purest swings of all time.
As a 10-time Gold Glove winner and 13-time All-Star, Griffey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Not surprisingly, Ken Griffey Jr rookie cards are some of the most coveted collectibles in the hobby. They feature some of the most iconic designs in the history of trading cards.
Ken Griffey Jr rookie cards are the perfect way for collectors to celebrate one of the greatest players of all time and if you're lucky enough to have a Ken Griffey Jr rookie card, you might just have a goldmine on your hands.
FAQs
The rookie cards we select for our lists are judged based on 3 criteria:
- Design / Aesthetics
- Price
- Rarity
At Sports Card Sharks, we tend to go against the grain. We typically aren’t buying what everyone else is buying when everyone else is buying it, so if you’re moving with the masses this may not be the right list for you. Adios!
Our Founder is an 80's baby that grew up in the 90's collecting sports cards during the junk wax era.
While card collecting when on hiatus for a couple of decades, that passion was re-sparked in 2020 and we haven't looked back since.
We spend countless hours researching each player and constructing these posts to help you save time and energy so that you can focus on the fun part which is collecting!
Why We Love Ken Griffey Jr
- Easily the coolest player to ever play the game
- He might have the purest swing we have ever seen
- His athleticism on the field was unmatched, especially defensively
- Chicks dig the long ball, and Griffey hit a lot of them; 630 career home runs
Our List of the Top Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Cards
1. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck Rookie Card #1
Ken Griffey Jr. was a legend even before he hit the diamond. His dad was a really good hitter, and Junior wasn't too far behind in his father's footsteps. The Kid was the 1st overall selection in the 1987 draft, and his legacy was born.
Also Check Out: Derek Jeter
2. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Score Traded Rookie Card #100T
Those old Mariner jerseys were sick, and Junior pulled them off mighty fine. Granted, everything he did was so much fun to watch.
Also Check Out: Vladimir Guerrero Jr
3. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Donruss Baseball’s Best Rookie Card #192
Donruss is one of the premier baseball card companies, so if you can scoop up a Griffey rookie card, we highly recommend you do that.
Also Check Out: Mike Trout
4. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Bowman Rookie Card #259
What's better than one Griffey? How about two Griffey's. With this card, you get to show of Junior and Senior on the same card!
Also Check Out: Luis Robert
5. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Topps Traded Tiffany Rookie Card #41T
Swag. Swag. Swag. Griffey had swag well before Jay-Z made it popular in the 2000s. No batting gloves is also an alpha move on his part.
Also Check Out: Shohei Ohtani
6. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Scoremasters Rookie Card #30
This is one of our favorite Griffey cards. His patented swing coupled with a warm background makes this card really stand out.
Also Check Out: Mark McGwire
7. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Donruss Rated Rookie Card #33
Call me, call me, call me, Junior. The guy had an N64 game named after him! That's the type of impact he had on the game.
Also Check Out: Ozzie Smith
8. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Bowman Tiffany Rookie Card #220
A Griffey rookie card with an autograph is ultra rare. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, so this is a no-brainer for one you need to pick up.
Also Check Out: Dwight "Doc" Gooden
9. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Fleer Glossy Rookie Card #548
This Fleer Glossy rookie card epitomizes the baseball cards we grew up collecting. If you pulled a Griffey rookie, your heart definitely skipped a beat.
Also Check Out: Juan Gonzalez
10. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Donruss The Rookies Rookie Card #3
Last but not least, we have the Donruss The Rookies rookie card. We know we've mentioned this a lot, but how cool is Ken Griffey Jr.!? He's rocking the chain and just looks like a superstar. And a superstar he was!
Also Check Out: Frank Thomas
Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card Checklist
- 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #1
- 1989 Donruss Diamond Kings Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #4
- 1989 Star Baseball Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card
- 1989 Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #41T
- 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #220
- 1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #33
- 1989 Classic Travel Orange Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #131
- 1989 Donruss Baseball’s Best Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #192
- 1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #220
- 1989 Topps Heads Up Test Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #5
- 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr./Ken Griffey Sr. #259
- 1989 Pacific Griffey Candy Bar Ken Griffey Jr.
- 1989 Score Young Superstars II Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #18
- 1989 SCD Baseball Pocket Price Guide Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #3
- 1989 Score Traded Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #100T
- 1989 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #548
- 1989 Mariners Mother’s Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #3
- 1989 Classic Travel Purple Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card #193
- 1989 Donruss The Rookies Ken Griffey Jr. #3
- 1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr./Ken Griffey Sr. RC #259
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About the Author:
Trevor Weitzel is the founder of Sports Card Sharks. His pro sports teams are the Timberwolves, Vikings and Twins (which is rough). If we’re talking college then we’re only talking the University of Arizona Wildcats – BEAR DOWN! He is also an avid reseller, crypto enthusiast, and digital marketer.