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Most collectors don't think twice about 1990 Score baseball cards but they will always be special to me...
I really liked collecting this set as a kid.
The design was colorful but respectable.
There were plenty of draft picks and rookie cards to chase.
And what kid didn't like those little, holographic trivia cards that were inserted into every pack?
I used to love expanding my knowledge about significant baseball milestones and achievements by reading those things.
And while many cards in this set aren't worth anything, there are some that still do stick out in terms of value.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 30 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
Ross Uitts - Owner
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Let's be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days.
Like the 1990 Donruss, Bowman, Fleer, Topps and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values.
So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition.
That means the card needs to be flawless.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list:
1990 Score #697 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $250
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This card is arguably one of the most iconic cards of the "junk" era.
It perfectly illustrates just what made Bo Jackson so special:
his ability to play both baseball and football at the highest levels.
There's no mention of the Raiders or Royals anywhere on the front.
We just get a straightforward, black and white image of Jackson sporting gear from both sports.
What a simple way to get a big point across.
One of Bo Jackson's rookie cards, produced by Classic, used a similar concept of Bo wearing gear from both sports but this is the one everyone remembers.
In top condition, this card can go for around $70 or so these days.
1990 Score #250 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $65
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There is a huge collector base out there for Nolan Ryan cards.
His rookie card is one of the hobby's most sought-after cards in general while the rest of his cards are always among the most-demanded in any set in which he appears.
This one is no exception.
And while it may not be worth even close to what his rookie card is, it's a really great-looking card nonetheless.
The red borders perfectly complement his Texas Ranger uniform and you gotta love that action shot of him ready to throw some major heat.
1990 Score #663 Frank Thomas Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $55
Even during his rookie year, Frank Thomas was more of a folktale than a regular ballplayer.
Selected seventh overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 1989 MLB Draft, the "Big Hurt" came into professional baseball as 240-plus pounds of pure power.
His six-foot-five frame cast a large shadow in the batter's box, causing pitchers to think twice before grooving him a fastball.
Thomas skipped Triple-A altogether, joining the White Sox to stay in 1990 after 109 games at Double-A.
Chicago had an outside chance of catching the A's for the AL West title, and Thomas' presence gave their lineup a boost.
However, the Sox couldn't gain ground on a world-beating A's squad.
Regardless, Thomas was a sensation as soon as he stepped on the diamond at Old Comiskey Park.
Rather than timing up pitchers in the on-deck circle with a regular bat, Thomas often instilled fear in opposing hurlers by swinging a piece of rebar found in the debris of Comiskey's ongoing renovation project.
The carnival-style display added to his mystique.
And it didn't hurt that he backed it up in the box.
Thomas balled out in a part-time role, slashing .330/.454/.529 with seven homers and 31 RBIs in just 191 at-bats.
One year later, he'd go full-time and announce himself as the best power hitter in baseball
1990 Score #255 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
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1990 Score #360 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
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1990 Score #566 Bo Jackson All-Star MVP
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
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This is a fantastic card and a great tribute to Jackson's 1989 All-Star MVP honor.
1989 would be the only season in which Jackson earned a trip to the All-Star game but this card (along with the other Bo Jackson cards in this set) of how much hype surrounded the two-sport star at the time.
The horizontal layout, blue borders and great action shot of Jackson's compact, powerful swing make this one of the best-looking cards in the entire set.
1990 Score #280 Bo Jackson
Estimated "Watham" Error PSA 10 Value: $50
Estimated "Wathan" Correct Version PSA 10 Value: $40
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Bo Jackson appeared on four different cards in this set but this is considered his "base" card.
On the back side of the card, then Royals manager John Wathan was quoted as saying, "The more he plays, the better he gets. And I don't have any idea when that will stop."
However, there are fewer versions where Score misspelled Wathan's last name as "Watham".
They're not too difficult to find, but in high grade they are worth more than the correct version.
Some have sold for as high as $70 or more but I think you could likely expect to pay around $25 for a PSA 10 copy.
1990 Score #1 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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1990 Score #66 Dale Murphy
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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1990 Score #560 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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The blue and yellow borders on this card matched up perfectly with the Mariners uniforms back then.
And together with a great action shot of Griffey showing off his sweet swing, that color scheme makes this one of the best-looking cards in the set.
During the 1990's, Griffey Jr. was one of the hottest stars in the sport and seemed destined to break all kinds of records.
Unfortunately, injuries really bogged him down in the 2000's but he still managed to put up monster career numbers.
That's a testament to how good he really was.
1990 Score #631 Larry Walker Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
An unheralded prospect, Larry Walker scratched and clawed for recognition from his first day in professional baseball.
Signed as a free agent by the Montreal Expos in 1985 for a pittance, Walker slugged his way through Single and Double-A in 1986 and 1987.
His ascension to the Bigs took a sharp left turn in 1988 when a brutal knee injury suffered in winter ball cost him the entire year.
Yet, it was only a temporary detour.
Walker moved up to Triple-A in 1989, mending as he went. He did just enough in 114 games to earn a call-up but hit just .170 in his first 20 MLB games.
Rather than sending him back down to the Minors for more seasoning, Montreal went all-in on Walker for the 1990 season.
After losing Hubie Brooks to free agency in the offseason, Expos manager Buck Rodgers named the 23-year-old as his starting right fielder.
Despite hitting just .241 and racking up a groan-inducing 112 strikeouts in 478 plate appearances, Walker earned his keep.
His 19 home runs tied Andre Dawson’s rookie franchise record, and his steady play in right field was a critical contribution to the 85-win Expos’ first winning season since 1987.
1990 Score #698 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1990 was the year of Rickey.
Oakland A’s center fielder Rickey Henderson was the most valuable contributor to the game’s most dominant team.
He hit homers, hammered clutch hits, and tallied “Rickey runs,” an affectionate term for a walk or single followed by two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly.
No one did it better or with more style than the game’s most colorful, outspoken figure.
Henderson led all of baseball in runs scored (119), on-base percentage (.439), OPS (1.016), and OPS+ (189).
He topped the AL in stolen bases (65), hit at a .325 clip, and hammered 28 homers and 33 doubles.
As Rickey went, so did the A’s.
Oakland won 28 of the 33 games that Henderson crossed the plate in the first inning.
The AL MVP race was a two-player sprint between Henderson and Detroit Tigers superstar Cecil Fielder.
Rickey beat out Fielder for his first-and-only MVP award, bringing home 14 of 28 first-place votes.
Henderson followed up his remarkable regular season with a productive postseason.
He went 5-for-17 in Oakland’s four-and-done beatdown of Boston, followed by a .333 average and 1.111 OPS in the four-and-out loss to Cincy in the 1990 World Series.
1990 Score #558 Sammy Sosa Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
In 1989, Chicago White Sox general manager Larry Himes dealt Hall-of-Famer Harold Baines and Fred Manrique to the Texas Rangers for a three-player package.
20-year-old Dominican prospect Sammy Sosa, an intriguing, unpolished prospect with plenty of upside, headlined the return.
And while the young right fielder was far from ready to live up to that comparison, his game definitely had a wow factor.
Sosa leaned on his athleticism in his rookie season, sometimes to the team’s detriment.
He was speedy enough to track down most balls, but his overconfidence in right was often costly (as 13 errors would attest.)
He was also a swing-first, ask-questions-later hitter to the highest degree.
Sosa struck out 150 times in 579 plate appearances, wildly flailing at balls well out of the strike zone.
When Sosa was able to make contact, the ball exploded off his bat.
He hit 15 home runs on the year and tacked on 26 doubles, 10 triples, and 70 RBIs.
On the other hand, Sosa’s base-running decisions could be questionable.
He stole 32 bases but was caught 16 times.
The White Sox finished nine games behind the Oakland A’s in the AL West, yet still finished with a sparkling 94-68 record.
Sosa’s season was a microcosm of the year on the Southside, exciting and fun, yet frustrating as heck.
1990 Score Traded #86T Frank Thomas
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
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Technically, this card was part of Score's "Traded" series which was designated for players who were traded or called up from the minors during the season.
But, how could I leave this Big Hurt rookie off the list?
I would have loved to have seen a better action shot of Thomas, ideally one of him taking a huge cut at the ball.
But, it's still a great-looking card due to the orange borders and overall brightness that it exhibits.
These aren't worth as much as his regular Score rookie but Thomas collectors are still always on the lookout for this one in high grade.
1990 Score Traded #110T Eric Lindros
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
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Eric Lindros?
Wasn't he a hockey legend?
This card is so odd because Lindros never even actually played professional baseball...not even in the Minors.
But, the Toronto Blue Jays did let him tryout and I guess that was good enough for Score to put him in their "Traded" series.
The back of the card references his hitting ability that he displayed in high school but also makes reference to him being though of as the next Mario Lemieux.
I really don't know much about Score's motive for putting him on a baseball card but I'm assuming it was some sort of promotional gimmick.
1990 Score Baseball Cards In Review
So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1990 Score cards.
As you can see, it will take them being professionally graded in gem mint condition to be worth much.
The checklist in this set contains 704 cards total and in general, the centering and print quality were pretty good.
But like many sets of that era, 1990 Score was massively printed.
And that has severely hurt their value over the years: they're just not that hard to find.
But, for those of us who grew up collecting these as kids, they'll always have a huge nostalgic factor to them despite not having the highest monetary value.