At first glance, you might think that the 1993 Fleer Ultra baseball card set design is exactly the same as the previous year.
Both contain marble-toned, triangular backgrounds along the bottom with trapezoidal banners that contain player names and team/position info.
And on those name banners, you'll see that each player's first name is smaller than his last name.
Both contain a Fleer Ultra logo stamped in the upper corner.
But although they're nearly identical in design, look closely and you'll spot some key differences...
The '93 Fleer Ultra logo contains a baseball with a comet-like trail behind it.
And the '93 Fleer Ultra name and team/position banners are positioned slightly differently along the bottom.
It would be interesting to go back in time and understand why Fleer's design team went with such a similar design as the year before.
Regardless, this set contains many great-looking cards.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1993 Fleer Ultra #636 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $125
The Ryan Express gave Houston Astros fans one hell of a final ride.
Hammered by a myriad of injuries ranging from nagging to severe, Nolan Ryan gutted his way back onto the mound for 13 eventful starts in 1993.
The 27-year veteran didn’t have the same pop on his fireball fastball, but he still put on a show whenever possible.
One of those shows was essentially a boxing match.
On August 4th, Ryan plunked Chicago White Sox star Robin Ventura and was immediately bull-rushed on the mound.
The 47-year-old Ryan caught Ventura mid-charge, putting him in a headlock and punching him repeatedly in the top of the head.
“All you can do is react,” Ryan said. “You don’t have time to figure your options.”
The ageless hurler finally ran out of options on September 23rd.
At the end of a dismal year (4.88 ERA in 13 starts, 46 Ks in 66.1 innings), Ryan tore the UCL in his pitching elbow in the first inning of his start against Seattle.
And that, as they say, was that.
“I heard the ligament pop like a rubber band,” Ryan said. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to throw again. My body is telling me it’s time to move on and do something else.”
1993 Fleer Ultra #534 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $115
Bo Jackson didn't have to return to baseball.
After all, he made a fortune in advertising revenue at the height of his two-sport success.
For the Chicago White Sox DH/outfielder, though, his comeback attempt from a devastating hip injury was about much more than peace of mind.
Before his mother's passing, Jackson promised her that his first hit back would be a tribute to her.
So when Jackson deposited the second regular-season pitch he saw into the right-field seats on April 9th, 1993, the emotional impact on the slugger was palpable.
"Lucky for me and unfortunately for the pitcher, I hit a home run," Jackson recalled. "But that hit meant more to me than anything, because I kept my word, my promise, to my mom. I could have retired that night."
Jackson couldn't play every day for the Sox, but he gave them a power boost when he did.
The 30-year-old megastar slashed .232/.289/.433 in 85 games for the AL West champs with 16 home runs in just 284 at-bats.
He failed to register a hit (0-for-10, six Ks) in Chicago'six-game ALCS loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
1993 Fleer Ultra #244 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $75
The resurgence of Don Mattingly coincided with that of a previous moribund New York Yankees franchise.
It wasn't a coincidence.
The 14th captain in Yankees history earned that designation in the clubhouse and by example on the field.
He brought a young, talented New York squad together while giving Yankees fans a thrill unmatched since their last playoff (and World Series) appearance in 1981.
"I think this is the closest club I've played on as far as guys getting along," Mattingly said. "This is the best club (in terms of) getting along and chemistry that I've ever played on."
New York finished 88-74 in '93 for the franchise's first winning season in a half-decade.
Mattingly had his best year since the turn of the decade, slashing .291/.364/.445 with 17 home runs, 27 doubles, 2 triples, 61 walks, 78 runs scored, and 86 RBIs in 596 plate appearances (530 at-bats).
The second-place Yankees couldn't catch the division-champion Blue Jays, but at least they won back their fans.
After averaging around 1.7 million fans per year the previous two seasons, New York drew over 2.4 million spectators in '93 for their biggest total gate since 1987.
1993 Fleer Ultra #378 Trevor Hoffman Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50
Trevor Hoffman's path to a Hall of Fame induction in 2018 wasn't exactly traditional.
At the University of Arizona, Hoffman starred as a shortstop.
And his ride to Cooperstown began when the Cincinnati Reds drafted him in the eleventh round of the 1989 MLB Draft.
But Hoffman struggled at the plate early in the Minors.
So much so that, by 1991, the Single-A affiliate Charleston Dirty Birds converted him to a pitcher.
That's when the magic started.
Unfortunately for the Reds, they didn't reap any benefits from their own experiment.
Left unprotected, the Florida Marlins selected Hoffman with the eighth pick of the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft.
Fast forward to a 6-5 road win against Atlanta on April 29, 1993, and Hoffman successfully closed out the Braves for his first of 601 career saves.
And, unfortunately for the Marlins, only 2 of those saves occurred on their watch.
The team traded Hoffman to San Diego in the middle of the season as part of a multi-player deal that brought superstar slugger Gary Sheffield to South Florida.
Hoffman held the closer's role for sixteen seasons in San Diego before finishing his final two years in Milwaukee.
1993 Fleer Ultra #472 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50
Tony Gwynn fell off after winning his second, third and fourth batting titles back-to-back-to-back from 1987 to 1989.
That's "fell off" in the loosest sense of the phrase.
The venerable San Diego Padres right fielder hit over .300 every season from 1990-92, finishing no worse than eighth in the NL batting race and twice in the top five.
In 1993, Gwynn was even better.
Despite missing 40 games to injury and playing for a bottom-feeding 61-101 squad, the 34-year-old raked at his best clip since pacing all hitters in 1987 with a .370 average.
Gwynn struck early and often in '93, upping his gap game with a new career-high 41 doubles.
He would have cruised to a fifth batting crown if not for Andres Galarraga's jaw-dropping year in Colorado.
The Rockies third baseman rode a scorching June to the All-Star Game and was hitting .400 as late as July 5th.
Gwynn couldn't make up all that ground and ended up second in the NL with a .358 average.
No worries for Padres fans, though.
Gwynn would go on to win four consecutive batting titles, including one for the strike-shortened 1994 campaign.
1993 Fleer Ultra #60 Mike Piazza Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $45
There aren't many Rookie-of-the-Year campaigns that can hold a candle to Mike Piazza's 1993 breakthrough.
A 62nd-round afterthought in the 1988 MLB Draft, Piazza crushed 52 minor-league home runs in 1991 and 1992, ending his '92 season with a 1.000 OPS at Double-A and Triple-A.
The young backstop's big year was rewarded with a late-season call-up.
However, that was just a blip on the radar screen compared to his mammoth '93 showing.
Named the Dodgers' starting catcher out of Spring Training, Piazza immediately announced himself as one of the most fearsome hitters in all of Major League Baseball.
Those waiting for a rookie drop-off were left with their jaws hanging down as the 24-year-old bludgeoned his way to a unanimous NL Rookie-of-the-Year award.
Piazza hit 35 home runs in '93, an MLB rookie record for a catcher and a Dodgers rookie record.
He became the sixth player in 110 years of Dodgers baseball to hit .300 (.318) with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs (112).
The .500 Dodgers may have underachieved, yet Piazza was far from mediocre.
He finished ninth in the league's MVP race and notched his first All-Star appearance and Silver Slugger.
1993 Fleer Ultra #353 Dale Murphy
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $45
There's a trend on social media where people share images of famous athletes who don't look quite right in a given uniform.
Though he may not look as weird as Ken Griffey Jr. in a Chicago White Sox uniform, Patrick Ewing in a Seattle SuperSonics jersey, or Jerry Rice in Seattle Seahawks gear, Dale Murphy didn't look right in Colorado.
But the circumstances under which he arrived in Denver weren't quite right either.
After headlining the Atlanta Braves as one of the biggest stars of the 1980s, Murphy began a new chapter in 1990 with the Philadelphia Phillies.
But his three seasons in Philly weren't all that memorable.
His 1991 campaign was solid, but the other two years saw him hampered by injury, especially in 1992.
So, ahead of the 1993 season, Philadelphia released him.
Looking for an opportunity to snag a big name for their 1993 inaugural season, the Colorado Rockies quickly signed him.
He appeared in only 26 games before he retired on May 27, 1993 at age 37.
Like Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy became a superstar in the 1980s, only to see his career derailed by injuries in the early 1990s.
1993 Fleer Ultra #519 Jim Edmonds Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $45
Jim Edmonds' climb up the California Angels' organizational ladder was as steady as it was impressive.
A 7th-round pick in the 1988 MLB Draft, Edmonds improved his OPS every year from 1988 to 1993 while showcasing Gold Glove potential at all three outfield positions (and even first base).
He wasn't the flashiest prospect, but he slowly but surely found his way onto multiple Top-100 charts by the 1993 season.
Edmonds set new personal minor-league bests in batting average (.315) and slugging percentage (.492) at Triple-A Vancouver, clubbing 41 extra-base hits over 95 games.
It was a clear sign that he'd outgrown the minor-league game, and Edmonds was rewarded with a late-season call-up to the fifth-place Angels.
His 18-game MLB debut was uneventful.
The future four-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glover hit .246 in 61 at-bats and failed to register his first big-league home run.
It was a light-hitting introduction to one of the most underrated sluggers of the 1990s and 2000s.
1993 Fleer Ultra #545 Manny Ramirez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $45
There was a time when Manny Ramirez looked like a surefire lock for a future spot in Cooperstown.
From 1995 to 2008, the guy was seemingly good for at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI, not to mention a .300+ batting average, year after year.
Sure, he didn't have the greatest glove.
Nor was he the fastest on the base paths.
But the guy could flat-out rake.
He was a pitcher's worst nightmare: a guy who could hit for both accuracy and power.
By the time he retired, he had accumulated 12 All-Star appearances, a batting title, and 9 Silver Sluggers.
But most importantly to Boston Red Sox fans, he helped Boston steamroll the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game sweep in the 2004 World Series.
Not only did he take home World Series MVP, he helped break one of the longest World Series droughts in MLB history.
And then he helped them to another title in 2007.
The thrills soon came crashing down.
Unfortunately, PED allegations eventually caught up to him when he tested positive in 2009 and served a 50-game suspension as a member of the LA Dodgers.
Though nobody questions his raw hitting talent, the ties to PED usage will always haunt his legacy.
1993 Fleer Ultra #619 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $45
Ken Griffey Jr. broke the collective brains of the baseball world with perhaps the greatest dinger in Home Run Derby history.
The 23-year-old Seattle Mariners center fielder was the centerpiece of the '93 Derby in Baltimore, a charismatic superstar capturing the hearts of fans everywhere one by one.
His popularity was sky-high going into the event.
It reached the status of legends during it.
Griffey obliterated a 445-foot shot off Camden Yards' B&O Warehouse, sending the crowd into joyous fits.
It was the first time anyone had ever hit the right-field staple in fair territory.
"It just means it will be written about for a while," Griffey said. "When somebody does it in a game, my stuff will be blown out of the water."
"A while" has gone on over three decades.
No one has touched the warehouse ever since.
Don't go thinking that Griffey's Derby dynamite was a fluke.
It was a statement shot from a statement year in which the Mariners legend set a new career best with 45 home runs.
The Mariners went nowhere at 82-80, but Griffey's .309 average and 1.025 OPS were plenty for a top-five MVP finish, a fourth All-Star nod, and a second Silver Slugger.
1993 Fleer Ultra #57 Pedro Martinez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40
Once Pedro Martinez locked down his spot on the Los Angeles Dodgers' big-league roster, it was on.
After a brief two-appearance debut with the Dodgers in 1992, the 21-year-old righty had a puncher's chance to grab a 1993 roster spot out of Spring Training.
However, the Dodgers' brass wanted him to get more seasoning and sent him back to Triple-A Albuquerque to open the year.
He wasn't there long.
Martinez pitched three more minor-league innings before being promoted to the Dodgers to stay on April 9th as a roster replacement for Todd Worrell.
And his first appearance of the '93 campaign is the answer to a trivia question.
Pedro came on in relief of his brother Ramon, giving up two runs to the Atlanta Braves in 1.2 innings of a 3-0 loss.
The duo became the first siblings to pitch for the same team in the same game since Mickey and Rick Mahler in 1979.
Martinez struggled a bit longer before nailing things down as a do-all reliever.
Finishing ninth in the NL Rookie-of-the-Year race, the Dominican Republic native posted a sterling 2.61 ERA for the 81-81 Dodgers in 65 appearances (two starts).
He struck out 119 in 107.0 innings, an appetizer for the Hall-of-Fame exploits to come.
1993 Fleer Ultra #258 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40
Rickey Henderson went from worst to first in style.
Henderson played his last 90 games of his second Oakland stint in 1993, highlighted by a July 5th doubleheader in which he hit lead-off home runs in both games, a feat not matched since 1913.
The A's weren't going anywhere, though.
After a half-decade at or near the top of the American League, Oakland was embarking on a full-scale rebuild.
To add to their cache of young players and give Henderson a shot at another championship, the Athletics shipped their iconic left fielder to the Blue Jays for pitcher Steve Karsay and a player to be named later.
Henderson's arrival in Toronto couldn't have come at a better time.
The 34-year-old stole 22 bases over the final month and a half as the defending World Series champs pulled away from the field for a third consecutive AL East title.
The ride didn't stop there.
Henderson struggled to hit in 12 postseason games, but his 8-for-47 October (.170) didn't matter.
Toronto printed their second straight World Series championship banner with Joe Carter's immortal Game 6 walk-off of the Philadelphia Phillies, the epic finish of a rally started by a Rickey Henderson walk.
1993 Fleer Ultra #236 Kirby Puckett
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35
It took eight All-Star Games for Kirby Puckett, one of the generation's most productive hitters, to produce anything more than a single.
Once he finally did it, he did it twice for good measure.
The charismatic Minnesota Twins center fielder put the American League on the board with a second-inning home run and tacked on a double later in the Junior Circuit’s 9-3 win.
"I had no idea I didn't have any extra-base hits," Puckett said. "It took me eight years to do it. I guess it's a relief."
Puckett was named the game's MVP, becoming the first Twins player to take home the honor.
It was one hell of a moment, and it helped to shine some light on a dismal year in the Twin Cities.
After two 90-win seasons and a World Series title in '91, Minnesota backslid to fifth in the AL West at 71-91.
Puckett did his part to keep the Twins (barely) afloat, posting a .296/.349/.474 slash line in 156 games played.
His 22 home runs were his most since 1988, and his 64 extra-base hits were his most since Minnesota's first World Series run in 1987.
1993 Fleer Ultra #501 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35
Just over two years from the day he'd break Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record, Baltimore Orioles icon Cal Ripken Jr. almost had his march to history stopped cold.
On June 6th, 1993, Ripken ran to the mound during a benches-clearing brawl with the Seattle Mariners.
When he got to the bump, he heard a pop like a gunshot.
Ripken had sprained his knee for the first time.
"There was a fear factor because I had never injured either of my knees before," Ripken said. "I woke up, and it was very stiff. It was difficult to do anything on it. Early in the morning, it didn't seem like I was going to be able to play."
Somehow, Ripken pushed through.
He underwent rigorous physical training in the morning and hobbled his way to short to keep the streak intact.
It was another day at the office for one of the league's most beloved players.
The 32-year-old shortstop was once again voted as an All-Star Game starter, this time at the Orioles' own Camden Yards.
He finished the year as a down-ballot MVP candidate, slashing .257/.329/.420 for the third-place O's with 24 home runs, 26 doubles, 3 triples, 87 runs scored, and 90 RBIs in an MLB-high 641 at-bats.
1993 Fleer Ultra #181 Frank Thomas
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
Some players downplay the significance of individual awards, at least in public.
Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas wasn’t one of them.
“This was the longest day of my life," Thomas said after winning the 1993 AL MVP award unanimously. "There was a lot of anticipation going on, and when the call finally came, I got it on the first ring."
The "Big Hurt" had MVP-caliber years in 1991 and 1992, yet was denied with third and eighth-place finishes respectively.
Voters couldn’t deny him a third time.
The 25-year-old sat near the top of the AL leaderboards in nearly every significant offensive category.
He hit .317 on the year with a 1.033 OPS, a club-record 41 home runs, 112 walks, 106 runs scored, and 128 RBIs.
Unsurprisingly to everyone but him, Thomas captured all 28 first-place votes to become the eighth unanimous American League MVP in history.
"I was really shocked I got all 28 votes," Thomas said. "I was like, `Wow!' There was no better way to win it."
Thomas ended his storybook year with a bittersweet ALCS, posting a healthy .353 batting average and a 1.122 OPS as the Sox fell to the Jays in six.
1993 Fleer Ultra Baseball Cards In Review
Overall, the 1993 Fleer Ultra set is well-balanced and delivers a solid collector experience.
Again, they may not earn a lot of points for creativity, given that they're so similar to the previous year's release, but there's still plenty to enjoy.
There are over 40 Hall of Famers within the 650-card checklist.
Three of those (Mike Piazza, Pedro Martinez, and Trevor Hoffman) are rookie cards.
And because of the image quality, the set offered one of the best looks at the new Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins expansion teams.
From a design standpoint, I think this set has certainly held up well over time.
The full-color photography pops off the cardboard and the glossy finish sealed the deal on giving them a premium look and feel.
It's not my favorite set of the early 90s, but it definitely brings back plenty of fond memories.