One of the cool things about Carl Yastrzemski baseball cards is that they span across three different decades.
From his rookie card debut in the 1960 Topps set to his final mainstream card in Fleer's 1984 release, there is no shortage of great Yaz cards to collect.
His cards are some of the most sought after in the hobby...
And in this guide we'll go over each of his mainstream baseball cards...all 34 of them.
Let's jump right in!
More...
Ross Uitts - Owner
Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975?
If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680!
1960 Topps #148 Carl Yastrzemski Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $9,000
This is the only official rookie card of Carl Yastrzemski, the man who was tasked with replacing the late, great Ted Williams for the Boston Red Sox. Yaz did pretty well for himself, winning the Triple Crown and an AL MVP award. Part of the "Sport Magazine 1960 Rookie Star" subset, his is the key rookie card in the 1960 Topps baseball card set. The orange background can sometimes be littered with print blotches and centering is also a key challenge.
1961 Topps #287
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $155
Interestingly enough, Topps used the exact same image for his 1961 issue as the year before. It's just zoomed out a bit more. Printing quality was much improved for the 1961 Topps set so it's relatively less difficult to find these in high grade. I've always liked the straightforward design of this card and the "1961 Rookie" star in the upper left adds a nice touch.
1962 Topps #425
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $525
Yastrzemski's third Topps card shows Yaz posing with three bats over his left shoulder. Those woodgrain borders can easily show wear and tear but this card can go for quite a hefty amount if it receives a high grade. I think this is one of his better looking cards overall due to the photo Topps chose.
1963 Fleer #8
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $195
1963 marked the first time of many that Yaz would be an All Star. Fleer tried to compete with Topps by releasing this small 66-card set. As you can iamgine, many stars were left out but luckily Yaz wasn't one of them. The card that contained a picture of him in his left-handed stance on the front and a full write up of extensive stats on the back in a vertical format.
1963 Topps #115
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $120
In addition to being an all star in 1963, Yaz went on to win a Golden Glove in a tremendous season. I like the 1963 Fleer set but I prefer the 1963 Topps set by far. The design was just so much better. A head shot of Yastremski sits front and center while there is also a picture of him in his stance encircled in orange in the lower right hand corner.
1964 Topps #210
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $100
The 1964 Topps Yastrzemski card contains the same photo of the legend as it did the year before. The only real difference in the two is that this one appears to be cropped shorter at the top. I've always liked the 1964 Topps design with the team names in big block letters across the top. Print quality was much improved for this set as well so this card will be friendlier to your budget than others from the 1960's.
1965 Topps #385
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $110
This card features a picture of Yastrzemski looking high into the sky with his glove on as if he is about to catch a fly ball. The 1965 Topps set design is instantly recognizable with the team pennants in the lower left. Centering and tilt can be tough challenges. Sometimes you'll find print bubbles in the colored borders, too.
1966 Topps #70
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $95
This card shows a different light on Yastrzemski than we had seen before as this photograph shows him with a big bright smile. The set is known for its centering issues on both the fronts and back of the cards.
1967 Topps #355
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $170
1967 was the year that Yastrzemski made himself into a legend by winning the Triple Crown and the MVP award. In addition to his personal exploits, this was the Red Sox' impossible dream season where they went on to the World Series despite not having had a winning record in over ten years. The card shows Yastrzemski flowing through on a swing and contains his facsimile signature as well. It was also featured as part of the "Turn Back The Clock" subset in the 1987 Topps baseball card set.
1968 Topps #250
Estimated PSA 8 NM-mt Value: $65
The 1968 Topps design is instantly recognizable due to its burlap borders. Cards in this set are also relatively easier to find in high grade because of improved printing standards. His RBI and home run production really tailed off from the year before (hey, you can't have a Triple Crown year all the time) but he still deservingly made the All-Star team.
1969 Topps #130
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $185
Yastrzemski's 1969 Topps card looks quite a bit like the 1968 issue. Topps used the same photo and rearranged the team and personal information a bit. Centering and tilt are the key condition issues that you'll find with this one. It's one of the keys to own but the Reggie Jackson rookie card and Mickey Mantle (especially the white letter version) are the most expensive by far.
1970 Topps #10
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $45
1970 saw Yastrzemski cross the plate a career best total of 125 times and he'd finish fourth in the MVP voting. His 1970 Topps card shows standing in his stance with a very determined look on his face. The grey borders are unique but do easily show wear and tear.
1971 Topps #530
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $75
Topps traded in the grey borders for black in 1971 to present another unique but condition-sensitive design. Yastrzemski is pictured staring off into the distance with his facsimile signature across the bottom. This set is probably my favorite of the 1970's.
1972 Topps #37
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $25
The 1972 Topps set is arguably one of its most easily recognizable sets they ever produced. There just isn't another quite like it and it seems very typical of that era. The team name pops out in a 3D fashion, while Yaz poses in his stance on a bright sunny day. Centering is a key challenge with this card.
1973 Topps #245
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $75
For the first time in his career, Yastrzemski spent the majority of his time at first base for the 1973 season. Hence the change in his position label on this card. Yaz is shown seemingly awaiting his turn in the batting cage. I've always liked the player silhouettes that Topps used in the bottom corners of this set, too. At this point in his career he may not have been putting up large numbers of homers but he was still scoring and driving in plenty of runs.
1974 Topps #280
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $15
The red and black borders on this card were much more in tune with the Red Sox team colors than in other sets. I also like the way the team name was broken in two across the top and bottom borders. It's an overall great design and the photo of him in the stadium on a bright day adds nice eye appeal. The value of his cards really starts to drop at this point compared to his older issues.
1975 Topps #280
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $18
The 1975 Topps design is also one of the more easily recognizable due to its bright, two-tone colortion. Yaz rests in his trademark stace in front of the batting cage in his Red Sox uniform surrounded by yellow bordering at the top and blue at the bottom. It was a great season for the Red Sox as they'd go on to win the American League pennant.
1976 Topps #230
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $16
The 1976 Topps design is notable for featuring large images. On this one, we get a nice shot of Yaz watching what looks to be a homer that he just hit. The cartoon image of a player fielding the ball along with the yellow and red boxes at the bottom round out a great-looking.
1977 Topps #480
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $15
For the first time, Yaz is pictured at first base in this photograph. The card has some nice features but it presents much more plainly than others in the 1970's. I always like the added touch of a facsimile autograph but here it's slightly more difficult to read because of the black undershirt he was wearing. He put up one of his most productive years in 1977 finishing with 28 home runs, 102 RBI, scoring 99 runs and batting .296.
1978 Topps #40
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $7
This card contains a photograph of Yastrzemski looking off into the distance surrounded by thin yellow borders. You'll notice that he is also listed as an All-Star inside of a crest in the lower right hand corner. It's a simple and straightforward design overall.
1979 Topps #320
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $6
1979 was a special year for Yaz as this was the year that he went on to get his 3000th hit in the big leagues. His 1979 Topps card looks quite similar as the year before with the pose of him looking up and into the distance. Topps also brought out their logo and placed it in the bottom left for a nice touch.
1980 Topps #720
Estimated PSA NM-MT Value: $4
Topps lists Yaz as an All-Star because of his accomplishment from the year before. However, he would only appear in 105 games in 1980 and would not make the All-Star after doing so each of the previous fifteen seasons. The dual floating banners in the upper left and lower right, along with a great action shot of the Red Sox legend make for a great card.
1981 Donruss #94
Estimated Value: < $1
Donruss came into the fold in 1981 and released a Yastrzemski card that looks pretty good overall. Yaz appears to have just hit the ball and is striding toward first base from his batting stance. The card has just the perfect amount of color to it while still being classy looking. It has Red Sox in yellow in the bottom right hand corner, green bordering around the photo, and then the Donruss logo in the upper left.
1981 Donruss #214
Estimated Value: < $1
Curiously enough, Donruss released two Yastrzemski cards in 1981. This one showcases the legend in his trademark batting stance in the batting cage staring at the pitcher. Other than the picture, the rest of the card is the exact same with the lettering, the colors, the bordering, and the edges.
1981 Fleer #221
Estimated Value: < $1
Fleer came back into the card market in 1981 and the first of the two cards they produced of Yastrzemski has him once again smiling into the camera for his photograph. On the card, he is listed as a first baseman and as a DH for the first time. Around his photo is a pink outline and a baseball with the Red Sox team name sits in the lower left.
1981 Fleer #638
Estimated Value: < $1
The second card that Fleer produced of Yastrzemski was a game photograph. Yaz has either just swung and missed or he has hit the ball and is about to drop his bat and run. This card also shows off one of his impressive career accomplishments of being in the “400 Home Run Club”.
1981 Topps #110
Estimated Value: < $1
I always liked the 1981 Topps design because of the ballcap in the lower corner of the cards. For some reason, that always caught my eye as a kid. The Red Sox legend is shown smiling and preparing his bat for his turn in the cage. He'd miss out on the All-Star team once again in 1981 as his production againg wasn't quite there after appearing in only 91 games.
1982 Donruss #74
Estimated Value: < $1
Donruss' offering of Yastrzemski's card in 1982 showcases him trying to lay down a bunt. He is listed as an outfielder even though his time playing there were long gone. His name and position are on a yellow bat at the very bottom of the card on what was once again a pretty decent design from Donruss.
1982 Fleer #312
Estimated Value: < $1
This card uses the Red Sox color scheme as a basis for its design. Around the edges of the photo, is a thin white border within a thicker a red border. His name as well as his position (listed as 1B and DH) are included in a red oval below his photograph. We get a nice image of Yaz having just hit the ball and looking high into the air.
1982 Topps #650
Estimated Value: < $1
The 1982 Topps card includes a picture of Yastrzemski from the side looking out into the field. Despite his better days being past him, he still played well enough to earn All-Star honors once again. It's a nice card but the 1982 Topps design was one of my least favorites from the 1980's.
1983 Donruss #326
Estimated Value: <$1
Donruss' '83 offering once again is one that catches the eye, yet doesn't go too far overboard. Yastrzemski is pictured this time as he is swinging at a ball as he is standing off to the side of the field. Donruss brought back the yellow bat to use as his nameplate but traded the ball in for a glove for the team name.
1983 Fleer #200
Estimated Value: < $1
The 1983 card shows a picture of the legend of Yastrzemski as an aging man that is clearly edging toward retirement. He is looking straight into the camera and is obviously graying. The Red Sox logo is included in the bottom left hand corner which added a great touch.
1983 Topps #550
Estimated Value: < $1
I always liked the 1983 Topps design because of its dual imagery. The main picture shows Yaz standing inside the batting cage while the smaller picture is a straight ahead shot of him looking serious. In his last season, Yastrzemski would make the All-Star team making that his 18th time to do so.
1984 Fleer #412
Estimated Value: < $1
Despite not playing in 1984, Fleer produced a card for Yaz that year. It's a simple and straightforward design and depicts a nice image of Yaz with a big smile on his face. And rightly so, as he had put in one heck of a baseball career.
Carl Yastrzemski's Legacy
Carl Yastrzemski is a Red Sox icon and one of the best players to ever set foot on the field.
His ability to both hit and field put fear into opposing teams.
One of his most interesting accomplishments was being the first American League player to rack up more than 3,000 hits and 400 home runs.
And how could we forget that 1967 season in which he one the Triple Crown?
Some of his other career accomplishments include:
- 18x All-Star
- AL MVP (1967)
- 7x Gold Glove
- 3x AL Batting Champ
Yaz was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 and because of his legacy, his baseball cards will always be among the most sought after in the hobby.