The Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards of 1970
The 1970 Topps baseball card set, comprising 720 cards, ushered in a new decade for the hobby with a distinctive, understated design that perfectly captured the mood of early ’70s baseball. The cards feature a simple gray border, a departure from the colorful styles of the late 1960s, giving the set a clean, almost industrial look that collectors either love for its vintage feel or critique for its subdued tone. Player names are printed in cursive across the bottom, with the team name in bold color above, creating a minimalist but professional layout that lets the photography stand out.
The 1970 set is packed with Hall of Fame talent, including legends like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench, and Tom Seaver. It also features notable rookie cards such as Thurman Munson and Bill Buckner, the former is a particular favorite of collectors.
In addition to its strong checklist, the 1970 Topps issue marked the final cards for several stars of the 1960s, making it a bridge between baseball’s golden era and the modern game. Though condition challenges, especially edge chipping, are common due to the gray borders, the set remains a cornerstone of vintage Topps collecting.
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#712 Nolan Ryan - $132,000
Ryan was still early in his career and wasn’t even a full-time starting pitcher. He was a reliever and spot-starter for the 1969 World Series Champion “Miracle” Mets, the only World Series he would participate in throughout his long and storied career. He was brought in as a reliever once in the Championship Series and once in the World Series, pitching a total of nine innings and giving up only two runs across the two 1969 postseason appearances,
#189 Yankees Rookie Stars - $99,000
Munson is not a Hall of Famer, but that is potentially due to his career being cut short by a plane crash. Munson played ten full seasons in the Major Leagues where he was Rookie of the Year, a seven-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a one-time Most Valuable Player. While he didn’t put up quite the numbers as fellow catcher Johnny Bench, Munson might have been elected into the Hall of Fame if he had played a few more years.
#630 Ernie Banks - $63,427
The thirty-nine year old Ernie Banks was in the second-to-last year of his impressive career. Throughout his nineteen-year career, “Mr Cub” was a twelve-time All-Star and a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP). Banks and Cal Ripken are the only shortstops in Major League baseball history to win the MVP award more than once. At the end of his career, Banks moved to first base, which is the position he is listed at on this card.
#140 Reggie Jackson - $43,101
This early Jackson card shows him before he ever played in the postseason, where he ultimately earned the nickname “Mr. October” for his accomplishments in the World Series. Jackson would be a key contributor to the A’s World Series Champion threepeat from 1972-1974 and the Yankees back-to-back World Series victories in 1977 and 1978.
#600 Willie Mays - $37,934
The thirty-nine year old Mays was at the tail end of one of the greatest careers in Major League Baseball history. Mays was Rookie of the year, a twenty-time All-Star, a twelve-time Golden Glove winner, and a two-time Most Valuable Player. Oh, he is also one of the leaders in career home runs and has the most famous catch in baseball history.
#300 Tom Seaver - $26,400
Seaver is coming off his first Cy Young winning season where “the franchise” led the 1969 Miracle Mets to their first World Series Championship. Seaver would go on to win two more Cy Young awards and become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Seaver had a late season swoon in 1970 but still led had the lowest ERA and most strikeouts in the National League. He also struck out an amazing nineteen batters in one game.
#250 Willie McCovey - $21,494
We see McCovey coming off the peak of his career as he won the National League MVP in 1969 and was ninth in voting for the award in 1970. He led the league in walks and slugging percentage in 1970, but it was the last truly great year he had as both his batting average and his power numbers declined noticeably.
#500 Hank Aaron - $16,122
Aaron did not lead the league in a single statistical category in 1970, but he was one of the best in every category as he hit 38 home runs, drove in 118 runs, and had a .298 batting average. He earned his sixteenth of twenty-one straight All Star nods in 1970, and the ripe age of thirty six.
#10 Carl Yastrzemski - $16,000
While he didn’t match his magical 1967 Triple Crown year, Yastrzemski arguably had the second-best season of his career in 1970. He lead the American League with the highest On-Base Percentage and the highest Slugging Percentage and his On-Base Plus Slugging percentage (aka OPS) was actually higher in 1970 than in 1967. While he didn’t lead in any of the major categories, he had 40 Home Runs, 102 Runs Batted In, and a .329 batting average.
#65 National League Home Run Leaders - $15,600
Any card that included Aaron and Home Runs is interesting to collectors and fans alike. Add in the ever-popular McCovey and the three-time All-Star and the card has even more appeal. Of course, leader cards don’t have as much interest as regular cards and the key to this card is finding it in gem mint condition.