If you're investing in a rookie card, you may want to consider getting a graded card from a reputable company to play it safe. One thing to consider is that graded cards keep their value longer and won't be fake.
Rookie Card: A player's first base card(s) in a regular issued, fully-licensed card set.
Due to the lack of league and team licensing, many of the cards created by Classic + Panini with others are not recognized rookie cards. For this reason, a lot of the players in these sets are still seen wearing their collegiate and high school regalia. I refer to them as pre-rookies. These cards are not considered rookies in this ranking.
A new set of player selection guidelines from Major League Baseball Properties (MLB) and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) went into effect with the 2006 season. Only players who have actually participated in a Major League game will be permitted to appear in an MLB/MLBPA sanctioned base set going forward. Look for the new standardized, cross-brand "Rookie Card" icon on their cards.
| 1989 Player Rookie Card |
| 1989 Bowman #280 Steve Wilson RC |
| 1989 Bowman #286 Mike Harkey RC |
| 1989 Bowman #295 Jerome Walton RC |
| 1989 Bowman #297 Dwight Smith RC |
| 1989 Donruss #43 Mike Harkey RC |
| 1989 Donruss Rookies #10 Steve Wilson RC |
| 1989 Donruss Rookies #23 Joe Girardi RC |
| 1989 Donruss Rookies #26 Jerome Walton RC |
| 1989 Donruss Rookies #32 Dwight Smith RC |
| 1989 Fleer #427 Mike Harkey RC |
| 1989 Fleer #644 Joe Girardi RC |
| 1989 Fleer Update #79 Dwight Smith RC |
| 1989 Fleer Update #80 Jerome Walton RC |
| 1989 Score #624 Mike Harkey UER RC |
| 1989 Score #642 Dwight Smith UER RC |
| 1989 Score Rookie/Traded #84T Joe Girardi RC |
| 1989 Score Rookie/Traded #85T Jerome Walton RC |
| 1989 Topps #742 Mike Harkey RC |
| 1989 Topps Traded #113T Dwight Smith RC |
| 1989 Topps Traded #123T Jerome Walton RC |
| 1989 Topps Traded #131T Steve Wilson RC |
| 1989 Upper Deck #6 Rolando Roomes RC |
| 1989 Upper Deck #10 Doug Dascenzo RC |
| 1989 Upper Deck #14 Mike Harkey RC |
| 1989 Upper Deck #765 Jerome Walton RC |
| 1989 Upper Deck #776 Joe Girardi RC |
| 1989 Upper Deck #780 Dwight Smith RC |
