Greg Maddux built a Hall of Fame career on pinpoint control, deceptive movement, and baseball IQ that was off the charts.
With 355 career wins, 18 Gold Gloves, and four consecutive Cy Young Awards, his résumé is as complete as it gets.
His cards reflect that greatness, spanning classic rookies, rare ‘90s parallels, and sought-after autographs.
His cardboard legacy is one of the most respected in the hobby.
Here’s a look at ten of the very best Greg Maddux baseball cards to collect.
10 Great Greg Maddux Baseball Cards
1991 Topps Desert Shield Greg Maddux #35
The regular ‘91 Topps Maddux card isn’t particularly notable, and can be picked up cheaply, but this 1991 Topps Desert Shield card was produced in limited quantities for U.S. troops deployed during the Gulf War, and is a lot more valuable.
The cards look identical to the base 1991 Topps issue, but with a small gold foil Desert Shield logo stamped on the front.
6,800 sets were produced originally, which would make it pretty rare relative to its era.
1987 Donruss Greg Maddux #36
The Donruss ‘Rated Rookie’ cards remain a staple of 1980s collecting, and the ‘87 Maddux Rated Rookie is one of his key rookie cards.
The black borders make condition a challenge, with edge chipping and centering issues being common.
Maddux also appears in the ‘87 Donruss The Rookies boxed set, which gives collectors another option from the same year with a similar design.
1996 Bowman’s Best Preview Atomic Refractors Greg Maddux #BBP14
Bowman’s Best was one of the flashiest products of the ‘90s
The preview insert cards were included in the main 1996 Bowman set, intended to be an early look at the upcoming 1996 Bowman’s Best release—there were base versions, Refractor versions and Atomic Refractor versions, which was the toughest.
Maddux’s card shines with that fractured atomic foil, and scarcity makes it one of his top cards of the decade. For collectors chasing 1990s refractor history, this one’s near the top of the list.
1999 Fleer Brilliants 24KT Gold Greg Maddux #95TG
The Fleer Brilliants set is beloved among 1990s collectors, and the 24KT Gold parallels were the toughest chase. Numbered to just 24 copies, they’re virtually impossible to find today.
Maddux’s card is a true grail—rare, dazzling, and representative of one of the most high-end parallel sets of the era.
1996 Leaf Signature Series Extended Autographs Greg Maddux
The 1996 Leaf Signature Series Extended Autographs insert is where you’ll find the first certified Greg Maddux autographed card, which had a print run of just 500 copies.
Maddux’s autograph is hard to associate with him, if you didn’t know who had signed it, but overall the card has a clean design, on-card ink, and a touch of history—it checks every box for autograph collectors.
1999 SkyBox E-X Century Essential Credentials Now Greg Maddux #14
The Essential Credentials parallels were among the most innovative of the late ‘90s. With differing print runs depending on the “Now” or “Future” version, they brought creativity and scarcity together in one package.
For Maddux, the “Now” parallel is the rarer card, numbered to just 14 copies—it makes it one of his rarest and most valuable ‘90s inserts.
1998 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Greg Maddux #133
Few parallels from the 1990s are as sought-after as the Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems cards, and this 1998 PMG is Greg Maddux’s first.
The explosive foil design helps make it so popular.
It’s numbered to only 50 copies and the demand for these only grows with time, making it one of the most valuable Greg Maddux baseball cards.
1986 Procards Pittsfield Cubs Greg Maddux
Here’s the earliest Greg Maddux card—a pre-rookie minor leagues card issued in the 1986 Procards set, showcasing Maddux during his time with the Pittsfield Cubs.
Regional and condition-sensitive, it’s tough to find compared to mainstream rookies. It’s also regularly counterfeited, so authenticated copies are safer for collectors to target.
It offers the cardboard entry point for the Hall of Famer, which gives it added significance.
1993 Topps Finest Refractor Greg Maddux #85
The first year of Topps Finest produced some of the most iconic refractors in hobby history, and Maddux was right in his prime when the set dropped.
Topps changed the game with these ultra-shiny parallels, which were inserted in packs at a rate that makes them rare.
A true cornerstone of ‘90s collecting, and one of the most desirable and valuable Maddux cards ever issued.
1987 Topps Traded Tiffany Greg Maddux #70T
For Maddux collectors, this is the card to have—the 1987 Topps Traded rookie is his first appearance in a Topps product, and the Tiffany version offers a more upscale, glossy option.
The added scarcity and more premium finish helps make the Tiffany version much more valuable than the common base version.
The woodgrain border of the ‘87 Topps cards is instantly recognisable, and Maddux is the key rookie in the set.
BONUS: Modern High-End Auto & Patch Cards
For those who have collected the key baseball cards from his playing days, Maddux has also appeared in numerous high-end ultra-modern sets like Topps Dynasty, Panini Flawless, and Topps Triple Threads, among others.
These cards often feature on-card autographs, low serial numbering, and game-used memorabilia.
They’re highly collectible and give collectors a chance to chase premium pieces of one of the greatest pitchers ever.
