Vote for the most iconic baseball card of all-time and win a PSA 10 Mike Trout RC!

Loupe and Major League Baseball are teaming up to help answer one very important question: What’s the most iconic baseball card of all-time? Is it Ken Griffey Jr.’s 1989 Upper Deck rookie card? Maybe it’s Mickey Mantle’s 1952 Topps card. There are so many amazing cards throughout the centuries, and we want to crown one the king.

Also, we’re giving away three PSA 10 Mike Trout rookie cards. Read on to find out how to enter to win.

Starting today, MLB is running a 32-card bracket called Top of the Pack Presented by Loupe. Each big league club is represented by one card (along with two additional wild cards), and they’ll duke it out head-to-head until it’s time to name a champion. The bracket is divided into four regions — Post-Expansion, 21st Century, Golden Era, and Off-Center.

How are we going to decide on a winner? You’re going to do it! Head over to the Top of the Pack MLB page today and cast your votes to determine who advances to the second round. On September 29, the finals will start and run through September 30. Later that week, we’ll name the most iconic baseball card of all-time. A decades-long debate finally settled.

Here are the cards that are in the running:

  • Arizona Diamondbacks — 1996 Topps Stadium Club Buck Showalter
  • Atlanta Braves — 1957 Topps Hank Aaron
  • Baltimore Orioles — 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken Jr. Rookie Card
  • Boston Red Sox — 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams Rookie Card
  • Chicago Cubs — 1954 Topps Ernie Banks Rookie Card
  • Chicago White Sox — 1990 Leaf Frank Thomas Rookie Card
  • Cincinnati Reds — 1969 Johnny Bench All-Star Rookie Card
  • Cleveland Indians — 1914 Cracker Jack Shoeless Joe Jackson
  • Colorado Rockies — 1996 Upper Deck Dante Bichette
  • Detroit Tigers — 1960 Topps Don Mossi
  • Houston Astros — 1988 Fleer Craig Biggio Rookie Card
  • Kansas City Royals — 1990 Score Bo Jackson
  • Los Angeles Angels — 2011 Topps Update Mike Trout Rookie Card
  • Los Angeles Dodgers — 1955 Topps Jackie Robinson
  • Miami Marlins — 2021 Topps Jazz Chisholm Rookie Card
  • Milwaukee Brewers — 1975 Topps Robin Yount Rookie Card
  • Minnesota Twins — 1986 Fleer Mickey Hatcher
  • New York Mets — 2014 Topps Update Jacob deGrom Rookie Card
  • New York Yankees — 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly Rookie Card
  • Philadelphia Phillies — 2020 Topps Series 2 Andrew McCutchen SP photo variation
  • Pittsburgh Pirates — 1909 T206 Honus Wagner
  • Oakland Athletics — 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson Rookie Card
  • San Diego Padres — 2019 Topps Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card
  • San Francisco Giants — 1951 Bowman Willie Mays Rookie Card
  • Seattle Mariners — 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card
  • St. Louis Cardinals — 1948 Bowman Stan Musial Rookie Card
  • Tampa Bay Rays — 2019 Bowman Chrome Wander Franco 1st Bowman
  • Texas Rangers — 1992 Fleer Nolan Ryan
  • Toronto Blue Jays — 2016 Bowman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1st Bowman
  • Washington Nationals — 2018 Topps Update Juan Soto Rookie Card
  • Wild Card — 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
  • Wild Card — 1953 Topps Satchel Paige

We want some lucky Loupe users to take home some of these cards. That’s why we’re giving away two prize packages that consist of: A PSA 10 2011 Topps Update Mike Trout rookie card, a handful of other cards on this list, and some sealed product. Each prize package’s approximate value will be $5,000. All you have to do is log into the Loupe app between now and September 30 to be automatically registered to win.

Additionally, we’re giving away another PSA 10 2011 Topps Update Mike Trout rookie card to someone who votes in the finals. Make sure to go to the Top of the Pack page between September 29 and September 30, cast your vote in the finals, and you’ll be entered to win this dream card. We’ll announce all the winners shortly after the promotion wraps up. Head here for the Official Rules.

Who are you backing? Vote on the MLB’s Top of the Pack page, comment down below, and let the world know which card you think is the best. If you’re lucky enough, you might just walk away with a gem mint Mike Trout rookie card as the new crown jewel of your collection.

132 thoughts on “Vote for the most iconic baseball card of all-time and win a PSA 10 Mike Trout RC!

  1. This is a great contest and interesting to see if people vote based on player, design or possible rarity. Glad to be part. Although I never saw him play live mantle def a lead in my list of fav’s.

  2. Kansas City Royals — 1990 Score Bo Jackson

    That card is one of the most underrated and undervalued cards in history. Bo Jackson didn’t change the look of baseball or football, he changed the look of SPORT and what it means to be an athlete at the highest level. When you think of sports as a whole, Bo Jackson is what you think of and the picture on the Score card is his most iconic photograph.

  3. Awesome contest for sure thanks Loupe and also MLB for conducting this awesome event to determine the best card of history. I assume because I have the app and make buys on Loupe that means I’m a certified Loupe account

    • Ted Williams. There goes Ted Williams,
      the greatest hitter who ever lived.
      And remember, he missed 5 years during his prime due to WW2 and Korea. Imagine what his career stats would be…

  4. Cleveland Indians — 1914 Cracker Jack Shoeless Joe Jackson to me is my favorite. Maybe it’s because when I was younger and watched Field of Dreams I had never heard of Shoeless Joe, and after that movie it made me dive into baseball history.

    • It’s crazy that Honus Wagner’s card sold for so much and how old this card is today. It’s so ironic that his card was on the box of tobacco when Wagner hated smoking and cigarettes all together! The history behind this card is what makes it so iconic to me!

  5. Nice list and fun topic. I wish 1971 Topps Thurman Munson made the list.

    Got to be 1952 Mantle. Between the iconic image and the story behind the release…no contest

    • I would have to agree with you on the Thurman Munson 71′. I have 2 of those cards; one is graded an 8 and the other is just a loose card. He is one of my favorites. I live in Akron and remember when he died in Canton. What a tragedy.

  6. My heart is pulling me towards the 1975 Yount or the 1980 Henderson. But the most iconic card on this list has to be the Mantle by name alone!!

  7. I grew up collecting cards and I’m 47 I had ten of the cards on this list at one time now I have none lol. This is a great way to give back to the people that love this hobby. Thanks

  8. This is such a tough decision… I’m torn between the ’52 Mantle and ’09 Wagner. Maybe there’s a slight edge to the Wagner just because of it’s history. This is a great contest by Loupe and MLB. Thanks to all for giving us this opportunity for some hobby fun and, possibly, the pick up of a lifetime! Cheers!

  9. I guess is 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card. People dream to have that card in their collection. Very good baseball player!!

  10. How come the ’68 Nolan Ryan isn’t on this list ? The category should have been multiple player card with Pete Rose rookie and 1982 Topps Rookie Cal Ropken ?

    • Sometimes I think that Mickey Mantel is always a front runner because people know the name. Same with the Honus Wagner card. No one really ever heard of Honus Wagner until his card showed up and was auctioned off for millions.

  11. Most iconic card would have to be the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. Many people dream of owning this card because of how great he truly was. In my opinion, its one of a few cards that make the 1952 Topps set what it is today.

  12. 89 Upper Deck Griffey Jr was ‘iconic’ the moment it came out. It was already sought after when it arrived, and has managed to be the one true legit historical relic of an era of cards that most collectors threw away years later. The Mantle needed a push in the 80s to resurface as an iconic card, the Wagner needed a story, and so on. The 89 UD card already had a push before it was even cooling off the presses.

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