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Best Ted Williams rookie cards

Key rookie card: 1939 Play Ball #92. 1 rookie card, every one below.

Updated October 21, 2026

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His top 5 cards

Full checklist

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Which Ted Williams card is the real rookie card?

Ted Williams's key rookie card is the 1939 Play Ball #92. Ted Williams's rookie season was 1939. The checklist below lists one rookie card by card number, each row from a cited source.

He debuted with Boston in April 1939, and his only recognized rookie card is the 1939 Play Ball #92. His 1940 Play Ball #27 and 1941 Play Ball #14 are his next two cards. The licensed field is left null because no fetched source states the licensing terms.

Sources: Old Sports Cards.

Ted Williams's career, in brief

  • Played 1939 to 1960, all with the Boston Red Sox, with time away for military service in World War II and Korea.
  • Hit .406 in 1941.
  • Finished with a .344 average and 521 home runs; won two MVP awards (1946, 1949) and two Triple Crowns (1942, 1947).
  • Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966, his first year of eligibility.

Career facts: [1]

His top 5, card by card

Full checklist: 1 rookie card, 15 total

1 rookie card and 14 other cards with card numbers, each from the checklist linked on its row. A row marked "one source" is printed by one checklist site only. Parallels are counted, not listed.

Show all 15 cards

Checklist sources, checked 2026-10-17: Old Sports Cards, Checklist Insider, Checklist Center.

Graded: PSA 10, BGS and CGC explained

A PSA 10 (Gem Mint) or BGS 9.5 is the top grade most collectors look for: sharp corners, clean edges, centered printing and an unmarked surface. A graded card and a raw one are different cards to look up. How the four graders compare and what PSA grading costs.

  • 1939 Play Ball #92: centering and wear are typical issues (source: oldsportscards.com).

How PSA, CGC and Beckett grade

PSA

Top grades:
Gem Mint 10, then Mint 9 and NM-MT 8.
Half grades:
1.5 through 8.5 since February 2008; there is no PSA 9.5.

One overall grade on the label. Centering weighs heavily in it.

Source: Sports Collectors Digest on PSA's half grades

CGC

Top grades:
Pristine 10 (virtually flawless, 50/50 centering), then Gem Mint 10 and Mint+ 9.5.
Half grades:
Yes, from Fair 1.5 up to Mint+ 9.5.

Authentic (AU) for a genuine card that cannot take a number; Authentic Altered (AA) for one that was altered.

Source: CGC grading scale

Beckett (BGS)

Top grades:
Pristine 10; a Black Label Pristine 10 has a 10 in all four subgrades.
Half grades:
Yes, 1 to 10 in half points.

Four subgrades on the label: centering, corners, edges and surface.

Source: Beckett grading

Grading scales as each grader describes them, checked Oct 16, 2026.

Listing counts and lookups this week

Ted Williams market data

Counts and lookups, not prices over time
Listed on eBay right now
His key card...Lowest ask, key card...All his cards...eBay listings now. Never stored.
Collector attention
6,868 lookups this week, down 26% on the week before30 daysWikipedia lookups, week to Oct 20
His checklist
15 cards: 1 RC, 1 auto, 1 numbered /99 or lowerParlae checklist, every sourced card

Collector attention

Collector attention: down 26% this week, down 6% over 30 days

Ted Williams card questions (6)

What is Ted Williams's rookie card?

Ted Williams's first base rookie card is the 1939 Play Ball #92. Ted Williams's rookie season was 1939.

What year is Ted Williams's rookie card?

Ted Williams's rookie season was 1939, so the rookie cards carry that year.

How many rookie cards does Ted Williams have?

Our checklist lists 1 Ted Williams rookie card with card numbers, each from a cited source. It is not every parallel or color variation.

How much is a Ted Williams rookie card worth?

Parlae does not print card values. Find the year, set, card number, parallel and grade on your card, then check eBay sold listings or eBay's price guide for that exact card.
Cheapest on eBay now

Are collectors watching Ted Williams right now?

Collector attention is cooling: Wikipedia lookups of Ted Williams are down 26% this week. That is attention, not a price.

Does Ted Williams have a PSA 10?

PSA's population report says how many PSA 10s exist of each card; Parlae does not reprint it. To see PSA 10 copies listed now, tap the PSA 10 chip at the top of this page.

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Card facts checked 2026-10-17. Parlae prints no card values. Set and brand names belong to their makers; Parlae is not affiliated with them.

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By the Parlae deskCard data updated Oct 21, 2026 at 9:22 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number