1985 Topps Baseball Cards – Set Info and Best Cards

If you’re looking for a good baseball card set that has some of the best rookie cards from the 1980s, then the 1985 Topps set might be the one for you.

The standout rookie card from this year is obviously Mark McGwire, but there are also some other great cards inside.

Eric Davis, Roger Clemens, and Kirby Puckett were all a part of this 1985 Topps baseball set, which just goes to show the quality of the rookies that came through that year.

Also, let’s not forget about the other legendary players that were included in the set. Combine all of that, and you get one of the most memorable baseball card sets from the 1980s.

1985 Topps Set Info

1985 Topps Set Info

As you might already be aware, the 1985 Topps baseball set was one of the first Topps sets to include Tiffany cards in them. Today, these cards are worth more than base Topps cards since they are rare and of a higher quality than the base Topps cards.

When it comes to the base cards, a huge advantage to collectors nowadays is that they’re easily available thanks to high print numbers.

These cards were printed in masses since there was a great demand for them. Secondly, Topps also faced stiff competition from Donruss and Fleer, which meant that they needed to up the print runs for their cards.

The result is that you now have hundreds of these cards still available in top conditions and you won’t have to spend massive amounts of money on most of them. The exception is, of course, the most desired rookie cards from the set (which we’ll go through in a moment).

If we take a look at the design, Topps decided to freshen things up a little by changing the style of these cards a little bit, but not by much. They still included the team name and the player names with action shots at the center of the cards.

Best 1985 Topps Baseball Cards

Let’s take a look at the best 1985 Topps baseball cards – there are plenty of good cards to choose from.

1985 Topps Mark McGwire RC #401

1985 Topps Mark McGwire RC #401

The most obvious place to start this list is with the Mark McGwire rookie card. It’s the most instantly recognizable card from the set and one that will still cost thousands of dollars in the best conditions.

This card features McGwire in his USA apparel, which he wore when he was a part of the 1984 baseball team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in the US.

It was a very talented American team with Mark McGwire as one of the diamonds of the team, but surprisingly, the team was beaten to the gold medal by the Japanese.

Overall, this is one of the most valuable cards from the set. The primary reason is that it features McGwire as a rookie, but it’s also pretty hard to find a card like this in good grades because of the low numbers of high-graded cards.

1985 Topps Roger Clemens RC #181

1985 Topps Roger Clemens RC #181

The next card that is worthy of a mention from this set is the Roger Clemens rookie card numbered #181.

Roger Clemens made his debut for the Red Sox in the late 1984 season and was thus only included as a rookie card in the 1985 set.

It was the start of a blistering career for Clemens who was included in 11 All-Star teams throughout his career, won 2 World Series Championships, 7 Cy Young awards, and an AL MVP award in 1986.

There is still some controversy surrounding Clemens and his PED use, which is also the reason why he wasn’t included in the baseball Hall of Fame. But he would certainly have been included in it if it wasn’t for his supposed scandals.

This card can still cost thousands in the best conditions but should be more easily available in lower grades.

1985 Topps Eric Davis RC #627

1985 Topps Eric Davis RC #627

The next card that deserves a mention from this list is Eric Davis’ rookie card from 1985.

It is one of the most valuable rookie cards from the 1985 Topps set, despite the fact that Davis’ career has been marred by injuries and illness.

It’s another case of “what could have been” – there are many examples like this inside the 1985 Topps set, but it was Eric Davis’ career that showed the most promise.

He was an outstanding outfielder and also a power hitter that is still widely remembered in baseballing circles. Despite the injuries and the illness, he still managed to put together a respectable career, which is why his rookie card is still so popular.

1985 Topps Kirby Puckett RC #536

1985 Topps Kirby Puckett RC #536

As a Hall of Famer, Kirby Puckett should probably be near the top of your wishlist when it comes to 1985 Topps baseball cards.

Not only was Puckett one of the best hitters in the league, but he was also a charismatic personality that many people adored during his time in the league. Today, his rookie card is still widely desired.

As a 10-time All-Star inductee and a 2-time World Championship winner, you should certainly consider getting this card.

Puckett is one of the rare players that you’ll find inside the set that managed to fulfill his legacy as a baseball player. Many other players and rookies from this year were ruined by injuries or controversy, but Puckett managed to stay clean, for the most part.

But finding a card like this in the PSA 10 condition won’t be easy. It’s likely going to cost you hundreds of bucks if not even more.

1985 Topps Orel Hershiser RC #493

1985 Topps Orel Hershiser RC #493

There were many other cards that we could’ve included on this list of cards to get from 1985 – such as Ripken, Nolan Ryan, or Don Mattingly.

But you should also not overlook Hershiser’s rookie card as it was one of the best rookie cards from the set.

He wasn’t the caliber of player that some of the other players are, but he certainly had a respectable career as a 3-time All-Star player and one-time World Series champion in 1988.

1985 Topps Baseball Checklist

1 Carlton Fisk Record Breaker
2 Steve Garvey Record Breaker
3 Dwight Gooden Record Breaker
4 Cliff Johnson Record Breaker
5 Joe Morgan Record Breaker
6 Pete Rose Record Breaker
7 Nolan Ryan Record Breaker
8 Juan Samuel Record Breaker
9 Bruce Sutter Record Breaker
10 Don Sutton Record Breaker
11 Ralph Houk Manager
12 Dave Lopes
13 Tim Lollar
14 Chris Bando
15 Jerry Koosman
16 Bobby Meacham
17 Mike Scott
18 Mickey Hatcher
19 George Frazier
20 Chet Lemon
21 Lee Tunnell
22 Duane Kuiper
23 Bret Saberhagen
24 Jesse Barfield
25 Steve Bedrosian
26 Roy Smalley
27 Bruce Berenyi
28 Dann Bilardello
29 Odell Jones
30 Cal Ripken
31 Terry Whitfield
32 Chuck Porter
33 Tito Landrum
34 Ed Nunez
35 Graig Nettles
36 Fred Breining
37 Reid Nichols
38 Jackie Moore Manager
39 John Wockenfuss
40 Phil Niekro
41 Mike Fischlin
42 Luis Sanchez
43 Andre David
44 Dickie Thon
45 Greg Minton
46 Gary Woods
47 Dave Rozema
48 Tony Fernandez
49 Butch Davis
50 John Candelaria
51 Bob Watson
52 Jerry Dybzinski
53 Tom Gorman
54 Cesar Cedeno
55 Frank Tanana
56 Jim Dwyer
57 Pat Zachry
58 Orlando Mercado
59 Rick Waits
60 George Hendrick
61 Curt Kaufman
62 Mike Ramsey
63 Steve McCatty
64 Mark Bailey
65 Bill Buckner
66 Dick Williams Manager
67 Rafael Santana
68 Von Hayes
69 Jim Winn
70 Don Baylor
71 Tim Laudner
72 Rick Sutcliffe
73 Rusty Kuntz
74 Mike Krukow
75 Willie Upshaw
76 Alan Bannister
77 Joe Beckwith
78 Scott Fletcher
79 Rick Mahler
80 Keith Hernandez
81 Lenn Sakata
82 Joe Price
83 Charlie Moore
84 Spike Owen
85 Mike Marshall
86 Don Aase
87 David Green
88 Bryn Smith
89 Jackie Gutierrez
90 Rich Gossage
91 Jeff Burroughs
92 Paul Owens Manager
93 Don Schulze
94 Toby Harrah
95 Jose Cruz
96 Johnny Ray
97 Pete Filson
98 Steve Lake
99 Milt Wilcox
100 George Brett
101 Jim Acker
102 Tommy Dunbar
103 Randy Lerch
104 Mike Fitzgerald
105 Ron Kittle
106 Pascual Perez
107 Tom Foley
108 Darnell Coles
109 Gary Roenicke
110 Alejandro Pena
111 Doug DeCinces
112 Tom Tellmann
113 Tom Herr
114 Bob James
115 Rickey Henderson
116 Dennis Boyd
117 Greg Gross
118 Eric Show
119 Pat Corrales Manager
120 Steve Kemp
121 Checklist 1-132
122 Tom Brunansky
123 Dave Smith
124 Rich Hebner
125 Kent Tekulve
126 Ruppert Jones
127 Mark Gubicza
128 Ernie Whitt
129 Gene Garber
130 Al Oliver
131 Buddy Bell/Gus Bell Father-Son
132 Dale Berra/Yogi Berra Father-Son
133 Bob Boone/Ray Boone Father-Son
134 T.Francona/T.Francona Father-Son
135 T. Kennedy/B. Kennedy Father-Son
136 Jeff Kunkel/Bill Kunkel Father-Son
137 Vance Law/Vern Law Father-Son
138 Dick Schofield/D. Father-Son
139 J. Skinner/Bob Skinner Father-Son
140 Roy Smalley/Roy Father-Son
141 M. Stenhouse/D. Father-Son
142 Steve Trout/D. Trout Father-Son
143 Ozzie Virgil/Ossie Virgil Father-Son
144 Ron Gardenhire
145 Alvin Davis
146 Gary Redus
147 Bill Swaggerty
148 Steve Yeager
149 Dickie Noles
150 Jim Rice
151 Moose Haas
152 Steve Braun
153 Frank LaCorte
154 Argenis Salazar
155 Yogi Berra Manager
156 Craig Reynolds
157 Tug McGraw
158 Pat Tabler
159 Carlos Diaz
160 Lance Parrish
161 Ken Schrom
162 Benny Distefano
163 Dennis Eckersley
164 Jorge Orta
165 Dusty Baker
166 Keith Atherton
167 Rufino Linares
168 Garth Iorg
169 Dan Spillner
170 George Foster
171 Bill Stein
172 Jack Perconte
173 Mike Young
174 Rick Honeycutt
175 Dave Parker
176 Bill Schroeder
177 Dave Von Ohlen
178 Miguel Dilone
179 Tommy John
180 Dave Winfield
181 Roger Clemens
182 Tim Flannery
183 Larry McWilliams
184 Carmen Castillo
185 Al Holland
186 Bob Lillis Manager
187 Mike Walters
188 Greg Pryor
189 Warren Brusstar
190 Rusty Staub
191 Steve Nicosia
192 Howard Johnson
193 Jimmy Key
194 Dave Stegman
195 Glenn Hubbard
196 Pete O’Brien
197 Mike Warren
198 Eddie Milner
199 Dennis Martinez
200 Reggie Jackson
201 Burt Hooton
202 Gorman Thomas
203 Bob McClure
204 Art Howe
205 Steve Rogers
206 Phil Garner
207 Mark Clear
208 Champ Summers
209 Bill Campbell
210 Gary Matthews
211 Clay Christiansen
212 George Vukovich
213 Billy Gardner Manager
214 John Tudor
215 Bob Brenly
216 Jerry Don Gleaton
217 Leon Roberts
218 Doyle Alexander
219 Gerald Perry
220 Fred Lynn
221 Ron Reed
222 Hubie Brooks
223 Tom Hume
224 Al Cowens
225 Mike Boddicker
226 Juan Beniquez
227 Danny Darwin
228 Dion James
229 Dave LaPoint
230 Gary Carter
231 Dwayne Murphy
232 Dave Beard
233 Ed Jurak
234 Jerry Narron
235 Garry Maddox
236 Mark Thurmond
237 Julio Franco
238 Jose Rijo
239 Tim Teufel
240 Dave Stieb
241 Jim Frey Manager
242 Greg Harris
243 Barbaro Garbey
244 Mike Jones
245 Chili Davis
246 Mike Norris
247 Wayne Tolleson
248 Terry Forster
249 Harold Baines
250 Jesse Orosco
251 Brad Gulden
252 Dan Ford
253 Sid Bream
254 Pete Vuckovich
255 Lonnie Smith
256 Mike Stanton
257 Bryan Little
258 Mike C. Brown
259 Gary Allenson
260 Dave Righetti
261 Checklist 133-264
262 Greg Booker
263 Mel Hall
264 Joe Sambito
265 Juan Samuel
266 Frank Viola
267 Henry Cotto
268 Chuck Tanner Manager
269 Doug Baker
270 Dan Quisenberry
271 Tim Foli 1968 First Draft Pick
272 J. Burroughs 1969 First Draft Pick
273 Bill Almon 1974 First Draft Pick
274 F. Bannister 1976 First Draft Pick
275 Harold Baines 1977 First Draft Pick
276 Bob Horner 1978 First Draft Pick
277 Al Chambers 1979 First Draft Pick
278 Darryl Strawberry 1980 First Draft Pick
279 Mike Moore 1981 First Draft Pick
280 Shawon Dunston 1982 First Draft Pick
281 Tim Belcher 1983 First Draft Pick
282 Shawn Abner 1984 First Draft Pick
283 Fran Mullins
284 Marty Bystrom
285 Dan Driessen
286 Rudy Law
287 Walt Terrell
288 Jeff Kunkel
289 Tom Underwood
290 Cecil Cooper
291 Bob Welch
292 Brad Komminsk
293 Curt Young
294 Tom Nieto
295 Joe Niekro
296 Ricky Nelson
297 Gary Lucas
298 Marty Barrett
299 Andy Hawkins
300 Rod Carew
301 John Montefusco
302 Tim Corcoran
303 Mike Jeffcoat
304 Gary Gaetti
305 Dale Berra
306 Rick Reuschel
307 Sparky Anderson Manager
308 John Wathan
309 Mike Witt
310 Manny Trillo
311 Jim Gott
312 Marc Hill
313 Dave Schmidt
314 Ron Oester
315 Doug Sisk
316 John Lowenstein
317 Jack Lazorko
318 Ted Simmons
319 Jeff Jones
320 Dale Murphy
321 Ricky Horton
322 Dave Stapleton
323 Andy McGaffigan
324 Bruce Bochy
325 John Denny
326 Kevin Bass
327 Brook Jacoby
328 Bob Shirley
329 Ron Washington
330 Leon Durham
331 Bill Laskey
332 Brian Harper
333 Willie Hernandez
334 Dick Howser Manager
335 Bruce Benedict
336 Rance Mulliniks
337 Billy Sample
338 Britt Burns
339 Danny Heep
340 Robin Yount
341 Floyd Rayford
342 Ted Power
343 Bill Russell
344 Dave Henderson
345 Charlie Lea
346 Terry Pendleton
347 Rick Langford
348 Bob Boone
349 Domingo Ramos
350 Wade Boggs
351 Juan Agosto
352 Joe Morgan
353 Julio Solano
354 Andre Robertson
355 Bert Blyleven
356 Dave Meier
357 Rich Bordi
358 Tony Pena
359 Pat Sheridan
360 Steve Carlton
361 Alfredo Griffin
362 Craig McMurtry
363 Ron Hodges
364 Richard Dotson
365 Danny Ozark Manager
366 Todd Cruz
367 Keefe Cato
368 Dave Bergman
369 R.J. Reynolds
370 Bruce Sutter
371 Mickey Rivers
372 Roy Howell
373 Mike Moore
374 Brian Downing
375 Jeff Reardon
376 Jeff Newman
377 Checklist 265-396
378 Alan Wiggins
379 Charles Hudson
380 Ken Griffey
381 Roy Smith
382 Denny Walling
383 Rick Lysander
384 Jody Davis
385 Jose DeLeon
386 Dan Gladden
387 Buddy Biancalana
388 Bert Roberge
389 Rod Dedeaux USA
390 Sid Akins USA
391 Flavio Alfaro USA
392 Don August USA
393 Scott Bankhead USA
394 Bob Caffrey USA
395 Mike Dunne USA
396 Gary Green USA

Author

  • Vince

    I'm a big time sports nerd, with soccer being my first true love. I've been collecting sports cards since I was a little kid, and now... well, not much has changed, but I write about it... and I have facial hair.

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