The Players Who Get Things Started
Before the thump of the cleanup man, before the spotlight falls on the franchise slugger, baseball has always needed someone to get things started. The leadoff hitter is the kindling, the instigator, the first face the opposing pitcher sees — and sometimes, the last person he wants to deal with.
In collecting terms, some of the game’s greatest leadoff men also boast iconic rookie cards, short prints, and collector favorites from the likes of Topps and Bowman. They don’t always command the eye-popping prices of the home run kings, but their value — both in the game and in The Hobby — is undeniable.
Here’s a look at some of the most electrifying leadoff hitters in baseball history, and the cards that best capture their place in the pantheon.
Rickey Henderson – The Blueprint
Key Card: 1980 Topps Baseball #482
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Rickey Henderson is the single greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history. Full stop.
With a record 1,406 stolen bases, 2,295 runs scored, and nearly 3,000 hits, Rickey redefined what a leadoff man, and baseball player, could be. His 1980 Topps rookie card has long been a centerpiece of any vintage collection, and in high grades, it’s among the most sought-after cards of the era. Rickey ran his way into the top-20 WAR leaders of all-time, suggesting that, if anything, casual fans still underestimate his impact on the game.
Lou Brock – A Pre-Rickey Prototype?
Key Card: 1962 Topps Baseball #387
Before Rickey, there was Lou Brock. The St. Louis leadoff man stole 938 bases in his career, leading the National League in steals eight times and becoming a symbol of speed in the pre-analytics era. His 1962 Topps rookie card, released during his short stint with the Cubs, features that classic wood-grain border and a fresh-faced Lou just beginning to stretch his legs.
Brock’s career exploded when he was traded to the Cardinals in one of the most lopsided deals in history. For collectors, that ’62 rookie is a reminder that sometimes the game, like The Hobby, rewards those who take the long view.
Ichiro Suzuki – Precision and Poetry
Key Card: 2001 Topps Baseball #726, 2001 Bowman Chrome® Baseball #351 Refractor
Ichiro elevated the leadoff act into an art form. With a laser-quick bat, uncanny instincts on the bases, and a cannon for an arm, Ichiro became an instant phenomenon when he joined the Mariners in 2001. His rookie cards — especially the base Topps and Bowman Chrome — are as elegant as his swing and as iconic as his astounding debut season, in which he won both Rookie of the Year and MVP.
In the 2000s, if you turned on a Mariners game, you would almost certainly see Ichiro slapping a single, stealing a base, and generally making opposing pitchers and managers miserable.
Ty Cobb – The Original Spark Plug
Key Cards: 1909–11 T206 Series
If Rickey Henderson is the king of leadoff modernity, Ty Cobb is the ghost king of the old world. Cobb led off for much of his career with the Tigers, terrorizing defenses with bunts, slaps, steals, and snarls. He posted a ludicrous .366 for his career and led the AL in batting average 12 times.
While Cobb’s original cards, like the T206 series, are legendary grails, he’s also been honored in numerous Topps Allen & Ginter sets — fitting, as Allen & Ginter excels in old-timey beauty.
Tim Raines – Rickey’s Quiet Shadow
Key Card: 1981 Topps Traded Baseball #816T
If Rickey was lightning, Tim Raines was mercury — quicker than thought and impossible to pin down. Raines led the NL in stolen bases four straight years, made seven All-Star teams, and retired with a .385 OBP and over 800 steals. And yet, for years, he flew under the radar, overshadowed by the man he so often matched stat for stat.
Raines’ 1981 Topps Traded rookie card is still something of a sleeper. Still, baseball fans and serious collectors never quite forget just how good “Rock” really was.
Kenny Lofton – The ’90s Disruptor
Key Card: 1992 Bowman Baseball #110
For a glorious stretch in the ’90s, Kenny Lofton was everywhere. He could steal bases, drop bunts, track down fly balls like he was born in center field, and rattle pitchers before they even hit the stretch.
His 1992 Bowman rookie card captures a young Lofton with the look of someone about to rewrite baserunning rules. He always made things happen. His cards have steadily gained interest, especially among ’90s collectors looking beyond the slugger-heavy headlines of the era.
Luis Aparicio – The Gentleman Thief
Key Card: 1956 Topps Baseball #292
Luis Aparicio was grace on spikes. The 1956 AL Rookie of the Year led the league in stolen bases every year from ’56 to ’64. A nine-time Gold Glove-winning shortstop and Hall of Famer, he wasn’t exactly flashy, but he was smooth, and so are his cards.
His 1956 Topps rookie card features that classic dual-image design, with a portrait and action shot — a fitting tribute to a player who defined both poise and motion. Aparicio was the link between the slick-fielding shortstops of the past and the dynamic base-stealers of the future.
Honorable Mentions – Spark Plugs Worthy of Ink
- Craig Biggio – A leadoff man with pop and grit. His 1989 Topps #49 remains a gem.
- Maury Wills – Famously left off early Topps sets due to licensing issues. His 1967 Topps card #570 was his long-overdue Topps debut.
- Brady Anderson – Mostly remembered for his outlier 50-HR season, but a disciplined, dangerous leadoff man in the ’90s.
- Mookie Betts – A modern hybrid leadoff man: high OBP, big power, and major Hobby heat.
A Unique Element of the Game
Leadoff hitters are often the tone-setters, the guys who make the game feel alive from the first pitch. In The Hobby, their cards can be sleeper hits or vintage treasures — reminders that greatness often comes not with a bang, but with a single, a steal, a perfectly timed dash for second.
If baseball is a story, then these are the players who wrote the opening lines. And in cardboard form, their stories are still unfolding every time a collector flips over a stat line to look at Stolen Base totals or slides a vintage Topps into a fresh sleeve.
