Los Angeles Dodgers

Brooklyn to LA: Two Cities, One Franchise

The Brooklyn Dodgers played in New York from 1883 to 1957, won one World Series (1955), and broke baseball’s color barrier when Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson in 1947. In 1958, the franchise relocated to Los Angeles, where they’ve won seven more World Series (1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2020, 2024) and become one of the most-collected franchises in the hobby.

For card collectors, the Dodgers catalog is essentially two catalogs. The Brooklyn-era cards (1948-1957) are pre-war and early-post-war collecting, anchored by Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, and Roy Campanella. The LA-era cards (1958-present) feature Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale in the 1960s, Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser in the 1980s, Mike Piazza in the 1990s, Clayton Kershaw in the 2010s, and the current Ohtani-Betts-Freeman super-team.

The 2024 World Series (Ohtani’s first title) has driven an explosion in Dodgers collecting demand. Ohtani’s unique two-way prospect cards from 2013 Japanese baseball (and his 2018 Topps Chrome Update rookie) are among the most-watched cards in the modern market.

Dodgers Vintage Era (pre-1970)

• 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson Rookie (#79) — his rookie card. PSA 9 $800K+, PSA 8 $150-300K.
• 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson (#312) — high-number series. PSA 9 $1M+.
• 1952 Topps Pee Wee Reese — classic design.
• 1953 Topps Jackie Robinson / Roy Campanella (#1, #27) — the Dodgers’ two icons.
• 1954 Topps Duke Snider — Hall of Fame center fielder.
• 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax Rookie (#123) — franchise flagship pitching card. PSA 9 $500K+, PSA 8 $50-100K.
• 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente is a Pirates card; Dodgers 1955 key is 1955 Topps Don Drysdale Rookie? No — Drysdale’s rookie is 1957.
• 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson (#30) — his final-year card.
• 1957 Topps Don Drysdale Rookie (#18) — Hall of Fame pitcher.
• 1958 Topps Dodgers Team / Roseboro — first LA season.
• 1963 Topps Pete Rose is a Reds card; Dodgers 1963 is 1963 Topps Sandy Koufax / Willie Davis.
• 1966 Topps Don Sutton Rookie — Hall of Fame pitcher.
• 1968 Topps Jerry Koosman / Nolan Ryan Rookie is a Mets card; Dodgers 1968 key is 1968 Topps Don Drysdale shutout-streak card.

Dodgers Modern Era (1970-2000)

• 1973 Topps Ron Cey / Mike Schmidt Rookie is primarily Phillies; Dodgers key is 1973 Topps Steve Garvey (#213).
• 1975 Topps Steve Garvey / Ron Cey (#210, #390) — Garvey Hall of Famer cards.
• 1978 Topps Dodgers Team Card — 1977 NL champion team.
• 1981 Donruss Fernando Valenzuela Rookie (#131) — Fernandomania. PSA 10 $200-400.
• 1981 Fleer Fernando Valenzuela (#140) — companion rookie.
• 1981 Topps Fernando Valenzuela (#302) — flagship.
• 1985 Topps Orel Hershiser — not yet rookie; 1985 Topps has him in his second year.
• 1988 Topps Traded / Score Mike Scioscia — 1988 champion team cards.
• 1988 Topps Orel Hershiser (#40) — his Cy Young season.
• 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. is a Mariners card; Dodgers 89 key is 1989 Upper Deck Ramon Martinez.
• 1992 Bowman Mike Piazza Rookie (#461) — Hall of Fame catcher. PSA 10 $800-1,500.
• 1992 Bowman Pedro Martinez Rookie (#82) — Hall of Fame pitcher (Dodgers prospect before the Expos trade).
• 1996 Bowman Chrome Paul Konerko — later traded to White Sox.
• 1999 Bowman Chrome Eric Gagné — closer.

Dodgers Contemporary Era (2001-2026)

• 2001 Bowman Chrome Adrián Beltré Auto — third baseman era cards.
• 2004 Bowman Chrome Chad Billingsley — pitcher 1st Bowman Chrome.
• 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Clayton Kershaw 1st Bowman Auto — modern pitching icon. Refractor parallels in four-five figures.
• 2008 Topps Chrome Clayton Kershaw Rookie (#187) — his official rookie. PSA 10 $200-400.
• 2013 Bowman Chrome Yasiel Puig — outfielder rookie-era.
• 2013 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani Japan (#BP176) — his first U.S.-distributed Bowman card, from his NPB days. Exceptionally collected.
• 2014 Bowman Chrome Draft Mookie Betts 1st Bowman Auto — not a Dodgers card (Red Sox prospect), but essential for Mookie PCs.
• 2017 Topps Update Cody Bellinger Rookie (#US215) — ROY season. PSA 10 $200-400.
• 2018 Topps Chrome Update Shohei Ohtani Rookie (#HMT1) — his MLB rookie, Angels uniform. PSA 10 $400-800. Essential Ohtani piece.
• 2018 Bowman Chrome Walker Buehler — pitching anchor.
• 2020 Topps World Series Champions — 2020 champion team set.
• 2022 Bowman Chrome Diego Cartaya / Bobby Miller — pitcher prospects.
• 2024 Topps Series 1 Shohei Ohtani Dodgers — first Dodgers-uniform Ohtani base card.
• 2024 Topps Chrome Shohei Ohtani Dodgers Rookie Cup — his first Dodgers-era flagship.
• 2024 Topps World Series Champions — the Ohtani-era championship team set.
• 2025 Bowman Chrome Josue De Paula 1st Bowman — current top prospect.

Featured Dodgers Players

The players below have their own deep-dive guides on Baseball Cards. Each player page covers the full card catalog, key rookies, parallels to chase, and buying tips.

How to Build a Dodgers PC

Budget collector ($50-$500 total): Raw 1981 Donruss Fernando Valenzuela rookie under $10. Add raw 1992 Bowman Mike Piazza rookie, 2008 Topps Chrome Kershaw rookie, and a 2024 Topps Series 1 Ohtani Dodgers. Current-year Topps/Bowman fills roster. Under $300 for a multi-era start.

Mid-budget collector ($500-$5,000): PSA 10 1981 Donruss Valenzuela ($200-400), PSA 10 1992 Bowman Piazza ($800-1,500), PSA 10 2008 Topps Chrome Kershaw ($200-400), PSA 10 2018 Topps Chrome Update Ohtani ($400-800). Four modern-era anchor rookies.

High-end collector ($5,000+): A PSA 8 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson rookie is the historical anchor ($150-300K). Pair with a PSA 8 1955 Topps Koufax rookie ($50-100K), a PSA 10 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Kershaw auto refractor, a PSA 10 2018 Topps Chrome Update Ohtani, and the 2024 Topps World Series champion team set complete. The Dodgers’ high end is one of the hobby’s deepest.

Best Products for Dodgers Fans

The cards below are the easiest starting points for any Dodgers fan building a collection — sealed boxes where Dodgers players will feature in proportion to their roster presence, plus graded singles when available on Amazon.

Dodgers Team Sets and Factory Products

Topps issues Dodgers team sets every year, widely available on Amazon. The 1988, 2020, and 2024 World Series champion team sets are essential. Brooklyn-era team sets (1952-1957) are specialist items available through Baseball Card Exchange and eBay. Bowman hobby products are the fastest path to the Dodgers’ deep prospect system.