Minnesota Twins

From Washington to Minneapolis

The Minnesota Twins franchise began as the Washington Senators in 1901, one of the charter American League teams. After six decades in Washington — including a 1924 World Series championship and the Walter Johnson era — the team moved to the Twin Cities in 1961 and became the Minnesota Twins. Since the move, the franchise has won two World Series titles (1987, 1991) and multiple division championships.

For collectors, the Twins card catalog is unusual in that it starts with Washington Senators vintage: Walter Johnson tobacco cards, Joe Cronin 1930s Goudey issues, and the early Harmon Killebrew rookies. Post-1961, the catalog follows the standard Topps/Bowman/Upper Deck progression, with Killebrew, Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Joe Mauer, and the current Royce Lewis core as the primary PC targets.

This page covers what Twins collectors need to know across eras, including the Washington Senators vintage that preceded the move, and how to build a Twins PC at any budget.

Twins Vintage Era (pre-1970, including Washington Senators)

• 1909-1911 T206 Walter Johnson — the Big Train. Multiple poses; PSA 5+ copies start in the mid five figures.
• 1914 Cracker Jack Walter Johnson — scarce, fragile, and six-figure territory in any presentable grade.
• 1933 Goudey Joe Cronin (#63) — Senators shortstop and manager, Hall of Famer.
• 1954 Topps Ted Williams — he’s a Red Sox card, but the set’s overall quality is worth mentioning as Washington Senators contemporary vintage.
• 1955 Topps Harmon Killebrew (#124) — his rookie. PSA 8 copies sit in the mid-four-figure range; PSA 9 is significantly scarcer.
• 1958 Topps Harmon Killebrew (#288) — a cleaner-surviving second-year card.
• 1961 Topps Minnesota Twins Team (#542) — the first Twins team card after the move.
• 1964 Topps Tony Oliva (#116) — his rookie. AL Rookie of the Year.
• 1965 Topps Mudcat Grant / Jim Kaat — pennant-year rotation.
• 1967 Topps Rod Carew (#569) — his rookie. PSA 9 copies are the target grade; PSA 10 is scarce.

Twins Modern Era (1970-2000)

• 1975 Topps Bert Blyleven — not his rookie (1971 Topps #26 is), but a clean mid-career card.
• 1982 Topps Traded Kent Hrbek (#44T) — his true rookie.
• 1984 Fleer Update Kirby Puckett (#U-93) — one of his two rookies, and the scarcer of the two. PSA 10 copies trade in the low-to-mid four figures.
• 1985 Topps Kirby Puckett (#536) — his flagship rookie. PSA 10 copies are affordable and plentiful.
• 1987 Topps Puckett / Viola / Hrbek — championship-year commons.
• 1992 Bowman Jim Thome — mentioned for PSA reference, though Thome was an Indian at the time.
• 1994 Bowman’s Best Rick Aguilera — 1990s closer for the Twins.
• 1995 Bowman Chrome Brad Radke — Twins rotation anchor of the late 1990s.
• 2000 Bowman Chrome Torii Hunter — breakout outfielder of the early 2000s.

Twins Contemporary Era (2001-2026)

• 2001 Bowman Chrome Draft Joe Mauer 1st Bowman Auto (#358) — the flagship modern Twins card. PSA 10 copies trade in the four-to-low-five-figure range.
• 2001 Bowman Chrome Draft Justin Morneau — MVP first baseman, active collector card.
• 2008 Bowman Chrome Denard Span — post-debut Twins outfielder.
• 2013 Bowman Chrome Byron Buxton 1st Bowman Auto — the #1 overall prospect of his class.
• 2013 Bowman Chrome Miguel Sanó 1st Bowman Auto — power prospect, strong early-career market.
• 2014 Bowman Chrome Jose Berrios 1st Bowman Auto — Puerto Rican ace, sustained demand.
• 2018 Bowman Chrome Royce Lewis 1st Bowman Auto — post-2023 breakout drove this card sharply upward.
• 2020 Bowman Chrome Alex Kirilloff / Trevor Larnach Prospect Auto — mid-tier Twins prospect chase.
• 2023 Bowman Chrome Draft Walker Jenkins 1st Bowman Auto — top 2023 draft pick, current flagship prospect.
• 2024 Bowman Chrome Emmanuel Rodriguez / Brooks Lee Prospect Auto — current top prospects.

Featured Twins 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 Twins PC

Budget collector ($50-$500 total): Current-year Bowman and Topps Chrome hobby boxes cover the Lewis-Correa-Buxton core. Add a PSA 10 1985 Topps Puckett, a PSA 9 1967 Topps Carew in low-mid grade, and a raw 2001 Bowman Chrome Draft Mauer. A $500 build produces 60-80 Twins cards including multiple Hall of Fame rookies.

Mid-budget collector ($500-$5,000): Target a PSA 8 1955 Topps Killebrew, a PSA 10 Mauer 2001 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto, and PSA 9 copies of the 1984 Fleer Update Puckett and 1967 Topps Carew. Sealed current-year Bowman Draft hobby boxes add prospect exposure.

High-end collector ($5,000+): A PSA 8 Walter Johnson tobacco card (T206 or T205), a PSA 8 1955 Topps Killebrew, and a PSA 10 Mauer 1st Bowman Auto form the three-card franchise anchor. A complete 1991 Topps Twins team set (championship year) adds depth inexpensively.

Best Products for Twins Fans

Current-year Bowman, Bowman Draft, Topps Chrome, and Topps Series 1 hobby boxes all consistently feature Twins players. Sealed 1987 and 1991 Topps hobby boxes remain affordable and deliver championship-era Puckett / Hrbek / Viola content. Amazon listings for current-year products supply the most efficient ongoing PC building.

Twins Team Sets and Factory Products

Topps has produced Twins team sets in most years since the 1980s. Sealed 1987 and 1991 Topps Twins team sets (championship years) are the two must-have factory products for any Twins PC. For vintage team builders, the 1965 Topps Twins (pennant year) and 1970 Topps Twins runs are the other primary targets. Sealed 1980s and 1990s Topps factory sets from Amazon deliver the full-league run with Twins players included.