For the astute collector, one factor instantly stands out in regards to the 2017 Topps baseball card set design:
For the second yr in a row, Topps ditched the borders for its flagship baseball launch…
All through its a long time of printing baseball playing cards earlier than 2016, Topps at all times had borders of some type, often white.
Many collectors appreciated the “basic” look that it created.
However as quickly as 2017 Topps Sequence 1 baseball started hitting retailer cabinets, collectors knew the corporate’s shift to fashionable design was right here to remain.
Moreover, any controversy in regards to the design was quickly largely forgotten due to a sure Yankee rookie slugger’s chase towards the historical past books.
That is proper, the Aaron Choose rookie is the important thing to the 700-card guidelines.
However that is not all there may be to love about this set.
And on this information, we’ll check out the 15 most useful.
Let’s soar proper in!
2019 Topps #600 Shohei Ohtani
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $60
2019 would be the misplaced season of Shohei Ohtani’s outstanding two-way profession.
The Los Angeles Angels megastar and reigning AL Rookie-of-the-12 months missed the primary month of the 2019 marketing campaign resulting from offseason elbow surgical procedure.
When he returned, he was relegated to a DH-only position with no likelihood of seeing the mound till 2020.
The burden of elevated expectations and bodily limitations bled over into Ohtani’s hitting manufacturing.
He nonetheless had a wonderful yr, all issues thought-about, slashing .286/.343/.505 with 18 house runs, 12 stolen bases, 20 doubles, 5 triples, and 62 RBIs in 384 at-bats.
Then again, his solidly above-average 121+ OPS stands effectively off his present profession mark of over 150.
The 24-year-old’s uncharacteristic output is smart.
Ohtani battled a nagging patella harm in his left knee from Spring Coaching on, finally ending his season three weeks early to handle it.
That put a bow on a sophomore yr that could be forgotten within the grand scheme of Ohtani’s near-certain run to the Corridor-of-Fame.
2019 Topps #50 Mookie Betts
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Mookie Betts’ final yr in Boston was sometimes sensible, if not considerably underwhelming.
It is not that the reigning MVP had a nasty yr.
Fairly the opposite.
The 26-year-old Pink Sox outfielder led the Majors in runs scored (135) and completed fourth within the American League in walks (97), fifth in WAR (7.3), fifth in doubles (40), sixth in on-base share (.391), tied for ninth in hits (176), and tenth in complete bases (313).
He additionally tallied his fourth consecutive All-Star look and Gold Glove, alongside along with his third profession Silver Slugger.
Most groups would kill to have a hitter 80% of Betts’ caliber.
Nonetheless, his 2019 was nonetheless a drop-off from the dizzying heights of his 2018 MVP marketing campaign.
It was an odd finish to a fruitful six-year keep in Beantown, one which included a World Sequence ring in 2018.
Unwilling to let Betts stroll away for nothing in free company, the Pink Sox dealt him to the Dodgers through the offseason in a blockbuster three-team, nine-player deal.
2019 Topps #230 Miguel Cabrera
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
By 2019, future Corridor-of-Famer Miguel Cabrera was sliding down the lengthy downslope towards retirement.
A former 11-time All-Star, four-time batting champ, and two-time MVP, Cabrera was now not within the dialog for finest hitter in baseball.
Riddled by accidents and taking part in on a nasty proper knee, the Detroit Tigers legend was now a replacement-level contributor at finest.
The Tigers did every part in 2019 to guard Cabrera’s well being and coax his former glories out of hiding.
This included transferring the 36-year-old to full-time designated hitter in mid-Could, a transfer that left Cabrera feeling misplaced.
“It is unhappy,” Cabrera stated. “I like being within the area.”
The shift off the diamond stored Cabrera away from one other surgical procedure, nevertheless it did not do a lot to spice up his manufacturing.
The Venezuelan native posted the worst slugging share of his profession thus far (.398) and his second sub-replacement OPS+ in three years (97).
A part of that was his declining expertise, however half was the obvious lack of safety round him.
The 47-win Tigers have been an atrocious offensive collective, ending 2019 as the one squad with below 600 complete runs scored (582).
2019 Topps #437 Albert Pujols
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
The 2019 season was a microcosm of Albert Pujols’ remaining half-decade with the Los Angeles Angels.
Pujols slashed .244/.305/.430 with 23 house runs, 22 doubles, and 93 RBIs in 131 video games.
He was comparatively wholesome all yr however lacked the constant all-field energy of years previous.
The 39-year-old first baseman/DH pulled 5/6 of the balls he hit in play and posted the bottom line-drive share (15.3%) amongst certified MLB hitters.
Pujols was now an all-or-nothing hitter who caught extra nothing than anything.
He was additionally the third oldest participant within the Majors with the fourth-highest wage within the American League ($28 million.)
He remained a legend and a revered determine, however there was no doubting the decline and its price to the Angels’ possibilities of contending.
Maybe essentially the most obvious instance of how issues have been going got here on Pujols’ profession stat sheet.
A .300 hitter in seeming perpetuity, the long run Corridor-of-Famer dipped below that mark through the 2019 marketing campaign.
He’d by no means once more climb above it.
2019 Topps #10 Clayton Kershaw
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
Clayton Kershaw was already a Cooperstown lock headed into the 2019 marketing campaign.
Now, he was having extra enjoyable with it.
On July thirtieth, 2019, the 31-year-old lefty pitched in profession inning #2,000.
His 2.42 profession ERA at that juncture was the bottom for any Dodgers pitcher with that innings load.
Just a few days later, Kershaw handed Sandy Koufax for the third-most strikeouts in franchise historical past.
No Dodgers participant has posted extra WAR than Kershaw.
And no Dodgers pitcher, or fashionable pitcher for that matter, has sustained dominance as lengthy and as robust because the three-time Cy Younger winner.
That is a variety of success and a variety of stress.
In 2019, Kershaw began to embrace the previous and lower the latter, showing looser and extra content material than in seasons previous.
Now an eight-time All-Star, the Dodgers ace completed 16-5 with a 3.03 ERA, a 1.043 WHIP, and 189 strikeouts in 178.1 innings pitched for the 106-win NL West champs.
Two dangerous NLDS performances and a five-game Nationals upset might have dulled his smile.
But, all it did was set the stage for a long-overdue championship the very subsequent yr.
2019 Topps #94 Corbin Burnes Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
Corbin Burnes reached his breaking level in 2019.
It was one of the best factor that would have occurred to him.
Ranked among the many high 50 prospects in baseball heading into the 2019 season, the 24-year-old Milwaukee Brewers righty appeared to construct off a glowing 2018 debut, full with a 2.61 ERA in 30 reduction appearances.
Every part appeared pointed towards nice issues.
Burnes was the uncommon prospect with above-average command for 4 completely different pitches, and his capacity to combine speeds and pitch sequences was effectively forward of many veterans.
What really occurred was kinda startling.
Burnes acquired roughed up in his first 4 MLB begins and entered mid-April with a ghastly 10.70 ERA.
Supervisor Craig Counsell had a “lengthy dialog” with Burnes about his future within the group earlier than sending him right down to the Minors for a reset.
Burnes returned earlier than lengthy, this time as a reliever.
He was marginally higher out of the ‘pen for the Wild Card Brew Crew, however not by very a lot, posting a 7.76 ERA in his remaining 28 appearances.
It was as nightmarish as a season might get.
But, it spurred Burnes into motion.
In the course of the offseason, he’d morph right into a Cy Younger candidate due to the assistance of a sports activities psychologist and a whole mechanics overhaul.
2019 Topps #150 Aaron Choose
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
2019 Topps #367 Ohtani Will get Scorching
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
2019 Topps #400 Bryce Harper
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
2019 Topps #410 Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $22
The Chicago White Sox kicked themselves all 2019 lengthy.
In June 2016, the Sox dealt two minor leaguers to the San Diego Padres for front-line starter James Shields.
A kind of gamers (Erik Johnson) flamed out straight away.
The opposite?
Fernando Tatis Jr.
The son of 11-year MLB vet Fernando Tatis, Tatis Jr. had but to play knowledgeable ball recreation on the time of the commerce.
Three years later, he was a blue-chip prospect making essentially the most anticipated debut in Padres historical past.
And he did not disappoint.
The 20-year-old shortstop was all aptitude and extra substance, stealing bases, swatting bombs, and making highlight-reel stops within the gap.
By mid-August, he was slashing a .317/.379/.590 and was within the hunt to change into the youngest participant to win a batting title.
Sadly, a decrease again harm halted his yr with a month-and-a-half to go, knocking Tatis out of the batting race and down to 3rd within the NL Rookie-of-the-12 months balloting.
He nonetheless had probably the most outstanding rookie years the franchise has ever seen, posting 22 house runs and 16 stolen bases in simply 84 video games.
2019 Topps #475 Pete Alonso Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $22
It was throughout as soon as the Polar Bear acquired a maintain of an MLB bat.
New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso used brute pressure in 2019 to slug a gap within the file books, setting each an all-time rookie file and all-time franchise file with 53 house runs, additionally an MLB finest.
A former second-round decide within the 2016 Novice Draft, Alonso did not want an adjustment interval to crush Main League pitching.
He simply did what he had completed all his baseball life: see the ball and hit the ball far.
That easy and satisfying method made Alonso an prompt hit with Mets followers and the larger baseball world.
The 24-year-old first baseman dropped jaws with an imposing Dwelling Run Derby win, notched his first All-Star look, and picked up a near-unanimous NL Rookie-of-the-12 months award to change into the sixth Met to take the glory.
“Each expertise that I’ve had, it is simply all led as much as the success and the enjoyment of this yr,” Alonso stated. “I am simply so completely happy that every part has come collectively the way in which it has.”
Alonso completed the yr slashing .260/.358/.583 with 103 runs scored and 120 RBIs.
2019 Topps #60 Kyle Tucker Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $20
The 2019 season was a reward for Kyle Tucker’s persistence.
In 2018, the previous fifth-overall decide of the Houston Astros appeared to achieve his Minor League ceiling.
He hammered 22 house runs and posted a strong .989 OPS for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, incomes what felt like a everlasting call-up to the Bigs in September.
Frustratingly for him and everybody else across the group, Tucker did not capitalize on his first MLB break.
He hit simply .141 in 28 September contests and was left off the Astros’ postseason roster.
Followers turned shortly on Tucker, rising stressed and loudly lobbying for a commerce within the offseason.
The Astros remained in his nook and invited him to 2019 Spring Coaching as a non-roster invitee.
The 22-year-old outfielder did not make the staff, however one other massive Triple-A set the stage for a second likelihood at September success.
This time, Tucker made it occur.
He hit 4 house runs and posted a .857 OPS in 22 September video games, incomes himself a postseason roster nod this time round.
Tucker did not do rather more than pinch-hit throughout Houston’s journey to the World Sequence, however his simply being there was a testomony to his top-prospect skills and perseverance.
2019 Topps #100 Mike Trout
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $18
Even a season-ending harm was no match for the good Mike Trout in 2019.
The 27-year-old Los Angeles Angels middle fielder received his third league MVP award after the self-professed finest offensive season of his profession, turning into simply the eleventh participant to take action.
That ties Trout for the second-most MVPs in MLB historical past behind the immortal but controversial Barry Bonds (7).
It was the seventh time in eight years that Trout completed one or two within the AL MVP race.
Trout set a brand new profession excessive with 45 house runs whereas main the Majors in on-base share (.438) and OPS+ (182).
The New Jersey native additionally paced the Junior Circuit in slugging share (.645) and OPS (1.083) whereas posting his third season with at the least 100 RBIs (104), 100 runs scored (110), and 100 walks (110).
Trout missed the ultimate three weeks or so of the common season and will very effectively have misplaced the MVP to the sizzling-hot bat of Houston’s Alex Bregman.
Nonetheless, voters did not maintain his well being towards him and awarded him 17 first-place votes to Bregman’s 13.
2019 Topps #213 Juan Soto
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $18
Juan Soto was the belle of the baseball ball in 2019.
A yr after ending because the NL Rookie-of-the-12 months runner-up within the remaining yr of his teenagers, the Washington Nationals left fielder strung collectively the most effective pre-21 seasons in MLB historical past.
Soto topped 100 walks (108), 100 runs (110), and 100 RBIs (110) in 150 video games whereas swatting 34 house runs and posting a cool .282/.401/.548 slash line.
The child was so electrical that he made the artwork of taking shut pitches an occasion along with his trademark Soto Shuffle, a pitcher-baiting routine with an aggressive, taunting step in the direction of the mound.
Soto completed ninth within the league MVP race, however the true enjoyable got here within the World Sequence.
The storybook Nats disbursed of the Dodgers and Cardinals on the NL aspect of the bracket earlier than using Soto’s bat (and Sequence MVP Stephen Strasburg’s arm) to a seven-game stunner.
The Dominican Republic native slashed .333/.438/.741 with three huge house runs, six runs scored, 5 walks, and 7 RBIs because the Nats erased a 3-2 collection deficit for his or her first world championship.
2019 Topps #227 Adolis Garcia Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $12
The Texas Rangers acquired Adolis Garcia on a budget.
It was one of many shrewdest strikes of their rags-to-championship rebuild.
In 2019, Garcia had his nostril firmly towards the glass ceiling of the St. Louis Cardinals group.
After 5 years {of professional} baseball in Cuba and one in Japan, the 26-year-old outfielder was one of many oldest prospects on the Cardinals’ farm.
Regardless of hitting 32 house runs with a .818 OPS at Triple-A Memphis, Garcia fell out of favor in comparison with youthful prospects with supposedly increased upside.
Cardinals executives did not see an finish recreation for Garcia on the MLB stage and promptly DFA’d him in mid-December.
That is when the Rangers swooped in to take a flier, nabbing Garcia by way of commerce for money concerns.
Just a few bumps and yet another DFA later, Garcia proved his St. Louis doubters foolish with two All-Star nods, a 2023 ALCS MVP award, and a World Sequence triumph.
2019 Topps Baseball Playing cards In Evaluation
Whereas there are lots of great-looking playing cards contained in the 700-card guidelines, the Aaron Choose and Alex Bregman rookie playing cards proceed to be the preferred.
Each have continued to supply at elite ranges, particularly Choose.
And Bregman already has a few World Sequence rings.
Dansby Swanson continues to be a stable rookie card as effectively, although his recognition has dwindled in recent times.
Collectors might also keep in mind different notable rookies like Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada being extremely overrated when this set first hit retailer cabinets.
Sadly, they don’t seem to be as fascinating nowadays.
There have been fewer subsets within the guidelines than in 2016 Topps baseball, together with:
- League Leaders
- All-Star Rookies
- Award Winners
- Workforce Playing cards
The guidelines provided the same old thrilling inserts, parallels, relics, and autograph playing cards as in related years.
Collectors might discover an autograph or relic in every 36-pack Passion field and an autograph, relic and “manufactured relic” in every Passion Jumbo field.
To assist commemorate David Ortiz’s retirement in 2016, Topps created ten completely different variations of his base card.
In fact, the guidelines is suffering from every kind of variations of different gamers, a staple of most fashionable Topps baseball set designs.
Nonetheless, regardless of all of these issues, the Aaron Choose rookie card will at all times be the most important draw within the set.
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