Top 10 Cards From 2019 Topps Stadium Club

Topps Stadium Club, as a whole, is a challenging product to evaluate when it comes to hobby box purchases. The 16 packs that my Dad and I opened, as expected, delivered some of the best photography that I've seen on Baseball cards since I've been collecting.

No one can deny that SC has gorgeous photography throughout the entire set. However, the rest of the cards, such as the inserts, parallels, and hits, leave something to be desired. 

I've never been too impressed with the foil text "parallels," though they are slightly more noticeable this time around. Furthermore, the inserts have been extremely disappointing in the past, even though Topps upped their game in 2019 with this aspect of the product as well.

2019 Topps Stadium Club is the greatest set release of all-time, but I still prefer 2017 when it comes to the actual base cards. This year's release, however, is quite well-rounded, more so than past SC sets.

It's not like I didn't comprehend the risks associated with purchasing Stadium Club, but it's a set where I'm truly able to look past the fact that you don't get a ton of value. 

There are barely any serial numbered cards and I've never hit a big-name autograph, but I don't care about any of those things when it comes to this set.

Each year, in addition to purchasing a box of Stadium Club, I also compile a list of my 10 favorite base cards from the set. I've done this in the past for both 2018 and 2017 Stadium Club, so it was a no-brainer for me to continue this tradition in 2018.

#10 Ryne Sandberg

It was a close call between Ryne Sandberg and Eddie Murray's base cards which are incredibly similar to one another. They both have cameos from other Baseball players on their cards with Rickey Henderson making an appearance on Murray's.

However, the combination of the iconic ivy in the background of Wrigley Field and Sandberg's pinstriped Cubs uniform gave his card the edge. In any other product, this card would be enough to crack the top 3, but there's a ton of competition in Stadium Club, so I could only place it at #10.

#9 Anthony Rendon

Oddly enough, Anthony Rendon is the only player to appear on my top 10 Stadium Club cards for 2 consecutive years, for he earned the #8 spot with a beautiful card from 2018 SC. This time, the stellar photograph was taken at night instead of earlier in the day.

Even though his stadium lights card from 2018 isn't at the same level as the ballpark shot of Nationals' Park from last year's Stadium Club, this card is nothing to look down upon. The glare from the lights works perfectly with the dark blue alternate home uniform that Rendon is wearing.

#8 German Marquez

I explained during my hobby box recap post that, in any other set, German Marquez's card would be a  traditional shot of a pitcher during his windup. However, because we're talking about Stadium Club, Topps raised the bar with one of the most unique angles that I've ever seen on a Baseball card.

The pitcher's mound at Coors Field fits perfectly into this shot and is almost symmetrical with the grass surrounding it. My favorite part of this card, however, is the timing. The position that Marquez is in during his windup is perfect for this particular card.

#7 Christian Yelich

Since we're on the topic of unique angles, Christian Yelich's 2019 Topps Stadium Club definitely fits the bill. As soon as I pulled this card, the last of the box, as a matter of fact, I noted its similarity to Xander Bogaerts' 2016 Topps Archives card.

Arguably, Yelich's card is superior to Xander's due to the fabulous throwback uniform that Yelich is wearing during what looks to me like a road game. My lack of familiarity with the Milwaukee Brewers means that I haven't seen much of this jersey before, so that could be part of why I ranked it so high on the list.

#6 Jeff McNeil

Surprisingly enough, I didn't select any Boston Red Sox cards for the top 10, though Chris Sale's card with the Fenway Park press box in the background almost made the cut. However, that didn't stop the Red Sox from at least being associated with one of the cards on this list.

As you can see, Jeff McNeil's rookie card features the 2019 All-Star making a diving play in the outfield of Fenway Park. It's truly incredible what he along with fellow Mets rookie Pete Alonso have done thus far in 2019, for McNeil leads all of MLB with a .351 batting average.

#5 Jim Palmer

My Stadium Club hobby box certainly had its fair share of players from the 60s and 70s, guys that make up a reasonable number of the players that I collect. One of these guys is Jim Palmer, and his Stadium Club base card, as always, is fantastic.

Even though this isn't the first time I've seen a card like this in SC (leg lift during a windup), the angle provides a unique perspective which is one of my favorite things about Stadium Club as a whole. The same can be said about Marquez's and Yelich's cards. The unusual angles help make this set what it is.

#4 Sammy Sosa

Truth be told, I surprised myself by placing Sammy Sosa on this list at all, never mind at the #4 spot. I was equally shocked to see him in the Stadium Club checklist in the first place. 

I'll never quite understand why Topps continues to feature guys like Sosa, McGwire, and Canseco who were confirmed to have used steroids. With that being said, I still have a reasonable Sosa player collection though I can't quite explain why.

I don't think I've seen a new Sammy Sosa card in over a decade. Love him or hate him, his base card from this year's set is terrific. 

#3 Dee Gordon

At first, I thought Dee Gordon's 2019 Topps Stadium Club card was cool, but I didn't think too much of it until I looked at it for the 2nd and then the 3rd time. The closer I looked, the fonder I became of this sensational shot of the 2-time All-Star making an unbelievable catch in CF for the Mariners.

The zoom on this card makes it so that Gordon takes up just the right amount of space, not too much nor too little, while the throwback uniform, per usual, is a stellar inclusion.

#2 Vladimir Guerrero

After I pulled 2 lackluster autographs, I ended my 2019 Topps Stadium Club recap post with this card of Vladimir Guerrero in an effort to end the box on a high note. Little did I know it would soon become one of my favorite cards in the entire set.

Even though the jersey that he's wearing isn't my favorite Expos uniform, I love all things that have to do with the Montreal franchise. The yellow bench highlights Vladdy himself while also providing something incredibly unique to this sensational card.

#1 Babe Ruth

The more I think about it, this may go down as my favorite card of 2019 when all is said and done. If there's not a single card that I've seen in Stadium Club that can beat Babe Ruth's unbelievable card, then there likely won't be one for the rest of 2019 either.

This digitally enhanced shot of the greatest player of all-time is truly breathtaking. The uniform and the green background stay true to the era in which Ruth played while other details, like the bat in the bottom right corner, help tie everything together.

It's simple, far simplier than most of the other cards on this list, but I wouldn't have it any other way.