Earlier today I realized that I hadn't done a top 5 cards post for a current player in quite some time, so I looked through my collection to try to find a good one to choose.
I knew I needed a player that I had over 20 cards of because I really want the 5 cards chosen to be great cards. That's why I can't choose players I just started collections of like Ozuna or Arenado because I just don't have enough cards of either of them.
Once I stumbled upon Joe Mauer I knew he was the right choice. He has been playing since 2004 and I knew I had enough to make the list. I have 35 cards of Mauer and only 1/7 of those made the list. Here are the top 5.
#5 2008 Upper Deck Timeline
These cards in the 2008 Upper Deck Timeline set were modeled after the 1994 Upper Deck Cooperstown Collection set. The black and white cards which are becoming increasingly rare in today's sets are accompanied with a small headshot of Mauer in the bottom right. The card has very little text on the front and lets the image do the talking which I appreciate. The reason it's not higher up on this list is the bland uniform choice. They chose my least favorite Twins uniform ever, so it could only make it as far as #5.
#4 2010 Topps National Chicle
Speaking of letting the image do the talking we now have a one-year set designed around amazing art cards coming in at number 4. Each and every card in this set includes a different color combination that you would never think would work and the Mauer card is no exception. The green and yellow background are more on the simple side for a set like this, but the details included in his catcher's gear and the face is unmatched. This card looks great, but I know this set has much better cards, so it only made it to #4.
#3 2011 Topps Diamond Anniversary
The background in this card is one of the most creative and classy backgrounds I've ever seen on a card. The gold and black work well together and unlike previous cards, on this list, the jersey works well with it as well. The Twins home jersey with the stripes and the dark team name works much better on a card than a jersey that just says "MINNESOTA" in big, ugly, red letters. The card is pretty simple, yet Topps managed to pull it off pretty well which is why it made the list.
#2 2015 Topps Stadium Club
I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge Stadium Club fan. I do appreciate the unconventional cards like this one with the workout jersey and the blurry bat, but I don't like the goofy pictures like players fooling around or on obscure vehicles. Baseball cards need to be centered around baseball, not annoying stock images. However, like I said sometimes Stadium Club makes a nice card and this is an example of that. The crystal clear image along with the great colors on his jersey and helmet add a pop of color to the picture. It does what Stadium Club does best, but the top card takes great pictures to the next level.
#1 2011 Topps Opening Day
Yes, this card uses the same image as the 2011 Topps Flagship card I just don't have the Topps base card so I had to use the Opening Day one.
Anyway, this card goes above and beyond to showcase an incredible action shot of Joe Mauer. The picture was taken on a day that appears to be a sellout crowd at Target Field, and the picture was taken right as Mauer swung the bat. The set itself is also pretty good, at least for a modern Topps set, and that helps contribute to the card. Sometimes action cards fall short and sometimes they are better than you could ever imagine. This is for sure an example of a card better than one could imagine.
There are my top 5 cards of Joe Mauer. He's sadly been regressing in the past few seasons and who knows how much longer he'll be playing for. I'm just glad he gets another postseason shot on Tuesday agasint the Yankees.
And as a Red Sox fan I'm sure you can all guess who I'm rooting for.
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