Kimbrel Collection Update

The past few days during this "Bomb Cyclone" storm in Massachusetts followed by extensive cold weather has given many people nothing to do but stay indoors all day. I have taken this opportunity to go through some boxes of cards in the hopes of finding some more cards to add to the Kimbrel Collection. This has worked and I have been able to add around 8 new cards to the collection, bringing the current grand total to 28 cards. Just to give you all an overview before I start adding new cards, here are my 28 Craig Kimbrel cards. The first one is shown above as #1 2011 Topps Lineage Rookies.

#2 2012 Topps

Kimbrel's 2012 Topps base card shows him in the red Braves jersey, which happens to be my favorite jersey of the team along with the 2011 All-Rookie Team Cup. 

#3 2012 Topps Gold Futures

The 2012 Gold Futures insert sets features players that went on to do well in the Majors like Eric Hosmer and Aroldis Chapman. It also includes players who were well thought of but never panned out like Jose Tabata and Alexi Ogando. 

#4 2012 Topps Opening Day

I'm not quite sure why they didn't use the same image for Opening Day that they did for Flagship, but the card looks nice either way. 

#5 2012 Topps Update

This card from 2012 Update is from Kimbrel's All-Star appearance in 2012. He's appeared in 4 All-Star games since then and 6 all together.

#6 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen

The only card I have of his from 2013 is from my favorite set produced that year, Gypsy Queen.

#7 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen

I also have Kimbrel's 2014 Gypsy Queen card which I like just a little bit better.

#8 2014 Topps Spring Fever

The bright colors of the Spring Fever set were what made it so distinctive from 2013-2016, though it seems like it's not being produced anymore after not appearing last year.

#9 2014 Topps Update

Another year, another All-Star appearance for Kimbrel. After all, he's only missed the Midsummer Classic once throughout his whole career. 

#10 2015 Topps

Kimbrel had been traded to the Padres for the 2015 season in exchange for Cameron Maybin and Carlos Quentin plus 2 minor leaguers. Pretty crappy trade for Atlanta, they could've gotten much more for their star closer.

#11 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter Starting Point

This was a card I recently acquired at a card shop for part of my holiday card purchase. I really like the concept of the set and I appreciate that Topps changed it up a bit by having the insert set appear in Allen & Ginter.

#12 2016 Bowman

As you can see I don't have any cards of Craig Kimbrel on the Padres. That has to change soon.

#13 2016 Bowman Chrome

By the time Bowman Chrome came out in 2016, Topps didn't have to photoshop the Red Sox jersey like they did in the regular Bowman card.

#14 2016 Bowman Platinum

This isn't a parallel, it's just the way the card came out on the scanner. Still a really nice card though.

#15 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter

Topps made a really good decision by using red as the background color for Kimbrel's 2016 Allen & Ginter card. It's one of my favorite cards I have of him.

#16 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter X

Both the Ginter base and the X base card have so much going for them that it's hard to pick one that I like better than the other.

#17 2016 Topps Archives

This is my favorite card I've shown thus far, Topps made the right decision by putting him in the 1991 Topps set in 2016 Archives.

#18 2016 Topps Gypsy Queen

Quick rant; Topps had enough time in 2016 to put Kimbrel in a Red Sox jersey for the Gypsy Queen set, but not enough time to use a real photo of him in a Red Sox jersey, so they had to photoshop him into one. I just don't get why they used those hats considering that the Red Sox never wear those hats in games. They went out of their way to use hats the Red Sox don't wear, nice job Topps.

#19 2016 Topps Heritage

This was the very first card I got of Kimbrel on the Red Sox.

#20 2017 Bowman

No more photoshopped cards in 2017 of Kimbrel as they were able to use actual images of him in a Red Sox jersey.

#21 2017 Bowman's Best

It's official, the 2017 Bowman's Best card is my favorite card I have of Craig Kimbrel as of now.

#22 2017 Topps

Seeing Kimbrel's 2017 base card makes me anxious for the release of the 2018 Topps Series 1 checklist and the product. Then I'll be able to begin hunting down Kimbrel cards as they come out.

#23 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter

Along with 2016, I have Kimbrel's 2017 Allen & Ginter base card...

#24 2017 Allen & Ginter X

Along with his 2017 Allen & Ginter X card.

#25 2017 Topps Archives

2 years in a row Topps chose the best possible set of the 3 included in Archives to put Craig Kimbrel in.

#26 2017 Topps Chrome

Kimbrel's 2017 Topps base card was one of my favorites, so I was eager to get the same card in Topps Chrome.

#27 2017 Topps Chrome Pink Refractor

And I was surprised and pleased to pull his pink parallel card in Topps Chrome as well.

#28 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen

And the final card is a nice one from 2017 Gypsy Queen.

Well, that's it for my Craig Kimbrel cards for now. I'm quite happy that I was able to put 28 cards of his together before I began to seriously collect him. And I will be getting some new cards of his relatively soon, so stay tuned for that.