Top 5 Cards: Manny Machado

Greetings from New England where the weather is the same as it was 3 months ago. Only this time, it's rain instead of snow. I'm not just bringing up the rain to complain about the weather, but also to tie into the fact that I was supposed to go to today's Red Sox vs Orioles game, but it got postponed 'till May 17th. 

The game today was supposed to be the Patriots Day game which falls on the same day as the Boston Marathon. The unique 11:05 start time is one of, to my knowledge, just 2 different morning games of the year. The other is the 4th of July Nationals game which the Red Sox also play in this year.

Like I said, they were supposed to play the Orioles today, and you can't really talk about the Orioles without mentioning Manny Machado who will be a free-agent after this season. The Orioles do not appear to be contending, which is why they'll most likely trade Machado at the deadline to a team I'm praying is not the Yankees. But once he hits free-agency, it'll be interesting to see who will swoop in and pick up one of the best multi-tool players in the game. 

I don't usually see Machado cards at the baseball card show, which probably explains why I have just 20 cards of the 3-time All-Star. However, considering I already have 3 cards of him from 2018 in his player collection and many more to put away, I think the tables could turn on the amount of Machado cards I have starting this year. But for now, here are my top 5.

#5 2017 Topps Bunt

Despite the fact that I still haven't opened a single pack from 2017 Topps Bunt, I know that Topps did an excellent job with the 2nd year of the low-end set. They created sleeker base designs that included bright bursts of the team's primary color in a steel beam design at the top and bottom of the card. For the Orioles, this color is orange which is the same color as the jersey Machado is wearing on this card, a smart decision made by Topps. I still don't know which logo is the actual Orioles logo considering the one on his cap is different than the one in the bottom left, but that minor detail doesn't take away from the fact that this is a well-done card, especially for a set like Bunt.

#4 2014 Topps Archives

Machado's 2014 Topps Archives card is in the 1986 Topps design which already has the black border around the very top of the card. The Orioles' colors are orange and black in this set just like they were in 1986. This combination was a recipe for success and Machado's card from the Archives set is a perfect example of that. To make this card even better, Machado is wearing the same orange jersey from card #5 on this card to make it even better, like an improved version of the first example. The picture chosen was also fabulous in more than just 1 way as I assume it was taken right after a Machado home run. 

#3 2016 Topps Archives

To me, it's the small detail on this card that forced me to put it at the #3 spot on the list. If you look closely at Machado's bat, you'll see that it says his name on it towards the very end. I'm not sure why I appreciate this detail so much, but I guess it's because there's proof right here that this isn't just some random bat. The detail helps show that it's his bat for his card. Not to mention that Topps did a great job with the headshots for the '53 design when it was used in Archives back in 2016 just as they had done for the set originally. I know it's not the greatest reason, but I appreciate the fact that they kept that part of the bat in the card enough to put it at #3.

#2 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen Fortune Teller

Out of the 2 packs of 2018 Gypsy Queen that I opened this year, this was the only good card out of 16. The base set did not interest me all that much, but the Fortune Teller inserts did despite not being my favorite size card because of how they're not quite a standard card nor a mini. Either way, the purple and grey color combo on this card is nothing short of beautiful, and the font used to spell out "Fortune Teller" along with the design around the picture of Manny is stunning. I wish they would make these cards either regular sized or true minis, but I won't allow that minor thing to get in the way of how much I really love this card.

#1 2013 Topps Update 1971 Topps Minis

There are 3 things about this card that instantly made it the best option for the #1 spot on this list. 1. It's a mini, although still not a mini like the ones we're used to seeing in sets like Allen & Ginter. 2. It's in the 1971 Topps design which is one of the most iconic and awesome sets ever made. 3. It's his rookie card and it's also the only rookie card of Manny Machado I have. Because the card has all 3 of these things, it's without a doubt my favorite Manny Machado card in my entire collection. I don't have to go into any more details, the card definitely speaks for itself.