An Upgrade For Update

Maybe it's the time of year the set is released, or maybe it's the lack of extremely recognizable players in the product, but I have to say I've never been a huge fan of the Topps Update product.

With that being said, I tend to gravitate towards a couple packs of it every year plus whatever I can find from it at the show, but it's far from something I'd be willing to spend big money on. In fact, I doubt I've ever purchased as much as a blaster of Topps Update in all my years of collecting. 

Earlier today, I was running a few errands in order to get ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I found that I was extremely close to Target and needed to go there any way (I swear I'm not setting it up for me to end up in the card aisle).

They seemed to be out of blasters, though I can't say for sure that I looked too much for them. Simply put, all I wanted was a couple of packs to see what the product was like, so I grabbed 2 of them for $1.99 each.

Pack #1

#US75 J.A. Happ

Although it's not my favorite product, I fully recognize the purposes that Topps Update serves, the main one being showing players in their new uniforms from late free agent signings or midseason trades. Although they dropped the ball on this last year, Topps rebounded and, from what I've seen so far, stepped it up for the 2018 set.

#US37 Javier Baez

In addition to showing traded players on their new teams, Update includes cards that commemorate the All-Star Game as well as the Home Run Derby. The front of the card may not look that different as opposed to a regular Update card, but the back includes additional information about, in this case, Javier Baez's Home Run Derby performance.

#US17 Jason Vargas

#US63 Corey Dickerson

Even though Update is, by no means, a bad product, I do have one reoccurring issue with it year after year. Instead of starting a brand new checklist with the letters "US" preceding it, Topps Update should simply be a continuation of Series 1 & 2 with the checklist picking up at #701 where Topps Series 2 has left off over the last few years.

#US64 Mookie Betts

Mookie! I have to admit, it's pretty awesome to see Mookie Betts as more than just a superstar, but an MVP as well. This is the first card I pulled of the 26-year old since he took home the AL MVP award just under a week ago. Given his immense success in 2018, I look forward to pulling way more cards of Betts through 2019 and beyond.

#LITM-12 Legends in the Making Blue Parallel Justin Upton

I don't know about you guys, but I'd be perfectly happy to never see another 2018 Legends in the Making card ever again in my life, especially not these barely noticeable parallel versions. Like Salute in 2017, this set is becoming overly redundant.

#LITM-16 Legends in the Making Blue Parallel Joey Gallo

I'll take it my prayer wasn't answered. Sure, it's cool to pull 2 insert parallels in 1 pack, but Justin Upton and Joey Gallo aren't players I collect or even have intentions of collecting. Plus, as I stated before, Legends in the Making is not an insert set I'm overly fond of.

#US12 Miles Mikolas

#US279 Isiah Kiner-Falefa

#US241 Chris Archer

It's pretty surreal to see Chris Archer in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform given that he was one of the more surprising trade deadline acquisitions in terms of where he ended up. Nevertheless, Archer looks like he belongs in a Pirates uniform, even though the Rays could certainly benefit by having him still on their team that won 90 games in 2018.

#US2 Joe Jiminez

Huh, so it seems I ended up with 11 cards in this pack instead of 12. It's not a major deal, in my opinion, given that when you're mass-producing baseball cards, you're bound to have a few errors transpire. Decent 1st pack, overall, though nothing too special came from it.

Pack #2

#US100 Ichiro

Ichiro managed just 9 additional hits in 2018 with the Mariners before retiring to receive some sort of job within the Mariners organization. Though I'm not sure what role he's currently serving, he sure had a ton of cards made of him given the 40 or so at-bats he had in his brief final stint with Seattle.

#US300 Juan Soto

Wow, pack #2 is already off to a way better start than the first pack was. First an Ichiro card from his final season, now a Juan Soto rookie, the 2nd in my collection. Although Acuña was rightly given the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year award, Soto came in as a runner-up with a strong possibility that if he had more at-bats, Soto would have had a greater chance of winning.

#US275

Bruce's return to the New York Mets on a 3-year $39 million dollar contract beginning in 2018 was surprising. What was not surprising, however, were his struggles to maintain a solid batting average, hitting just .223 in his first season back in New York.

#US44 Freddie Freeman

Now that the Braves are back in the spotlight after winning the NL East, Freddie Freeman, one of baseball's most consistent and well-rounded players, is finally getting more of the attention he deserves. Capable of 30 home runs, 100 RBI, a .285+ average, and a Gold Glove, Freeman could definitely win the NL MVP someday down the road.

#US113 Jesus Aguilar

#US144 Lou Trivino

#US266 Austin Gomber Rainbow Foil Parallel

I know it's been nearly 10 months since 2018 Topps Series 1 was released, but I think I'm just starting to notice how this years' rainbow foil parallels in Topps and Topps Update aren't as noticeable as they have been in years past. One would barely be able to notice the foil at all when scanned, and I can't say they look all that more noticeable in person either.

#BH-14 Bryce Harper Highlights

Topps always includes some type of retail exclusive set, sometimes differing from Walmarts and Targets, in every Topps Series 1, 2, and Update product they release. In this case, that promotional set was a Bryce Harper highlights set, similar to the ones we saw for Derek Jeter, Kris Bryant, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger earlier this year.

#US147 Matt Moore

#US34 Austin Meadows

#US281 Willy Adames

#US237 Carson Kelly

The 2nd of the 2 packs delivered the correct number of cards, 12, and likely capped off all I'll be buying of Topps Update this season.

Don't get me wrong, the product is far from bad. In fact, it's a major improvement over the disaster that was 2017 Topps Update. However, with the holidays fast approaching, I'd rather concentrate on other sets or card shows rather than throwing money at Update.

However, very good job, Topps. You certainly upgraded Update.