Another Player Collection Tiers Update

Over the last couple of years, my process of organizing and categorizing my player collections has grown increasingly complex, though it's also provided me with more insight as to where each player stands in comparison to all the others.

Initially, I started by creating a complete inventory of all the cards of players I collect on Google Sheets with one spreadsheet designated for each player. Each row lists the year, card number, set name/info, and the team name. This process is repeated for every card of all the players I collect, and that number can be anywhere from 8-460.

Next, I introduced the idea of player collection tiers roughly a year ago. Using this process, I list all of my PCs in one Google Sheet from largest to smallest and, along the way, sort them by 4 separate tiers: Platinum (200+ cards), Gold (100+), Silver (50+), and Bronze (49>).

Through the player collection tiers, I'm able to see where each player collection, by the total number of cards, ranks in comparison to all the others. For example, I know that Fergie Jenkins, a player collection with 81 total cards, is #74 on my list of PCs.

Last April, I wrote an update on player collection tiers in which I detailed the changes that occurred since I began this endeavor. Considering how much has changed over the last several months, I figured it was time to craft an update once again and that this could be a reoccurring post a few times a year.

Unsurprisingly, Nolan Ryan remains #1 on the list by a long shot and, to be honest, I don't believe that any of the other player collections will ever catch up.

Ryan's 482 total cards (excluding a small handful that I haven't added in yet) beat Ken Griffey Jr's 280 soundly for the #1 spot on the list. Since there's no real competition rivaling Ryan's #1 spot, I'm instead looking to make steady additions to the player collection.

Specifically, I'd like to have 500 total Nolan Ryan cards by the end of the year, a goal I set for myself back in January.

Ken Griffey Jr may trail Nolan Ryan by over 200 cards for the #1 spot, but there's always a fair amount of competition between him and Greg Maddux to see who will earn the "runner-up" position.

When I updated you all on the player collection tiers back in April, Maddux occupied the #2 spot on my tiers list, but he has since been usurped by Griffey.

At the moment, Maddux trails KGJ by just 3 cards to round out the top 3. After that, there's a pretty significant drop (~30 cards) before the #4 PC, Manny Ramirez.

Last time, the platinum tier, reserved for player collections with 200 or more cards. had just 7 players, but that number has grown by 3 in the subsequent months. Vladimir Guerrero and Randy Johnson have added their names to the list, cementing each of my top 10 player collections at 200+ cards.

With these two additions, the closest I am to adding another player to the platinum tier is both Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg at 180 cards. Even though I come across their cards somewhat often, it'll be a little while before the top tier expands to encompass 11-12 players.

The gold tier, featuring players with totals anywhere from 100-199 cards, has grown to include 35 members over the last few months. Specifically, I've seen a fair number of active players cross the threshold as of late.

The additions of so many active players to the gold tier are somewhat surprising, considering that it used to be Craig Kimbrel, Joey Votto, and Miguel Cabrera not too long ago. Now, that group includes Anthony Rizzo, Clayton Kershaw, Andrew McCutchen, and Buster Posey.

At any given time, there's always at least 1 player on the cusp of moving up to another tier, whether it's silver, gold, or platinum. At the moment, Evan Longoria is the closest to making this happen at 99 cards, just 1 away from becoming the 46th PC to reach 100 cards or more.

I thought this would happen following my previous trip to the card show, but the Longoria card that I picked up (shown above) was a duplicate. Thus, I'll have to wait a little longer before the 3-time All-Star moves up.

The more progress I make with this endeavor, the higher the bar is raised for players to achieve a certain ranking on my list of 260 player collections. For example, to make the top 100 out of all the players that I collect, a PC has to have at least 62 cards.

Still, players are moving up the list constantly, and players have been consistently reaching the silver tier mark of 50 cards since my last PC tiers update. Currently, 84 of my player collections find themselves between 50-99 cards.

Of course, the majority of my player collections (135/264) are part of the bronze tier, meaning I have fewer than 50 cards of that player. Since this tier encompasses more players than any other, there's an extensive range of players who are apart of it.

Some, like Wilbur Wood and Mickey Lolich, may never move up enough to join the silver tier simply because of how few cards have been produced of these 70s pitchers. 

Other guys' totals, like Alex Bregman's, have increased since I began collecting them, and it's only a matter of time before they reach 50 and maybe even 100 cards.

In fact, there are roughly 30 players within 10 cards of silver tier status, so needless to say, I don't think that the overall growth of my player collections is going to plateau anytime soon.

Top 5 Cards; Alex Bregman

Hopefully, soon after I finish writing this blog post, the 2019 World Series Champions, whether it's the Washington Nationals or Houston Astros, will be crowned.

At the top of the 7th inning, the Astros are leading 2-0 following an RBI single by Carlos Correa and a solo home run by Yuli Gurriel back in the 2nd inning. The highly-anticipated Scherzer vs Greinke pitching matchup has delivered a close game thus far, but there are a million things that could happen over the next few innings.

For instance, as I finished the previous paragraph, Anthony Rendon hit a solo shot for Washington, cutting the lead down to 2-1 with 1 out in the 7th.

Admittedly, my schedule simply hasn't allowed for me to watch much of the Fall Classic whatsoever.

*Update, Howie Kendrick just gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead with a 2-run homer to right field (off the foul pole) off Astros reliever Will Harris. Hopefully, the commercial break allows me to get through this intro without any more action.

Anyways, if Washington holds onto their lead and ends up World Series Champions for the first time in franchise history, I totally envision NL MVP candidate Anthony Rendon taking home the World Series MVP honors.

If Houston rallies and wins it all for the 2nd time in 3 years, AL MVP candidate Alex Bregman will likely win the award.

The respective performances of Rendon and Bregman, arguably the two greatest 3rd baseman at the moment, has made for a thrilling postseason, particularly while they've faced off in the Fall Classic.

One of the newest additions to my player collection list, I've only been collecting cards of Alex Bregman for roughly a month.

The Bregman cards in my collection before I began collecting him make up most of the 21 cards, though I envision coming across more and more at the card show in the future.

Usually, I'd wait until I've been collecting a player for many months or years before formulating a top 5 cards list, but the timing of this post was just too perfect.

#5 2017 Topps Stadium Club

Stadium Club and Archives never fail to produce some incredible cards which is why they appear so frequently on my top 5 cards posts, and the Bregman countdown is no exception. I guess my decision to hunt down new releases back in 2017 paid off because I have my fair share of Bregman rookies, including this action shot from Stadium Club.

2017 was one of the strongest years for the revived photography-centric set. Though the product still has a certain wow factor associated with it, Stadium Club's popularity piqued a few years back.

#4 2017 Topps Archives

The 2nd Alex Bregman rookie to kick off this countdown, Bregman's 2017 Topps Archives card features an action shot that triumphs over the '17 Stadium Club rookie. The timing of the photo seems like something from Stadium Club rather than Archives, but the pairing with the '92 Topps design is a nice one.

The Astros are currently wearing the same orange uniforms that are on Bregman's card above. The Nationals, on the other hand, are in their alternate blues, a jersey that seems to have given them a fair amount of luck thus far.

#3 2019 Topps Stadium Club

Though the 2019 Topps Stadium Club failed to reach the level of previous releases in the revived brand's abbreviated history, there's a large handful of cards that sincerely impressed me.

Throwback uniforms and ballpark shots don't do as much as they used to for me. Rather, I've been looking for Stadium Club cards on the simple side that, simultaneously, incorporate all my favorite aspects of the popular brand. Bregman's 2019 card definitely fits that bill.

#2 2017 Topps

Bregman's been a fairly well thought of player since his MLB debut back in July of 2016, only 1 year after being drafted #2 by Houston in the 2015 MLB Draft.

It wasn't until last season, however, that Bregman morphed into one of the game's brightest stars, and he's continued to improve all throughout the 2019 season, cementing himself as one of the American League's best alongside Mike Trout.

As a result, this 2017 Alex Bregman rookie is probably a lot more desired than it was 2 years ago. The rookie logo and rookie cup combo is something you don't see very often, so that makes for a pretty interesting card.

*During the time in which I wrote about Bregman's 2017 Topps card, the Nationals scored another run, on a Juan Soto RBI single making the game 4-2. They now have runners on the corners*

#1 2019 Topps Archives

As I previously mentioned, Topps Archives and Stadium Club are essential to almost all of my top 5 cards post recipients, particularly modern players. The products, drastically different in concepts, provide my 2 favorite things to see on a Baseball card; a retro design and/or fabulous photography.

Stadium Club can't use a vintage design, but Archives often has fabulous photography, and Bregman's 2019 Topps Archives card is no exception. The diving grab that he appears to be making in the photo above, in one way or another, resembles something out of the original 1993 Topps set.

Now, with the game heading to the bottom of the 8th, I'm going to take some time to read over this post. After I'm done, I'll (hopefully) watch a World Series Champion be crowned.

By the way, I'm rooting for Washington.

October Baseball is Upon Us

It's almost as if that 1 day without Baseball never happened because the 2019 MLB postseason is officially underway with tonight's Wild Card matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Admittedly, I'm settling down to write this post just over an hour after the NL 1-game playoff commenced, but I completed my postseason bracket yesterday morning once the field was determined and I had time to think.

Since the Red Sox and Cubs, much to my despair, each failed to make the postseason, I can be more unbiased with my playoff predictions than I have in 5 years.

I'm not necessarily rooting for any team, though I'd like to see Tampa Bay and Minnesota succeed. Rather, I just want to watch some entertaining Baseball games.

This year, 4 100-win teams (Yankees, Twins, Astros, and Dodgers) will be playing Baseball in October, the most in a single season that I can remember. My bracket isn't exactly full of risks, but I'm fairly confident that the postseason could play out just as I predicted.

NL Wild Card

The Nationals are trailing 3-1 at the moment, but I foresee a comeback at the hands of phenoms Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon. Their willingness to use Stephen Strausburg and Patrick Corbin out of the bullpen to get the job done is going to pay off in the end.

AL Wild Card
Despite having home-field advantage, Oakland's starting pitching is what killed them in the Wild Card game last year against the Yankees. Sean Manaea is taking the mound tomorrow, but injuries significantly limited his innings pitched in 2019. I expect Charlie Morton to lead the Rays to victory.

NLDS

The Cardinals haven't been to the postseason since 2015 where they lost in the NLDS to the up and coming Chicago Cubs. They're facing an Atlanta Braves team that's returning to the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive season, meaning Acuña and Albies are prepared to make it farther than the 1st round this year.

The Nationals, on the other hand, simply won't be able to dethrone the defending NL champs who won 106 games in 2019. Unlike the Cardinals vs Braves series, I don't foresee Nationals vs Dodgers being a close call.

Braves over Cardinals in 4
Dodgers over Nationals in 3

ALDS

In the 2017 AL Wild Card game, the Yankees crushed the Twins 8-4, highlighting that, although talented, that Minnesota squad lacked the experience necessary to make it far in the postseason. 2 years and a ton of home runs later, I still don't believe the Twins have what it takes to achieve success in October.

The Astros, on the other hand, won't have a problem with whichever team makes it out of the AL Wild Card game. They know Oakland better than any team in baseball, and while I believe the Rays will make it to the ALDS, their roster doesn't have the depth that the Astros' does.

Yankees over Twins in 4

Astros over Rays in 4

NLCS

The Dodgers have won the NL pennant each of the last 2 seasons before going on to lose in the World Series to 2 very talented clubs ('17 Astros and '18 Red Sox). Despite their Fall Classic track record, the Dodgers haven't had much trouble making it to the World Series. They beat Atlanta in the NLDS last year, so they should do the same in the NLCS in 2019.

Dodgers over Braves in 4

ALCS

For the last 2 seasons, the Astros have been one of the most feared teams in the game, showcased by their 2017 World Series Championship. Though their 2018 season was cut short when they lost in the ALCS 4-1 to the Red Sox, that team was incredibly special, and they've only improved in the following year.

Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Gerrit Cole, and Justin Verlander have seen tremendous success throughout the 2019 season. As a whole, this lineup is stacked. They'll face some challenges getting past New York, but Houston will pull it off when all is said and done.

Astros over Yankees in 6

World Series

In my eyes, the 2019 World Series is going to be a rematch of 2017, but the outcome is going to, nonetheless, stay the same. This Astros team is far too talented not to win the Fall Classic once again in 2019. Alvarez makes a huge difference on offense while Cole and Verlander are the top 2 AL Cy Young award candidates.

Moreover, Altuve, Springer, Correa, and Bregman have all done this before, but it'll be the 25-year old 3rd baseman who takes home the hardware by winning the World Series MVP.

Astros over Dodgers in 6.

Highlights From My Heritage Box

Following a tradition that I've kept since 2016, I purchased a hobby box of the recently-released Topps Heritage set yesterday, the greatest overall product produced by Topps. 

While yesterday's post was devoted to my first pack from the set, I'll be recapping and showing highlights of the entire hobby box today. This includes base cards, SPs, inserts, and any other variation or special card that makes Topps Heritage one of the most highly-anticipated releases every year.

Just in case you didn't know, 2019 Topps Heritage is paying homage to the grey-bordered 1970 Topps set by replicating this memorable Flagship product. Just like the last few years, 2019 Topps Heritage features a 400-card base set, featuring players like Robinson Cano, while the final 100 spots are reserved for short prints which fall at 1:3 packs.

While I haven't directly compared a Heritage base card to a 1970 original side by side, I can't spot any major differences between the 2 sets, proving that, once again, Topps was successful with their replication of a vintage card set, something that hasn't always been the case in a product like Topps Archives.

Although it's become more prominent over the last few years, blue sky backgrounds have always been a staple in a set like Topps Heritage, a product that doesn't feature action shots unless they're variations. 

With that being said, the last 3 years or so of Heritage have resulted in a massive increase in sky blue backgrounds. Although the positioning sometimes varies, the fact that these 4 cards are from the first 14 spots in the checklist definitely speaks volume to the lack of variety when it comes to images.

As soon as I pulled my first All-Star card from a pack, I instantly took notice of the fact that these cards, once again, say "The Sporting News" at the top as opposed to what it's been for a few years now, "The Topps News." 

In addition to featuring the original title, these All-Star cards also include cartoons on the card backs, another detail from the original 1970 Topps set.

While I'm on the topic of these All-Star cards, I suppose I should point out that Bryce Harper just signed a 13-year $330 million dollar deal roughly an hour or 2 ago. Even though I'm not shocked by the signing, I happen to be relieved that all the Machado and Harper free agency rumors can finally come to an end. 

Oh, and FYI, the 2019 MLB regular season starts in exactly a month, making March 28th the motivation I need to get through the rest of this New England winter.

2019 saw the elimination of team cards from the Topps Heritage set, a decision I'm more than happy to see go into effect. In its place, there's room for more players and even championship series playoff cards. 

While past sets honored only the previous years' World Series, 2019 Topps Heritage also includes ALCS and NLCS cards, including Benintendi's phenomenal catch to end the 4th game of the ALCS against Houston.

Besides, this is the final year of Topps Flagship to honor postseason games on cards using black and white images. After 2019, we'll start seeing color photos instead, so I'm definitely going to appreciate the black and white photos while we still have them.

Forget Series 1 or even Topps Now to a certain extent, this is how I want Topps to pay tribute to the World Series winners. Seeing the Red Sox's World Series victory moment captured in black and white as a part of the Topps Heritage set makes me excited for what the 2019 MLB season has to offer.

I'm already a huge fan of many of the vintage Topps World Series designs, but it's an entirely different story to see my favorite team on these cards. Even the card commemorating the 1 game that the Red Sox lost is awesome as it featured Max Muncy's memorable walk-off home run.

A departure from the 2018 set, the 2019 Topps Heritage short prints feature superstars once again, but Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich, the 2 reigning MVPs, remain in the base set for one reason or another.

Because there are 100 total SP cards, semi-stars like Jordan Hicks and Stephen Piscotty are part of the short print checklist as well, leading to somewhat of a mix between short prints that include all superstars and those that feature only semi-star players.

Ever since the flashbacks card insert sets were separated into Baseball and News respectively, the 2 inserts have featured the same style and design, only with different colors. I've never had a major problem with this before, likely because of how in-depth each flashback card goes into the topic, whether it's an MLB legend or a historical event.

Each of the past few years of Topps Heritage has featured some sort of special insert card particular to the year that's being commemorated. 2017 included the '68 Topps game, last year showcased the '69 Deckle Edge cards, and in 2019, we have the Topps scratch-off cards.

I must say, I'm more excited to collect the scratch-off insert set than any other part of the 2019 Topps Heritage set. The 15-card insert set encompasses cards that you can fold-out and boxes you can scratch to play a fantasy Baseball game of sorts, just like the original cards.

I'm slightly disappointed that players like Justin Smoak and Starlin Castro were chosen over any Red Sox stars, but I guess I can't complain all too much given how awesome these cards are. 

The New Age Performers inserts are undeniably the most colorful and beautiful insert cards of the entire product, and I'm thrilled that the pack odds have made it easier to pull these cards that include some of Baseball's biggest names.

It's hard for me to select a favorite out of all 4 of these cards given how vastly different they all are. The Khris Davis card stays somewhat traditional with the Athletics' team colors, but the Juan Soto card, featuring green, red, and orange, would have to be my choice for the greatest of the 4 inserts that I pulled.

While certain inserts have become easier to land, chrome cards of all colors have become more difficult to pull from a pack. Even if the listed pack odds aren't completely accurate, the fact that the chrome refractors (#/570) are 1:101 packs is something worth mentioning. 

Even if I didn't wind up with the biggest name, these cards look absolutely beautiful, especially in person. If I end up springing for another box, I'll hope that it's a purple refractor hot box so that I can end up with even more eye-catching chrome cards.

I've never had the greatest luck as far as box toppers go which made pulling this recreated Topp Super Ronald Acuña Jr card all the more surprising. I was expecting something more along the lines of an ad panel or, if I'm lucky, a 1970 buyback of a marginal player.

To my knowledge, the Topps Super box toppers are a new addition to the 2019 Topps Heritage product, and I haven't even glanced at the checklist for these cards. It marks the first time I didn't wind up with a buyback or an ad panel, something that definitely makes this box topper one of the high points of the time I've been collecting Topps Heritage.

The odds also increased for the action image variations, making it harder to pull action cards that could formally be found at around 1 per hobby box. However, this change did not stop me from landing my first and the only variation from 2019 Topps Heritage thus far; an Alex Bregman action image card.

Not only do I believe that this image was taken at Fenway Park, but Bregman's one of the better names to pull after his breakout 2018 season. After finishing top 5 in AL MVP voting, Bregman established himself as one of the Astros' best players, an impressive feat indeed.

Out of all the Topps Heritage hobby boxes that I've ever opened, I was only able to land 1 autograph card, and even though I've accumulated some awesome hits, I only have 1 autograph compared to numerous relics.

Needless to say, the odds are rarely in your favor to land an autograph when purchasing Topps Heritage.

With that being said, I'm incredibly pleased to say that my 1 hit from this box of 2019 Topps Heritage was a real one autograph of Cardinals' shortstop Paul DeJong. Only my 2nd autograph ever out of Heritage, it absolutely beats a standard Clubhouse Collection, non-numbered jersey relic.

DeJong isn't coming off a fabulous season, but he was 2nd to Cody Bellinger in the 2017 NL ROY race, and he's only 25-years old. Not to mention, autographed cards and Topps Heritage are a superb combination and one that I don't get the opportunity to see all too often.

Yes, I've had better luck before with Heritage, but by no means was this a bad box. After all, I pulled a bunch of stellar inserts and beat the odds on numerous occasions. I even ended up with an autograph, further proving that there's something for everyone in Topps Heritage, no matter what your collecting style is.