Moving Forward

Yesterday's frankenset post signified a change in my blog content. After 7 recap posts highlighting my pickups from The National, it's time to move forward with my collecting as we reach the middle of August.

At this point in the Baseball card collecting year, new products are being released left and right, but I'm trying to swear off buying cards until at least Labor Day when I might ease back into things with a trip to the show.

This is also the time, I've noticed, where the views and comments on my blog usually decrease. This is understandable since many people take their vacation around this time of year.

Since I've been so occupied with recapping The National, I haven't had any time to share what I've done across the 12 days that I've been back. 

 

For starters, I went to the Red Sox game on August 6th, my 2nd trip to Fenway Park this year. Though I had a memorable experience and amazing seats, the game, at least from a Red Sox fan's perspective, wasn't too great. The Sox lost to the Royals 6-2 in a matchup that Boston seemed destined to lose from the start.

Continuing with the theme of moving forward, I've used my free time over the last 12 days to do some serious organization in my Baseball card room. I started by simply putting the cards from The National away in their proper boxes and binders, but I have accomplished so much more since then.

I've created new binders, decluttered the card counter, purchased more empty boxes for extra storage, and taken better care of my oversized cards by keeping them in a binder together. 

Most significantly, I've completely reorganized my Red Sox and Cubs team PCs by giving them clean sheets, new binders, and changed the format of these collections so that the organizational system makes more sense. 

This brings me to the subject of today's post, a surprise package from Night Owl Cards that I received soon after I returned home from Chicago. This is actually my first look at the 2019 Topps Big League set, though I recognize the blue parallels from last year.

While the Bogaerts and Betts cards will go to their PCs, Eduardo Nunez's Big League parallel will fit perfectly in the new Boston Red Sox PC that I'm almost finished organizing.

Basically, the new system, in addition to providing new (much-needed) sheets, organizes the sets by brand, then by year, so all the Topps Flagship Red Sox sets are together in one binder which is where these 2 cards will be heading.

All the Bowman, Donruss, Fleer, Upper Deck, and any other sets that I can't think of right now are together as well and are chronologically organized. As for oddballs or sets that I only have 1 card from, those are together in a miscellaneous section of one of my binders.

A significant portion of this surprise package, however, consisted of set needs for 2015 Topps and its various insert sets. Night Owl has supplied me with a reasonable number of cards from this set over the last couple of years, so it stands to reason that most of what I'm missing is Dodgers base cards.

Thankfully, he covered that part of the set too and sent me enough Dodgers base cards to where I think it could be an entire team set. With all these Dodgers now in-hand, 110 cards are standing in my way of completing the greatest Topps Flagship set of the decade.

As you can see, I'm moving forward with my collection in many different ways following an unforgettable experience at my 2nd ever NSCC show. Similarly, the Boston Red Sox are trying to move forward despite an unexpectedly tumultuous year.

The starting pitching has been a huge disappointment for Boston this year, particularly former Cy Young award winner Rick Porcello, club ace Chris Sale, and, of course, their bullpen with an astounding 22 blown saves.

The Red Sox have the best offense in baseball, thanks in large part to Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts. While they haven't come close to playing at the level they did last year, there's still some hope of the Red Sox sneaking into the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

After all, things are different once October rolls around.

Top 5 Cards; Cody Bellinger

Following the end of the 1st round of All-Star voting, MLB announced that Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger received the most votes out of all players in Baseball.

Since his rookie season in 2017, Bellinger has been one of the most feared hitters in the game, but he's exceeded all expectations so far in 2019. He's retained his power hitting with 25 home runs so far, but he's also led the league in batting average (.356) since practically the start of the 2019 season.

Combined with his 61 RBI and respectable defensive abilities, and it seems likely that Bellinger will take home the NL MVP award this year. It should be a close race between him and the 2018 winner Christian Yelich, but Bellinger's growth and sensational batting average make a strong case for the 23-year old.

The 2017 rookie craze surrounding Bellinger and Aaron Judge led me to buy packs of cards throughout the summer of '17 in hopes of landing rookie cards of these 2 power hitting phenoms. 

In addition to pulling base rookies of the respective AL and NL ROY award winners, I landed a gorgeous Bellinger rookie auto from Allen & Ginter which has since been graded at a 9.5 by Beckett.

In an effort to showcase some of the other cards in my Cody Bellinger player collection, I opted not to include the autograph on this countdown. Instead, I selected my favorite 5 cards from the 31 cards in my Bellinger PC.

#5 2018 Panini Donruss Optic Long Ball Leaders

Now that Panini has revived the Prizm set for Baseball cards, the Donruss Optic set has virtually no appeal to me anymore. I haven't opened a pack from that brand since 2017, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Nonetheless, Optic turns up fairly frequently in the dime bins at the Baseball card show, and I often grab base cards, parallels, and inserts for my player collections. While I was at The National last year, I picked up a few Optic cards of Bellinger during one of my only PC-oriented purchases. 

This haul included the vibrant Long Ball Leaders insert card above, noting his 39 home runs from the 2017 season. Like many of the cards in 2019 Panini Prizm, the bright colors and intricate design helps me forget about the missing logos, and that's something that all of Panini's Baseball cards should strive to accomplish.

#4 2017 Bowman's Best 1997 Best Cuts

Even though this high-end insert is from Bellinger's rookie season (2017), I surprisingly found this card in the dime box at my LCS a number of months ago along with a few other rookie year cards of he and Aaron Judge.

Without a doubt, this Best Cuts insert card was the standout of the bunch because of how it enhances and modernizes the original inserts from the 1997 Bowman's Best product. I've seen the original versions of these cards before, and I must say that Topps did a stellar job recreating them for this set.

In person, the card resembles a standard Topps Chrome refractor with a silver finish rather than a yellowish tint in the background. Like the Long Ball Leaders insert, this chrome card is busy, and I definitely like that.

#3 2018 Topps Archives

Because of how young he is, I only have around 2 1/2 years of Bellinger cards to choose from for this countdown. However, that does not mean that there were slim pickings when it came down to choosing 5 cards for this list. Case and point; this terrific card from '18 Archives in the 1981 Topps design.

I've always loved the pink bordered Baseball cards that Topps featured in Flagship sets from the 1950s-80s. Nowadays, the only time you'll see pink on a Baseball card is in parallel form or in a product like Archives or Heritage.

The pink border pairs beautifully with the classic Los Angeles Dodgers jersey, creating a combination that I wish we'd see more of in Topps' products. If the background wasn't a dirt field with a fence, I'd be willing to place this card a little higher on the list.

#2 2017 Topps Heritage High Number

To my knowledge, Bellinger's 2017 Topps Heritage High Number card was his very first rookie card, for he was not included in Topps Flagship or any of Topps' other products. Thus, this card has become somewhat iconic for those who collect Bellinger, like me.

I remember pulling this card out of a hanger box of Heritage High Number in early Fall of 2017. I bought that product solely to land this rookie card, and I was thrilled when it came out of a pack. 

It somewhat resembles his '18 Archives card except for the fact that the pink border is swapped out for burlap with a splash of red. This may have been the first Bellinger rookie card that I ever pulled, but I've saved my favorite RC for last.

#1 2017 Topps Gallery

As recognizable as Bellinger's Heritage High Number rookie card is, I cannot ignore the attention to detail and the beautiful artwork that makes up his rookie card from another set, Topps Gallery. 

Unlike Heritage High Number, I bought Topps Gallery because I've always loved the set and its artwork. It just so happened that I landed both of the big-name 2017 rookies; Judge and Bellinger. The card above doesn't even feature the most interesting artwork of the entire set, but it's quite beautiful nonetheless.

I've always been amazed by the sheer attention to detail that Topps' artists put into each and every Topps Gallery card. When it comes to a top 5 cards list, I'm looking more for my favorite cards than I am for the "best" card. To me, this Bellinger card is stunning, and that's why I ranked it at #1.

2019 Predictions; NL West

With MLB Opening Day, thankfully, only 4 days from now, it's time to officially wrap up my predictions by division for 2019. No more waiting for Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel to sign contracts; it's time to complete my projections by focusing on one last division race; the NL West.

This division, more so than almost any other, has seen a ton of changes over the course of the offseason. Blockbuster trades, free agent departures, and extensions have affected the NL West as a whole as well as almost every team.

One of the biggest changes from 2018 to 2019 is that the Arizona Diamondbacks are no longer a major threat. After trading away superstar Paul Goldschmidt and letting Patrick Corbin walk in free agency, Arizona is entering a full rebuild. Thus, I fully expect the Diamondbacks to finish at the bottom of the division along with the San Francisco Giants.

Taking the Diamondbacks' place as a legitimate threat in the NL West is the San Diego Padres who signed Manny Machado to a 10-year $300 million dollar deal. They also have one of the best farm systems in the game along with a few key young players already in the major leagues.

The Rockies made an incredibly smart move this offseason when they signed 6-time Gold Glove award winner, Nolan Arenado, to an 8-year $260 million dollar extension. One of the most consistent hitters in the game, he's taken home a Gold Glove award every year since 2013. 

Though they lost out on resigning Adam Ottovino, expect Colorado to be in Wild Card contention once again in 2019. However, I fully believe that the Dodgers perform at a higher level than the rest of their NL West rivals.

If I had flipped the Rockies and Diamondbacks in my 2018 NL West predictions, they would've been completely correct. This year's division race will definitely differ from 2018, but I have confidence in my projected champions of the NL West.

1st Place; Los Angeles Dodgers

Although the Dodgers have had noticeable success over the past few seasons, their 2017 and 2018 World Series losses continue to haunt players and fans alike. With that being said, their 6 straight division titles is a pretty impressive feat, and I fully expect Los Angeles to continue this streak in 2019.

After missing most of 2018 due to injury, star shortstop Corey Seager is back and fully healthy for the 2019 season. Along with fellow young standouts like Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy, the Dodgers have one of the most formidable offenses in all of Baseball, even if their trading of Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig is somewhat baffling.

In addition to a stellar offense, the one-two punch in their rotation, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler, is going to be a hitter's nightmare for years to come. With Kenley Jansen being one of the best closers in Baseball, I have no doubts that this well-rounded Dodgers team will take home the NL West title for the 7th straight year.

2nd Place; Colorado Rockies

It was pretty shocking to see the Rockies finish with the same record as the Dodgers in 2018, for I don't believe their team is as talented as the Dodgers. Regardless, they've come together and put up impressive performances for years now, and I expect nothing to change in 2019.

With both Nolan Arendao and Charlie Blackmon locked-up on long-term extensions, the Rockies will have their 2 prized hitters for many more seasons. Ian Desmond may have disappointed in 2018, but his 22 home runs in 2018 helped the Rockies reach the #8 mark in Baseball for dingers last season.

Their main issue remains their lack of pitching, and they're definitely going to miss Adam Ottovino this season. However, if Jon Gray can emerge as an ace for Colorado, they'll have no trouble maintaining the 2nd place spot in the NL West.

3rd Place; San Diego Padres

It surprises me that the Padres have one of the lowest payrolls in Baseball given what they're paying Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer, and now, Manny Machado. Even if those 3 stars perform to the best of their abilities, I don't foresee San Diego finishing higher than 3rd place in the NL West.

Myers has struggled with batting average for years now, and Eric Hosmer had a significant drop in performance during his first season in San Diego. As for Machado, he may have proven to be a consistent hitter, but his attitude combined with the length of his contract is a recipe for disaster.

San Diego's highly-regarded farm system will be put to the test this season and most definitely in 2019. With Julio Urias set to make his debut, the Padres' window for success is expected to open in 2018. Only time will tell if they actually take advantage of that or not.

4th Place; San Francisco Giants

After winning the World Series for the 3rd time in 5 seasons back in 2014, the Giants have been on the decline. Even if Buster Posey is shaping up to be a Future Hall of Famer, star pitcher Madison Bumgarner is expected to be traded soon. Once that happens, they'll be entering a complete rebuild mode.

It still baffles me why San Francisco felt the need to trade young prospect Christian Arroyo for an aging Evan Longoria or why they traded for Andrew McCutchen knowing he was in a contract season last year. Now, their farm system isn't very strong, and all they have to show for these 2 trades is a 4th place finish in 2018.

This year's Giants team is going to have a ton of aging veterans but not many young players that'll help San Francisco in the future. They may not be the worst team in the NL West, but they don't have the foundation to return to their winning ways for a long time.

5th Place; Arizona Diamondbacks

By trading superstar Paul Goldschmidt for a cluster of prospects and young players, the Diamondbacks proved that they're no longer interested in contending. 5th place may be a harsh placement considering that they were 3rd in 2018, but this team is going to fall apart this year.

Not only are Goldschmidt and Corbin gone, but Arizona is stuck over-paying Zack Greinke for another 3 years. Like San Francisco, the Diamondbacks don't have the farm system necessary to bounce back in another few years. This rebuild is destined to continue for a long time.

Without their franchise player, or any franchise player, come to think of it, the Diamondbacks are bound to struggle in 2019. Barring a miraculous performance, they'll be stuck at the bottom of the NL West for years to come.