Best 30 Cards From All 30 Teams; NL West

From the very beginning of this mini-series, which was roughly 2 1/2 weeks ago, I've had a blast writing these posts for the best 30 cards from all 30 MLB teams in my Baseball card collection.

Even though it's taken longer than expected to arrive at the final post in this mini-series, these rankings by each MLB division have given me more insight into my actual card collection. 

In some instances, there were a plethora of options that could earn the spot as "best card" for a particular team. Other times, the selection was limited, so I had to be creative and choose a card that might not be as valuable, but a card that I appreciate, nevertheless.

I'm thinking it would be interesting to see each card from all 30 teams in 1 post together, so I might create something like that later today or tomorrow. I likely won't include much or any text. Instead, I'll probably treat it as a gallery of sorts with only pictures of the best card in my collection from each MLB team. 

As you can tell, we've arrived at the 6th and final division in all of Baseball; the NL West. The 6 teams included in this post are quite different from one another, more so than most divisions in Baseball. 

There's a ton of history in respect to some teams in this division (Giants and Dodgers) while other franchises are fairly new (Rockies and Diamondbacks).

As I did for every other team and division, I selected the best Baseball card in my collection for every team in the NL West. Now, here they all are, compiled into 1 final post to end this mini-series on a high note.

Arizona Diamondbacks

If Topps ever decides to produce a Heritage Chrome set, featuring exclusively chrome cards, I would 100% support that decision. Although they've become rarer over the last few years due to how much Heritage Topps makes, the chrome cards within this set are downright beautiful, especially the Paul Goldschmidt card above.

The Heritage Chrome card above is a blue refractor from 2017, numbered out of just 68 copies because it replicates the 1968 Topps set. Although they've gone with black over the last few years, there's something beautiful about this light blue chrome card.

I pulled this card myself out of a box of 2017 Topps Heritage in what was one of the greatest Heritage sets ever produced, in my opinion. Then, I chose to have the card graded by Beckett, and I'm quite content with the grade of 9 (mint).

Colorado Rockies

Like the Diamondbacks, I don't have an insane vintage card or autograph to represent the Colorado Rockies on this countdown. Instead, I have a humble yet beautiful relic card of the greatest Rockies player of all-time, Todd Helton.

Like the Goldschmidt chrome card, I pulled the Todd Helton card from a hobby box, this time a 2002 Topps 206 box that I purchased at the Baseball card show with my Dad. The standout element of the card is definitely the purple jersey swatch, an excellent color to go along with the mini card from the Topps 206 set.

While I appreciate how they look, I'm usually indifferent towards framed relic cards or autographs like the one above. With that being said, there's something different about Helton's card that I admire, and that's what drove my decision to select this jersey relic for the Rockies spot on the list.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Arguably, there's never been a better time to have an autograph rookie card of Cody Bellinger, even taking the hot streaks from his 2017 rookie season into account. Currently, the 23-year old is leading the MLB in batting average, something that he's been doing since the season basically began.

Although he's cooled down as of late, Bellinger remains a hot commodity, and, as a result, this autograph has earned the spot as the greatest Dodgers card in my collection. 

The signature and the Allen & Ginter set design are an excellent pair, and it's made better by the fact that this BGS 9.5 graded rookie card also has a 10 auto. Clearly, the way Bellinger's been playing so far in 2019, nothing could come close to topping this rookie auto and appearing on this countdown.

San Diego Padres

There's a lot to take into account when discussing this Dave Winfield autograph from 2010 Panini Century Baseball. There's a stamp, an autograph, and an insanely busy card with numerous elements. 

However, the main points are as follows; this is a certified on-card autograph of Dave Winfield, and it's numbered out of just 10 copies on the back. This, another Baseball card show pickup, was another easy decision to get graded towards the end of last year.

Truth be told, I don't have another card in my collection quite like this Dave Winfield autograph, and that's not something that can be stated about the majority of Baseball cards that I own. It's unique, Panini did an excellent job with the design, and, overall, the card is simply sensational.

San Francisco Giants

Granted, I could've gone with a number of different Juan Marichal or Willie McCovey relic cards for the San Francisco Giants' spot on this countdown. However, the task was to showcase the greatest card from each MLB team, and this 1967 Topps combo card is 100% the best Giants card that I own.

When I think of Mays and McCovey, this stellar Fence Busters card immediately comes to mind. It highlights everything that I love about the '67 Topps set as well as these 2 Hall of Fame sluggers.

Every single detail, the green text, the crisp jerseys, their bats on their shoulders, is absolutely meticulous. I don't even have many cards from the 1967 Topps set, yet this card makes me want to collect more of it and collect more cards from all vintage sets, for that matter.

If a single Baseball card is capable of doing that, how can I not give it the #1 spot on this list?

Well, that does it for the best cards from all 30 MLB teams mini-series. I hope you all enjoyed this mini-series as much as I have, and if you want to use the idea for your own blog, feel free. Trust me, these lists are incredibly entertaining to compile.

Best 30 Cards From All 30 Teams; NL Central

Along with the AL East, the NL Central is home to some of the greatest cards in my collection. From the abundance of Chicago Cubs hits that I've been fortunate enough to pull to the vintage Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds cards from the 50s and 60s.

Thus, as I continue to make my way through the best 30 cards from all 30 teams mini-series, I've been anticipating my post for the NL Central. 

While there have been some teams in the past few posts that I have forced me to get creative regarding which card I'd choose, the opposite is the case for most clubs in the NL Central.

Aside from the Milwaukee Brewers who had 1 clear choice, the 4 other teams in the NL Central each had at least 2 candidates for the title of the best card. Ultimately, after much deliberation, particularly for the Cubs, I came to a consensus for each team in this division.

As I've mentioned, practically since the beginning of this series, I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of these posts. These countdowns are very interesting to compile, and I'm going to be disappointed once I finish up this series in a few days when I write about the NL West.

This mini-series has helped me break out of my writer's block and, now, I have my blog posts planned out for the next 5 days or so, something that's rarely the case.

Without any further adieu, let's continue on with these posts by discussing the best cards in my collection from each team in the NL Central.

Chicago Cubs

There are, arguably, 5 other Chicago Cubs cards in my collection that could claim the title of my best Cubs card. However, when all is said and done, none of them can come close to the legendary 1/1 quad relic patch, undoubtedly the greatest Baseball card in my entire collection.

I've discussed this card on a few separate occasions beforehand, so I won't waste time by repeating things that I've previously mentioned. However, the fact that this unbelievable card is graded at a 9.5 and features a patch from 4 Chicago Cubs stars, including 3 members of the World Series team, speaks volume.

My favorite aspect of the card would have to be the Billy Williams patch. He's always been my Dad's favorite Cubs player of all-time, and I'm thrilled and surprised that Topps was able to find a patch of his to put on this card.

Truth be told, I doubt that I'll ever pull another card as astounding as this one as long as I'm collecting, and I'm okay with that. After all, it's pretty challenging to top a card of this caliber.

Cincinnati Reds

Although there weren't as many options, I had to decide between a small group of fabulous Cincinnati Reds card for their spot on my countdown. As you can see, I settled on a graded Frank Robinson card from 1959 Topps, and I'm very confident that I made the correct choice.

For starters, I couldn't care less about the BGS 2.5 grade. Admittedly, a higher grade is preferred, but that isn't my prerogative. The card, on its own, is more than enough for me. 

The combination of black and red has always been something that I've adored, and I can't think of a Baseball card in my collection where that combination is more profound. Other details, such as the Reds logo, bring attention to the era in which this card was produced.

Topps did an incredible job with their 1959 Flagship set. The All-Star and combo cards remain iconic to this day, but it's the base card, like Frank Robinson's on the Cincinnati Redlegs, that make this product what it is.

Milwaukee Brewers

Since I started collecting cards, I've never focused that much on the Milwaukee Brewers nor have I pulled a valuable Brewers card from a pack. This is evident through the fact that Robin Yount is one of the only Brewers guys that I collect, and I only began his PC a few months ago.

Nonetheless, I do have 1 Brewers card that is head and shoulders above all the rest in my collection. Because I have a complete set of 1975 Topps, I also own Robin Yount's rookie card, an iconic, simple and amazing card from one of the greatest Topps sets of all-time.

The brown and orange color combination may not be my favorite from the '75 set, but it succeeds as far as Yount's card is concerned. The retro Brewers jersey is definitely a plus, but more so than that, the card itself is easily recognizable. 

Like the Robinson card, Yount's 1975 Topps rookie is just a base card, yet all the elements come together beautifully and cohesively to create an instantly recognizable rookie card worthy of this spot.

Pittsburgh Pirates

When I wrote my PC overview post for Roberto Clemente a few weeks back, I showcased this card as the #1 piece of Clemente memorabilia in my collection. Thus, it shouldn't come as a significant surprise that I chose this BGS 2.5 graded 1962 Topps card as my best Pittsburgh Pirates card.

Despite the low number (#10), I can't find a legitimate complaint about Clemente's '62 Topps card. The wood-bordered set is the perfect canvas for simple and traditional cards, and that's exactly what this is.

The image and the set design work together in perfect unison and the card, although not one of Clemente's most iconic Topps cards, never fails to impress me. 

Better yet, even though the grade is low like Robinson's '59 card, I couldn't be happier to have Clemente's 1962 Topps card protected in a slab.

St. Louis Cardinals

I'll be honest; if this mini-series was entitled "my favorite 30 cards from all 30 teams," I would've chosen the Jack Flaherty auto that I pulled out of 2018 Panini Chronicles for the St. Louis Cardinals spot. 

However, if we're talking about the best, you can't get much better than a Bob Gibson auto, numbered out of 50 copies, that I picked up at last year's National for the price of a blaster box.

Although the black background makes the text challenging to read, the card is perfectly legible in person. Moreover, I'm actually quite fond of the decision to use black for both the 2007 SP Legendary Cuts base set and the autographs as well.

The photo does add a much-needed pop of color, but the only true complaint that I have is I wish the auto was on-card. I understand that they'd need to alter the color scheme, but that minor change would take this autograph to a new level.

Best 30 Cards From All 30 Teams; NL East

Throughout the time in which I have been blogging (almost 2 years), I've written my fair share of mini-series posts. There have been 2 sets of division predictions, my favorite Topps Flagship sets by decade, and even top 5 relics and autographs for a number of MLB teams.

All of these mini-series either have or eventually will come to an end, for there is not an infinite number of divisions, Topps sets, or MLB clubs. 

Thus, the same thing is bound to happen for the best 30 cards from all 30 teams series, a group of posts that I have thoroughly enjoyed writing, maybe more so than anything that I've written before on this blog.

With all 3 American League divisions and all 15 teams done, this series is officially halfway over going into the 4th post; the NL East. Not only have I had a blast choosing the cards for these lists and talking about them on the blog, but the viewers have taken a strong liking to this series as well.

Although it'll prove challenging to conceptualize another mini-series as interesting as this, I'll do some thinking once the best 30 cards from all 30 teams posts are finished. 

The combination of me and the viewers' enjoyment of this series tells me that I must come up with another intriguing concept for a mini-series in the future.

The subject of today's post is the NL East and its 5 teams. Like the past 3 divisions, I'm pleased with the 5 cards that I selected, for I was able to feature an extensive selection of cards while staying true to the theme of these posts.

Starting off with the Atlanta Braves, let's take a look at the best card from every team in the NL East. Since I'm going off today's clubs, the Washington Nationals will be included, not the Montreal Expos.

Atlanta Braves

While the Ronald Acuna Jr 1st Bowman prospect cards are stellar, there's no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision regarding the Atlanta Braves spot on this countdown. I had a few different original Hank Aaron cards to choose from, but none of the combo or All-Star cards could surpass his 1959 Topps base card.

The card, despite the rather low BGS grade of 2.5, is a spectacular embodiment of vintage cards. The 1959 Topps set has always been one of my favorite vintage products, and Aaron's card truly exemplifies why.

It's simple, yet sensational at the same time. Even though I've become a huge fan of the shiny refractors and crazy parallels of today's collecting period, there's still something to be said for the vintage cards of the 1950s.

Miami Marlins

Unlike some collectors, I wasn't lucky enough to pull a rookie card of Christian Yelich and hold onto it until now. Otherwise, there'd be a different card for the Marlins slot on this countdown. With that being said, I'm still thrilled with the card that I ended up selecting.

Ivan Rodriguez's sole season with the Marlins was a critical one, for he helped them to their 2nd Fall Classic win in franchise history. Given that he barely had 500 at-bats with Florida, I'm surprised that Donruss produced a non-numbered relic card of him with the Marlins that includes a beautiful black, teal, white, and grey patch. 

This gorgeous patch is reason enough for Rodriguez's 2004 Donruss Elite Throwback Threads card to earn a spot on this countdown. The insane relic swatch, paired with the gold background, creates a stellar relic card of one of my favorite players in Baseball history.

New York Mets

I could've gone with a Tom Seaver base card from the exact same set graded at a 5.5 instead of a 3, but I'm confident that I made the proper selection with Nolan Ryan's 1970 Topps Flagship card nonetheless. 

The card, #712 in the set, is from the days in which Topps released their sets in numerous series. Thus, the high-numbered cards in vintage Flagship sets are rarer and more valuable. 

This, combined with the fact that the card above is my only original card of Ryan on the New York Mets, makes for a perfect choice for the Mets slot on this countdown. Despite the low grade, the card is absolutely stunning, another fabulous representation of how, sometimes, simplicity is key when it comes to Baseball cards.

Philadelphia Phillies

For some teams in the NL East, like the Braves and Mets, coming to a conclusion as to what card to feature on this list proved to be a challenge. This was not the case, however, for the Philadelphia Phillies, for I knew exactly what card I would choose for their slot on the countdown.

Truth be told, I don't have a single Phillies card in my collection that can compare to this gorgeous Rhys Hoskins gold rookie auto from 2018 Topps Chrome. This is aided by the fact that I pulled this card from a pack myself at last year's National, as I'm sure many of you know, so it has a lot of sentimental value to me.

After a rough period in which his batting average fell to around .240, Hoskins has gotten it together over the last 15 games or so. Now, he's back to hitting around .278 with over 40 RBI. While I don't believe he'll make the All-Star team, he seems destined to have a better 2019 season as far as contact hitting is concerned.

Washington Nationals

Don't get me wrong, I still love the Bryce Harper relic card that I chose for the Washington Nationals' spot on this post, but I also wanted to reserve a spot for the Montreal Expos as well. However, I already explained that this mini-series would be reserved for 30 teams, not 31. 

I have to go off the teams that are still in existence and that, unfortunately, means no Expos cards. That, however, shouldn't take away from the fact that the 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter mini framed relic of Bryce Harper is a stellar card, even if he already appears to be a bad signing for the Phillies.

I've always loved the framed relics and autos from Allen & Ginter because of how creative the design is. Even though the relic is just a plain white jersey swatch, I admire the way the card looks as a whole.

Like every other card on this countdown, the Harper relic is very representative of the team, player, and the set from which the card is from. Those factors are what make the best cards from a certain MLB team.

Best 30 Cards From All 30 Teams; AL West

After a few days of Mansfield show recap and a frankenset post to boost, I'm back on schedule with the best 30 cards from all 30 teams mini-series. Today, the division that I'll be overviewing is the AL West.

Like every other division that I have or will be showcasing cards from, the AL West is unique in a few different ways. Unlike the AL Central, it wasn't a challenge to find cards from each team to include in this post. In addition, while a few AL East teams had multiple candidates, there seemed to be 1 standout card from every club in the West.

Thus, it was manageable for me to craft this list for the AL West, for each team had just the right number of stellar cards that made deciding on the top 5 relatively easy.

Moreover, I'm also proud of the variety of cards featured in this post. Unlike the past division, the crown jewels of the AL West aren't just jersey relics. In fact, only 2 of the 5 team's greatest cards are hits (relics/autos). All the rest are rookie cards of iconic players from those teams.

Just as it was for the first 2 posts of this series, I thoroughly enjoyed creating this list of cards for the AL West, and I'm excited to see what the posts for the NL divisions will look like in the coming days.

For the time being, however, let's concentrate on the division at hand; the AL West and the #1 card from each of its 5 teams.

Houston Astros

Originally a dime box pickup, Jose Altuve's 2011 Topps Update card has quickly become one of the most cherished rookie cards in my entire Baseball card collection. Although he's had his fair share of struggles so far in 2019, Altuve is a perennial All-Star and former AL MVP award winner. 

Thus, it was a no brainer for me to get this card graded towards the end of 2018, and I was thrilled that it came back at a BGS 9.5. Out of all the top tier cards in my collection, I can't recall paying less than a dime for any of them.

That's the reason why, to this day, Jose Altuve's 2011 Topps Update rookie card reigns supreme as my greatest dime box pickup of all-time.

Los Angeles Angels

While we're on the subject of superstar rookie cards, let's move onto the next team in the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels, and my best card from this team. I may not have a rookie card of Mike Trout, but I arguably do have the next best thing; Shohei Ohtani's action image variation rookie card from 2018 Topps Heritage.

I pulled this card myself from a box of Topps Heritage last year, and I also sent this card off to Beckett and got it graded at a 9.5 towards the end of 2018. I don't stay up to date with Baseball card values, but this card, graded at a 9.5, was worth a solid amount following Ohtani's AL ROY win.

At the top of this post, you'll see another sensational card that I pulled from a pack of cards last year; Jo Adell's gold Early Indications auto, numbered out of 50, from 2018 Bowman's Best. 

If he develops and becomes the superstar that he's expected to become, I could foresee the Jo Adell auto taking Ohtani's place as the best Angels card in my collection.

Oakland Athletics

I've already shown this card on the blog a handful of times before, but I couldn't choose any other Oakland Athletics card to take its place on this countdown. This beautiful Dennis Eckersley autograph relic from 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen, numbered 45/50 on the back, cannot be beaten.

I have my reservations with the '17 Gypsy Queen set design as well as how the set is formatted, but I tend to ignore those problems as soon as I'm faced with this stunning card. Once again, I pulled this HOF hit from a box of 2017 Gypsy Queen, and I got it graded at The National last year.

While I wish it had earned a 9.5 like the Altuve and Ohtani cards, it's hard to complain about this eye-catching autograph relic. The attention to detail used when creating these cards is extremely evident.

Seattle Mariners

As far as the Seattle Mariners are concerned, I'm not blessed with as many fabulous cards as I am for the other teams in the AL West. Thus, my choice for the best Mariners card in my collection isn't as valuable as the card chosen for the other 4 teams, but it's still a card that I'm proud to feature at this spot.

Granted, I could've gone with a Gypsy Queen framed relic card of Ken Griffey Jr for the Seattle Mariners spot instead, but the Ichiro card stood out to me in a few different ways. Although it's not incredibly valuable, the 2001 Upper Deck card above is a true base rookie card of Ichiro, the only one that I have in my collection.

Texas Rangers

There were a ton of different Ivan Rodriguez relic cards that I could've chosen for this post instead of the one above. There were more glove relics, standard jersey cards, a dual relic with A-Rod, and all sorts of oddball options. 

However, I'm confident in the card that I selected for this spot; a 2002 Donruss studio dual relic, featuring a piece of his bat and batting glove. The card, numbered out of just 50 copies, is one of the coolest relic cards in my entire collection.

If it's able to achieve that status as it pertains to my whole collection, this card certainly deserves to be recognized as the best Texas Rangers card that I own. 

Best 30 Cards From All 30 Teams; AL East

At first, I wanted to create 1 post featuring my best card from all 30 MLB teams. I thought it would be really interesting to have 1 card from every Baseball team in 1 total post, but I soon discovered how difficult it would prove.

When the idea of showcasing all 30 cards together in 1 post was still a reality, I began brainstorming which cards I'd select for each and every club. Some teams, like the Cubs, Yankees, and Angels, had a ton of different options to choose from.

Others, like the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers, seemed to have no legitimate candidate for the "best card." While it doesn't necessarily have to be a hit, relics and autographs usually make up the top tier cards in my collection, though this isn't always the case.

Anyway, before I get to the post itself, I should briefly go over what this series is going to be like. Basically, for the next 6 posts, I'll be showing off my best card from all 30 MLB teams. However, I won't be going strictly off of value since there are numerous factors that come into play.

As you'll soon see, my best doesn't always mean necessitate an extremely valuable card, for there are a couple of teams of which I don't own a highly sought after rookie card or autograph.

I'll be writing these posts on and off for the next 10 days or so, in between the Baseball card show recap posts that I'll start tomorrow. I'm hoping, through these posts, that the viewers will gain insight into my collection and learn things that even I didn't know about my collection.

I'll be making my way through the league, so these posts will start with the 5 AL East clubs; the Orioles, Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays. 

While I have marquee cards from some of these teams, this isn't the case for the latter 2, forcing me to do some digging to discover the top card from each of these franchises.

Baltimore Orioles

This pick shouldn't really come as a surprise, for I placed this 2018 Topps Archives Rookie History auto of Jim Palmer at #1 on my top 5 Orioles relics/autographs list a couple of weeks ago. Out of all 5 AL East teams, this was by far the easiest decision for me to make.

This card, more so than any other Orioles card that I own, has a distinct story behind it; I purchased a redemption card for this autograph at the Baseball card show a few months back for the same price as a blaster box of cards. Now, this rookie reprint auto has become the best Orioles card in my collection.

There's different serial numbering for each of the Topps Rookie History autos, and Palmer's happens to be out of 125 copies. While I'd prefer to pull a card like this from a pack myself, I paid far less for this than I would for a hobby box of Archives, and Palmer's a better name than most of the guys in the set.

Boston Red Sox

In this series, I'm most excited for the chance to display cards that I haven't had the chance to or decided not to showcase on the blog beforehand. One of these cards is an absolutely gorgeous encased autograph relic out of Topps Luminaries, an on-card auto that I picked up at the Baseball card show earlier this year,

Admittedly, this was a splurge purchase from the Mansfield show earlier this year, but I opted not to feature it on the blog until now. Numbered 2/10, the card is absolutely breathtaking, and it features an autograph of one of my favorite Red Sox players of all-time.

New York Yankees

Although I've only just begun this series, I'm certain that choosing my best New York Yankees card will be one of the most challenging decisions that I'll have to make. Considering the wide variety of Yankees cards that I have, from vintage cards to printing plates, deciding on just 1 wasn't easy.

However, my 1962 Topps Mickey Mantle card is on a higher level than every other Yankees card that I own. Vintage Mantle base cards can hold a tremendous value depending on the card's condition, and a 3.5 isn't too shabby considering how profound the damage is on the wood-bordered set.

Even though I have some pretty awesome Yankees cards of guys like Whitey Ford, Gleyber Torres, and even Babe Ruth, there's something about Mickey Mantle that makes him the most collectible player in Baseball history. I cherish this unbelievable '62 Topps base card that I have of his, and that's why I selected this card as the best New York Yankees card in my collection.

Tampa Bay Rays

Although I love the style of these mojo refractor cards from 2019 Bowman, I'm hoping that this Wander Franco card won't be the best Tampa Bay Rays card in my collection for long. I hope to sell this card on eBay very soon, for I'd rather cash in on this card while these mega box exclusive parallels are still hot.

This card was an extremely recent pull, for I landed it out of a Target mega box last weekend. Immediately, I listed it on eBay, and I've since had 4 people start "watching" the item. Franco is a top tier prospect at just 18-years old. 

The chances of him living up to the hype surrounding him now, in my opinion, are slim, so I'd rather sell this card and choose the Gypsy Queen framed relic that I have of Evan Longoria to take Franco's place on this list.

Toronto Blue Jays

The final team, the Toronto Blue Jays, was an extremely difficult one to decide on. I don't have any valuable Blue Jays cards or Vladimir Guerrero Jr rookies. This forced me to be more creative when it came to my choice since there were no immediate options that came to mind.

After pondering this decision for a while, I decided on my 1 and the only rookie card of the late Roy Halladay. A member of the 2019 HOF class, my one rookie card of Doc is from 1999 Topps Finest, and it still has the protective coating over the chrome card.

Highly-desired Blue Jays cards aren't exactly common like the Red Sox and Yankees, so it definitely required more thinking as to which card I'd choose for Toronto. Nevertheless, I'm pleased with my decision, because Halladay's rookie truly is the best Blue Jays card in my collection.