New Month: More Posts (Starting With Topps Heritage)

Last month, I managed just 6 blog posts. I took breaks from posting that equaled that amount of time on 2 separate occasions. Even with the shift that's occurred in the number of posts I've put out over the past few months, 6 is an all-time low for me.

In some ways, however, the breaks provided some insight as well as some downtime to figure out what I can do to ensure a better quantity and quality of material in March and beyond.

I fully intend on using the new month to get back on track toward a more regular schedule. I don't want to set anything in stone, but I'm looking to post roughly 20 times over the next 31 days. Hopefully, this will help cancel out the 6-post month of February.

Now, let's break away from talking about my blogging habits and get to today's post itself.

One of my favorite products, Topps Heritage, was released on Wednesday. It's always been a tradition of mine to rip a Heritage hobby box each year, something that's dated back to 2016. In the years that I didn't open a box, chances are I bought the base set at the card show.

The odds of pulling certain inserts as well as chrome cards and variations have decreased almost annually, but Heritage is still one of the most enjoyable products to break. After all, Topps does a magnificent job recreating their vintage sets, and, unfortunately, we're not going to have them for too much longer.

Pretty soon, Heritage will venture into products from the late 70s and early 80s, sets that still have something to offer, but let's face it: nothing can beat the sheer caliber of cards from the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s.

I have the standard 1-pack preview lined up for today, but my next post will be focused on the hobby box as a whole.

#329 2019 World Series Game #3

One thing I noticed right off the bat is the sheer number of Houston Astros cards that have flooded this product. Maybe I've become more observant given the scandal that appears ready to plague their entire 2020 season, but it seemed like every pack presented a new Houston card.

Making up a large portion of the cards is the playoff highlights from last year's ALCS and World Series. In fact, my first card from the product commemorates game 3 of the 2019 World Series in which the Astros beat the Nationals 4-1 in Washington thanks to a strong performance from Zack Greinke.

#273 Gregory Polanco

Before writing this post, I didn't even realize that Gregory Polanco missed most of the 2019 season with a shoulder injury, though I guess this sort of thing will go unnoticed by someone who pays more attention to the affairs of the American League than the National League.

Now that McCutchen, Cole, and Marte have left Pittsburgh, Polanco could be recognized as the face of the franchise along with Bryan Reynolds who had a terrific rookie season in 2019. Entering his age-29 season, Polanco seems destined, in my eyes, for a bounce-back season.

#194 Craig Kimbrel

I was going to use this card to address how well Topps recreated the 1971 design, but I pulled a card of Craig Kimbrel, one of my "super collections," so I feel obligated to talk about that instead.

If I remember correctly, I pulled a Craig Kimbrel base card in my first pack of 2020 Topps Series 1 as well, a type of momentum I'd love to carry with me throughout the year. If I can land Kimbrel's base card in the first pack of everything I open, I won't have to hunt them down each time I go to the show.

#72 NL Strikeout Leaders

With 2 of their pitchers making the top 3 in league strikeouts in 2019, not to mention the fact that Patrick Corbin finished 4th, 5 behind Scherzer, it's no wonder the Washington Nationals won the 2019 World Series.

This impressive feat just proves once again how vital pitching is to winning championships. As dynamic as their lineup was last season, the Nationals likely wouldn't have even made the Wild Card game if their pitching had been average. Strasburg, Scherzer, Corbin, and Anibal Sanchez are the reasons for this success.

#BF-2 Baseball Flashbacks Bert Blyleven

All the Heritage inserts have become much harder to pull over the last few years, but there was a time, if I remember correctly, when flashbacks inserts, both Baseball, and news, became twice as rare over 1 year.

As tough as the odds might be, Topps embodied both the era and the specific year with the Baseball flashbacks design. I particularly love the rainbow letters at the top of the card and the teal banner at the bottom.

#12 20 Gigantic Seasons Candlestick Park

20 Gigantic Seasons is an insert set unique to 2020 Heritage that honors Willie Mays' time with the New York and San Francisco Giants with each card representing a year in his career.

The one above, for instance, recognizes his contributions to their come-from-behind victory over the Dodgers to capture the 1962 NL pennant. There won't be anything like this in next year's Heritage, so this insert set might be one for me to complete.

#313 Thairo Estrada

I don't know much about Thairo Estrada, so I'll take this opportunity to talk about Topps' efforts in recreating the 1971 Topps set for 2020 Heritage.

I'm not an expert on the specific color combinations of the product, but at a surface level, it seems like Topps did everything they needed to, down to spelling the player's name in all lowercase letters.

Additionally, most of the photos (Estrada's not really included) resemble the types of shots used in the set 49 years ago.

#378 Tyler Chatwood

Now, this is the kind of photo you could expect to see on an original 1971 Topps card, not necessarily including the smile. There was also a wide range of unique, oddball photographs in '71 Topps as well as iconic cards like that of Thurmon Munson.

#117 Marcus Stroman

Though he put up better numbers with the Toronto Blue Jays as opposed to the New York Mets in 209, Stroman will be an integral part of their future.

They essentially replaced Zack Wheeler with Stroman, so it'll be interesting to see who performs better throughout the 2020 season, especially given that the 2 pitchers are division rivals.

I know that this post was on the simple side, but I wanted something like that as I ease back into posting regularly. I really regret only putting out 6 posts in February, and I'm hoping that March will be a month of new material and way more posts than what I did in February.

Ranking the 2019 Panini Prizm Inserts

Within the last month or so, the Target near me completed major renovations that altered both the appearance and the availability of products throughout the store. While the layout is more or less the same, everything looks drastically different, including the Baseball card section which I frequent often.

Beforehand, all of Target's trading cards were grouped together in an aisle near the registers farthest away from the entrance. Even though I haven't always found exactly what I'm looking for in the card aisle, I appreciate the fact that everything was grouped together in one section.

Unfortunately, that philosophy did not carry over to the newly-designed Target, for the Baseball card aisle is now a shadow of its former self. Half of the space is now occupied by an irritating wall of gift cards and 1/4 of the aisle consists of non-sport trading cards.

This leaves a tiny sliver reserved for sports cards, and not all of that is Baseball. There are some Basketball and Football products scattered about, and I didn't spot a single product that was released within the last month. 

As poor as the selection is now, I fear it will only get worse as I found no Stadium Club or Series 2 blasters on the shelf.

When walking around the redesigned store, I discovered a couple makeshift Baseball card "displays" located within the Boston sports memorabilia section. I put the word display in quotation marks because, at most, these shelves consisted of a couple of Gypsy Queen blasters and a Series 2 rack pack.

No Stadium Club whatsoever. No Series 2 hanger boxes or blasters. I fear that this is the end of my retail shopping at Target. Alas, I picked up a value pack of 2019 Panini Prizm in an effort to make progress with my insane 2019 Panini Prizm project, and I left Target for good. 

From that value pack, I got the idea to rank the inserts from 2019 Panini Prizm, for, after seeing the redesigned Target, I doubt I'll get my hands on any 2019 Topps Stadium Club unless I venture into a hobby shop.

#9 Scorching

I didn't know how to describe my dislike towards the Scorching inserts of 2019 Panini Prizm until I watched a hobby box break of this set on YouTube. The collector referred to the inserts as "cheesy," and I couldn't agree more.

The flames in the background, truthfully, look awful. Topps has pulled off insert sets in the past that utilize fire, but it seems that Panini didn't take any pointers when it came to Scorching. If Panini's goal was to display the top flamethrowers in the game, try a flaming Baseball instead.

I'll admit that it would be challenging to make these cards not appear cheesy, but Panini didn't do themselves any favors with the design. Ultimately, the cards came off, to me, as cheap.

#8 Brilliance

Like Scorching, Brilliance is an insert set dedicated solely to pitchers. Although the design is a substantial improvement from the previous entry, these inserts lack a crucial quality; uniqueness.

If nothing else, the Scorching cards had a theme behind them; they highlight the fastest throwing pitchers in Baseball. On the other hand, there's nothing that special about the Brilliance cards. 

Rather, they feature the best pitchers in Baseball, like Verlander, Sale, and Scherzer, but the cards themselves don't have much of a personality. If not for the design, I'd rank Brilliance last, but the pink and purple background elevates these inserts to the #8 spot.

#7 Machines

Conversely, the Machines inserts showcase the top sluggers in Baseball, similar to how Brilliance features the game's most dominant pitchers. As a result, I have similar problems with this insert set as I do with the previous one.

In some areas, Machines departs from the Brilliance cards, for the former has more of a distinct theme (power hitters) and an interesting design. The reason why I placed these inserts above Brilliance is that it's a slightly improved version of the pitchers-only insert set.

All in all, these inserts are on the average side, which would make their ranking a bit higher in almost any other product. However, there are some surprisingly strong inserts in 2019 Panini Prizm, so the highest I could rank Machines is #7.

#6 Fireworks

As I continue this countdown, I'm struggling to decide which quality I prefer in an insert set; a central theme or an interesting set design. Towards the top of the list, a few of the cards combine these 2 characteristics, but right now, I have to decide between the 2.

Most of the cards so far have had fairly weak themes, and the same could be stated about the Fireworks inserts, one of which is showcased above. As I mentioned, some inserts have a better them than others while additional inserts have a more compelling design. 

Clearly, the Fireworks cards have a beautiful design despite lacking a concrete concept behind the actual insert set. The cards are easily the best looking on the list thus far, and I'm willing to accept the lack of a theme behind these cards and place the Fireworks inserts at #6.

#5 Illumination

If I was determining the inserts' placements on this countdown solely based on design, Illumination would definitely crack the top 2 or 3. I pulled 6 of these from 2 hobby boxes and some retail Prizm packs, and I can thoroughly say that these cards, especially the holo versions, are stunning in person.

Unfortunately, Illumination struggles with what virtually every insert set has suffered from so far on this list; there's no real rhyme or reason behind these cards. They may be vibrant and colorful, but that doesn't tell you much about the cards themselves.

The top 4 insert sets on this list all combine a compelling set design with a profound concept. As a result, Illumination's gorgeous cards simply weren't enough to rank higher on the countdown.

#4 Instant Impact

It's taken 6 insert sets, but we finally have a set of cards that combines a distinct theme with stellar set design, resulting in a fabulous insert set overall. 

These Instant Impact cards, as the title suggests, feature players that had an immediate and profound impact as soon as they made their debut for their respective MLB teams. I assume that these cards are rarer than most of the other inserts, for I only pulled 2 out of all the 2019 Panini Prizm that I opened.

Still, the 2 cards that I ended up with (Torres and Flaherty) are awesome cards with equally impressive information on the back. Unlike most of the sets thus far, Instant Impact has a definite theme.

#3 Numbers Game

This isn't the first time that we've seen Numbers Game inserts in recent years, for Topps Allen & Ginter made a Numbers Game insert back in 2016 that differed somewhat from the 2019 Panini Prizm version.

While I'd prefer to have the background colors and numbers to be full-bleed, I have few issues with the Numbers Game insert set. In addition to including the player's jersey number in the bottom left corner, these cards feature a plethora of numbers in the background, mainly the players' stats from last season.

I'll give Panini points for uniqueness and creativity because I haven't really seen anything like this before. Also, considering that I only pulled 3 of these inserts, I'd say I did pretty well (Acuna Jr, Betts, and Soto).

#2 Lumber Inc

In the past, numerous cards and even entire sets have been based on bats and lumber (i.e. the Donruss/Panini Leather & Lumber product. In the case of 2019 Panini Prizm, they took this basic idea and transformed it into something that fit the bill for the product while also standing out.

Personally, I'd never pair lumber with chrome stock cards, but Panini opted to do so, and the results say it all. I've always thought of lumber, when it comes to Baseball cards, as bat relics or cards with a wooden finish. Never would I expect cards like this in Panini Prizm, but I sure am impressed.

#1 Star Gazing

I know that I've stressed the importance of having a concrete theme behind insert sets throughout this post, but I'm willing to make an exception if and when an insert set's design is simply phenomenal, and that's exactly how I feel about the Star Gazing inserts, my favorite of the entire 2019 Panini Prizm set.

My only issue with this set is the background is the same for all the cards, but the combination of the surplus of colors and the different positions of each player allows every card in the insert set to stand out. Seriously, it's hard not to get mesmerized by the intricate and gorgeous background.

Star Gazing may not be as conceptual of an insert set as Instant Impact or even Machines, but the cards are beautiful enough to earn the #1 spot, and this was not a decision that I made lightly. 

2019 Topps By the Numbers

Now that I've finished sorting the cards from my hobby box of 2019 Topps, I can move onto a very interesting aspect of card collecting; the numbers behind the cards.

Whenever I open Baseball cards, whether it's as small as a value pack or as large as a hobby box, I instantly take notice of how many cards I pull from each team.

There's always been an element of the numbers that has intrigued me. What causes us collector's to inevitably pull dozens of cards of teams we don't care about only to miss out on the team that we collect?

With all that being said, I haven't really done an extensive count like this when opening an entire box of cards, so I decided to change it up with the release of 2019 Topps Series 1. After all the cards were pulled, I began sorting them into piles by their respective team and taking count of how many cards I pulled from each team, including base cards, parallels, inserts, and more.

For comparison's sake, I also took notice of the number of parallels, inserts, and cards of players I collect just to see how well I truly did with my hobby box of 2019 Topps Series 1.

I'll go down the list of all 30 teams, beginning with the 4 clubs tied for the #1 spot.

Boston Red Sox -15 cards

No gigantic surprise here, but nevertheless, it's awesome to have my favorite team at the top of the list, something that doesn't always happen for me. Mookie Betts' league leaders cards and the recent success of the team likely caused there to be so many Sox players on the checklist. 

Granted, the World Series cards do help, since, without the 3 that I pulled, the Red Sox would fall a few spaces down on the list.

Los Angeles Dodgers -15 cards

Another result that wasn't too surprising since the Dodgers were right up there with the Red Sox in the World Series last year and have enjoyed immense success with their 6 straight division titles. The results have made sense so far, for the best 2 teams in Baseball should have the most cards in a given set.

Washington Nationals -15 cards

The 3rd team with 15 cards was definitely the most surprising of the 4 teams on top. After all, the Nationals didn't even make the playoffs last year and didn't have any league leaders cards besides Max Scherzer or a ballpark card that I pulled, for that matter. I suppose there's no reason for this other than the fact that Topps threw a ton of Nats players into the Series 1 set.

Los Angeles Angels -15 cards

Cleveland Indians -14 cards

New York Yankees -14 cards

All 3 of those teams are clubs I'd expect to see near the top, though it is a little surprising to see the Angels all the way at the top given that I pulled 1 Trout and 3 Ohtani's, leaving 11 spots for other, lesser-known Angels players.

Toronto Blue Jays -12 cards

St. Louis Cardinals -12 cards

Chicago Cubs -12 cards

Topps seems to be constantly jumping from team to team, creating a ton of cards from that particular team throughout that time frame. For example, 2016 and 2017 saw an unbelievable number of Cubs cards being produced. Now, it appears Topps has moved back to the Yankees who are, once again, one of the best teams in Baseball.

Kansas City Royals -12 cards

Seattle Mariners -12 cards

Atlanta Braves -11 cards

San Francisco Giants -11 cards

Baltimore Orioles -11 cards

Cincinnati Reds -11 cards

It's definitely surprising to see the Atlanta Braves down so far on the list, especially since they have the same number of cards as some teams who placed 4th or 5th in their respective divisions last year, including the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds. 

You'd think, as division champions, that I would end up with more Braves cards than I did.

Oakland Athletics -10 cards

Arizona Diamondbacks -10 cards

San Diego Padres -10 cards

Philadelphia Phillies -10 cards

Texas Rangers -10 cards

Colorado Rockies -10 cards

Detroit Tigers -10 cards

Minnesota Twins -10 cards

Chicago White Sox -10 cards

With nearly 1/3 of MLB teams falling at the 10-card mark for my hobby box break, I'd say 10 would be the average number of cards pulled for each MLB team. 

The 9 teams that ended up with 10 total cards are somewhat expected, middle of the road clubs who typically receive an average amount of spots in set checklists.

Houston Astros -9 cards

At first, when I only counted 9 Houston Astros cards, I had to double-check to make certain that I didn't miss any cards. When the count was confirmed, I was and still am incredibly shocked. Even with Alex Bregman being in Series 2, it seems almost impossible to end up with only 9 cards of the 103-win Astros in a hobby box break.

Tampa Bay Rays -9 cards

This is what I'm talking about. I ended up with the same number of Astros cards as Tampa Bay Rays cards and that's a stat I'm not used to hearing whatsoever. Albeit, Blake Snell's monster 2018 season helped the Rays by providing me with 2-3 cards of the 2018 AL Cy Young award winner.

Pittsburgh Pirates -9 cards

Miami Marlins -8 cards

Milwaukee Brewers -7 cards

Wait, I thought winning the NL Central in 2018 would mean bigger things for the Milwaukee Brewers instead of leaving me with just 7 cards in a hobby box break that delivered well over 300 total cards. 

I pulled 2 cards of the 2018 NL MVP, Christian Yelich, and that still didn't stop the Brewers from being tied for dead last on my list.

And just in case you couldn't remember what team I've yet to mention, here's the club tied with the Brewers for spot #30.

New York Mets -7 cards

Keep in mind, 2 of the 7 Mets cards that I pulled feature their immensely talented ace, Jacob deGrom.

Inserts -16 cards

There certainly aren't as many inserts as there have been in years past, but I'm someone who happens to prefer quality over quantity. If this years' insert cards happen to be an improvement over last year, which I believe they have been then I'm okay with pulling fewer insert cards compared to what I have pulled in the past.

Parallels -14 cards

While I didn't get as lucky as I would've liked with insert cards, I had some excellent luck with how many parallels I pulled, 14 of them, to be exact. Continuing with this post's theme of numbers, that's 1 parallel card for not even 2 total packs.

Players I collect -56 cards

And if there was any doubt that I wouldn't come up with many cards of players I collect, my hobby box netted over 50 cards for my player collections, consisting of both past and present players. Nearly 1/5 cards I pulled was a guy that I collect, and I'd consider that fairly impressive.

At least, as far as numbers go.