Target pauses sports card sales nationwide. The retailer has put a temporary pause on in-store sales for baseball, basketball, football, and Pokemon trading cards. This comes amid safety concerns for customers and employees after recent incidents.
Advertisements
Several months ago, we reported a Madison, Wisconsin Target creating an online waiting list that collectors could join and be alerted when it was there time to purchase. Later, various Target stores limited card purchases to three items per person. Recently, all Target stores instituted a one item per person limit on trading cards.
Further, Target began implementing a scheduled release time to prevent card buyers from blocking checkout lanes and aisles. This created a card collector campground in Target parking lots with people waiting overnight for the Friday morning release time.
Thank you for reaching out to us about our Trading Cards. We do apologize, but at this time we will not sell any trading cards till further notice for the safety of our guest and team members.
It is unknown how long this pause in trading card sales will last, but it will be temporary. Beckett Live with Eric Norton featured Panini’s D.J. Kazmierczak on Wednesday, May 12. He reiterated this is just a temporary pause. “The bottom line this is a short term cooling off period and to allow Target to try to figure out can they reinvent the customer experience in the trading card section at Target.”
Another safety issue that Kazmierczak mentions in the above video is that GPS trackers were installed on vendor vehicles to follow them from store to store, and this was not an isolated one-off incident. It occurred multiple times in different states.
Bowman is home of the rookie card. Well, technically it’s not anymore. Bowman is home to the first Bowman baseball card for tomorrow’s superstars. The 1st Bowman cards and 1st Bowman autographs have become the top draw when it comes to collectability in baseball cards. Who are the top prospects with 2021 Bowman baseball cards? This is the definitive guide for the top prospects with 2021 1st Bowman baseball cards.
We had a sneak peak at which baseball prospects will carry 2021 Bowman with the online exclusive Bowman 1st Edition. Now that we have the complete checklist for 2021 Bowman, let’s do a deep dive into the prospects that will earn a 1st Bowman card this year.
This year’s product does not have a splashy name like a Wander Franco (2019) or Jasson Dominguez (2020). But any of these prospects could break out in the future, while the current splashy names could fizzle out in AA.
The biggest name among 1st Bowman badges in 2021 is Austin Martin. The Vanderbilt University product was the fifth overall draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays last year and is ranked as baseball’s 20th overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. Martin is the lone representative in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects among the 2021 1st Bowman baseball cards.
2021 1st Bowman Prospect Rankings
While only one player that receives a 1st Bowman badge in 2021 Bowman ranks among baseball’s top 100 prospects, this is a product that holds the first cards of future prospects. Many of the players getting their first Bowman card will be the top prospects of tomorrow. Let’s take a look at how these players rank within their own team’s prospect rankings.
MLB Pipeline #20 Prospect – Austin Martin (Blue Jays)
Previously mentioned, Austin Martin is the lone representative of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects in baseball. The former Vanderbilt Commodore was taken with the fifth overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020.
The second baseman/outfielder shows hitting as his premier tool (ranked 65 on the 20-80 scale by MLB Pipeline). MLB Pipeline’s scouting report on Austin Martin states: “He has an outstanding feel for the barrel and effortlessly makes hard contact with a short, quick right-handed stroke that quickly and efficiently gets into the strike zone.”
Philadelphia Phillies #2 Prospect – Mick Abel
The Phillies’ first round pick in 2020, Mick Abel, was also the first high school pitcher taken (15th overall) in his draft class. Abel throws a 98 mph fastball and he hits 85-86 mph on his slider.
MLB Pipeline says this about Mick Abel: “The combination of size and pure stuff, with more in the tank as he adds strength, makes Abel a very intriguing pitching prospect.”
Chicago White Sox #4 Prospect – Jared Kelley
The Texas prep right handed pitcher, Jared Kelley, was the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2019. Kelley joined an exclusive group that includes Alex Rodriguez, Zack Greinke, and Clayton Kershaw as National Players of the Year.
Chicago landed the 6-foot-3 right hander with the 47th overall pick in 2020. His fastball and breaking ball are his strengths. MLB Pipeline writes: “In addition to two plus pitches, Kelley also offers impressive feel for pitching. He repeats his easy delivery well and pounds the strike zone, giving him the opportunity to advance faster than most high school pitchers.”
Cleveland Indians #5 Prospect – Gabriel Arias
A 21-year old shortstop, Gabriel Arias was originally signed as an international free agent by the San Diego Padres in 2016. Arias was signed out of Venezuela for $1.9 million and was dealt to Cleveland in the Mike Clevinger trade.
At age 19, Arias slashed an impressive .302/.339/.470 at high Class A and led the league in total bases (224). According to MLB Pipeline, Arias is loaded with tools: “Arias has more raw power than most shortstops and is capable of driving the ball out of the park to all fields thanks to his bat speed, strength, and leverage.”
Pittsburgh Pirates #5 Prospect – Liover Peguero
Liover Peguero was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017 for $475,000 out of Dominican Republic. He was sent to Pittsburgh in the Starling Marte trade. By 2019, Peguero had already earned a promotion to the Northwest League at just 18 years old.
Peguero is expected to stick as a shortstop. MLB Pipeline has a glowing report on Peguero: “The power will come more as he keeps adding strength to his 6-foot-1 frame, and his advanced approach for his age has separated him from other young prospects.”
Texas Rangers #5 Prospect – Maximo Acosta
With Gleyber Torres comps, Maximo Acosta is an 18-year old shortstop in the Texas Rangers organization. Acosta was signed out of Venezuela in 2019 for $1.65 million.
MLB Pipeline’s scouting report on Maximo Acosta: “Extremely mature at the plate for a teenager, Acosta recognizes pitches and manages the strike zone well, stays inside the ball with a quick right-handed swing and utilizes the entire field.”
Advertisements
Minnesota Twins #6 Prospect – Aaron Sabato
Aaron Sabato is a power hitter, so if you like home runs this might be your guy among the 2021 1st Bowman cards. The first baseman was undrafted out of high school, but showed his power at the University of North Carolina blasting a freshman record of 18 home runs in 2019. In the shortened 2020 season, Sabato added 7 long balls in just 19 games. The Twins drafted Sabato with its first round pick last summer.
It’s all about power with Sabato. Here’s MLB Pipeline’s take on Aaron Sabato: “It’s a power-first approach, but he’s more than willing to take walks and he keeps his strikeouts relatively low, particularly given his power potential.”
Washington Nationals #6 Prospect – Jeremy De La Rosa
The Washington Nationals signed Jeremy De La Rosa out of Dominican Republic as a 16-year old in 2018. Washington brought him to the U.S. for instructs shortly after signing, and he was assigned to the Gulf Coast League in 2019 at age 17. De La Rosa is a 6-foot-1, 160 pound outfielder.
De La Rosa shows some power due to his bat speed. MLB Pipeline scouting report on Jeremy De La Rosa: “All the pieces are there for a solid hitting outfielder, regardless of exact placement on the grass, and his time against advanced competition at the alternate site in 2020 should help him reach that ceiling moving forward.
Chicago Cubs #8 Prospect – Christopher Morel
Christopher Morel has been in the Chicago Cubs organization since 2015 after signing out of Dominican Republic for $800,000. His brother, Rafael, was signed by the Cubs in 2018. Christopher was added to the Cubs 40-man roster in November 2020. Morel is the only player in a Cubs uniform among the 2021 1st Bowman baseball cards.
Morel spent the 2019 season with the South Bend Cubs in Low Class A. He slashed .284/.320/.467 with 6 home runs, 15 doubles, and 7 triples. From MLB Pipeline: “A quick-twitch athlete, Morel has plus speed and is aggressive on the bases. His arm is his best pure tool, earning plus-plus grades from some evaluators, and he’s equipped to play all over the diamond.”
Boston Red Sox #10 Prospect – Blaze Jordan
Blaze Jordan is one of the chases among 2021 1st Bowman baseball cards among collectors, despite ranking just 10th in the Red Sox organization by MLB Pipeline. It could very well be the power potential for the 18 year old 3rd baseman. Jordan hit a pair of 500+ foot home runs…at the age of 13. He was the High School Home Run Derby champion at the 2019 All Star Game.
What does MLB Pipeline say about Blaze Jordan? “Jordan’s value centers around his prodigious power, the product of impressive bat speed and strength that allow him to hit tape-measure shots without a lot of loft in his right-handed swing.”
Los Angeles Angels #12 Prospect – Alexander Ramirez
The Angels signed Alexander Ramirez on his 16th birthday in August 2018. The outfielder spent the 2019 season in the Dominican Summer League slashing .234/.328/.429 with 4 home runs, 8 doubles, and 5 triples.
MLB Pipeline write: “It is the 6-foot-2 Ramirez’s offensive profile that made him such an attractive prospect in the first place. His calling card is certainly his easily plus raw power from the right side of the plate.”
New York Yankees #12 Prospect – Kevin Alcantara
Kevin Alcantara was the only 16 year old on a U.S. based minor league team when he spent the summer of 2019 in the Gulf Coast League. In the GCL, Alcantara hit .260 with 5 doubles, 2 triples, and a home run in 123 at bats.
“His bat speed, projectable strength and leverage give him well above-average power from the right side of the plate and produce some of the highest exit velocities in the system,” according to MLB Pipeline.
Cincinnati Reds #13 Prospect – Ivan Johnson
The Cincinnati Reds drafted Ivan Johnson with its fourth round pick in 2019 out of Chipola Junior College. The infielder slashed .255/.327/.415 with 6 home runs and 10 doubles in the short season Appalachian League in 2019.
MLB Pipeline writes: “A switch-hitting middle infielder, Johnson has the chance to really hit, with excellent bat speed from both sides of the plate.”
Los Angeles Dodgers #17 Prospect – Jake Vogel
Jake Vogel turned down a committment to UCLA to sign with the Dodgers as a third rounder in 2020. He logged the fastest 60-yard dash (6.15 seconds) at the 2019 Perfect Game National Showcase.
Vogel’s scouting report from MLB Pipeline: “Vogel has both offensive upside and work to do at the plate. In addition to his quickness, which should help him get on base, he also can flash some electric bat speed and shows feel for recognizing pitches.”
Advertisements
Miami Marlins #19 Prospect – Jose Salas
Jose Salas turns 18 years old just two days before Bowman’s official release date. The Venezuelan signed with the Marlins for $2.8 million in 2019. At 6-foot-2, Salas is a shortstop with power potential.
Here’s how MLB Pipeline breaks down Jose Salas. “A switch-hitter with a quick swing from both sides, Salas is more advanced than most hitters his age and already recognizes pitches well. He put on a show in batting practice at Marlins Park after he signed and has the upside of 20-25 homers per season in his prime.”
Philaelphia Phillies #19 Prospect – Nick Maton
Nick Maton was the Phillies’ 7th round draft choice in 2017. The shortstop turned 24 this past February, but age is a moot point because he has already reached the big leagues. Maton has appeared in three games this season for Philadelphia and is 5-for-12 as of this writing on April 21.
What does the future hold for Nick Maton? “He’s just about ready to contribute as a super-utility type, but he’s the kind of player who could outplay his tools and end up a big league regular in the future,” says MLB Pipeline.
Detroit Tigers #20 Prospect – Adinso Reyes
Detroit signed Adinso Reyes in the 2018 international free agent class. He hit .331 with 7 home runs in the Dominican Summer League in 2019. Reyes is a bigger kid at shortstop at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds.
“Reyes moves well at shortstop and on the bases for a relatively big player, though any further growth could bump him over to third. He combines an advanced approach with plus bat speed to barrel pitches in the zone, which should translate to more power as he continues to physically mature.” – MLB Pipeline
Los Angeles Angels #20 Prospect – Trent Deveaux
Signed out of the Bahamas for $1.25 million in 2017, Trent Deveaux is an outfielder that hit 7 home runs with a .238 average during the 2019 minor league season. Scouts grade Deveaux out at 80 for speed on the 20-80 scale.
“Deveaux’s carrying tool is his speed, which gets 80 grades from evaluators, , though he’s still learning how to get out of the box quickly and to be a consistent base stealing threat.” – MLB Pipeline
Chicago White Sox #21 Prospect – Yolbert Sanchez
Yolbert Sanchez is a bit older as a prospect, but that’s only because he recently defected from Cuba. Sanchez spent three years playing in Cuba’s top professional league and defected in 2018. He signe with the White Sox in 2019 for $2.5 million.
“He doesn’t lack strength but makes a lot of soft contact and probably will max out at 10-12 homers per season. His main focus will be getting on base to take advantage of his solid to plus speed.” – MLB Pipeline
Colorado Rockies #21 Prospect – Eddy Diaz
Edy Diaz was the first player signed out of Cuba by the Colorado Rockies inking a contract in 2017. Diaz was impressive in two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and Pioneer League sporting a .327 average and 104 stolen bases in 126 games.
“If Diaz is going to be a big league regular at one position, it’s likely going to be at second base, though he can handle shortstop as well. He likely profiles best as a super utility guy who finds ways to help his team win from a number of positions.” – MLB Pipeline
New York Yankees #21 Prospect – Antonio Gomez
The first catcher on the list. Antonio Gomez signed with the Yankees in 2018 for $600,000. Gomez has battle injuries his first two years in the Yankees organization. He missed two months with a triceps injury in 2019 and dealt with arm issues in 2020 that held him out from the Dominican Summer League.
“Gomez is a power-over-hit guy whose bat speed and strength give him plus raw pop from the right side of the plate. He’ll be 19 throughout the 2021 season, so he has plenty of time to develop on both sides of the ball.” – MLB Pipeline
Cleveland Indians #24 Prospect – Jose Tena
Jose Tena was signed by the Indians in the 2017 international free agent class for $400,000. The shortstop from Dominican Republic is the nephew of former big leaguer Juan Uribe. In two seasons of rookie ball, Tena has a slash line of .319/.360/.425 with 15 doubles, 10 triples, and a pair of home runs.
“He almost puts the bat on the ball too easily, resulting in a 3-percent walk rate and inconsistent quality of contact during his U.S. debut in 2019, so he’ll need to develop better plate discipline.” – MLB Pipeline
Chicago Cubs #25 Prospect – Ismael Mena
Ismael Mena will be in a Padres uniform despite being in the Chicago Cubs organization now. Mena was part of a package of prospects sent from San Diego to Chicago in the Yu Darvish trade. San Diego signed Mena for $2.2 million, largest signing bonus in the class, in 2019.
Mena just turned 18 in November and stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 185 pounds. Speed is his strongest tool, grading out at 70 on the 20-80 scale. “He’s starting to add strength to his 6-foot-3 frame and to launch some balls in the air, and he could develop into at least a 15-20 homer threat.” – MLB Pipeline
Los Angeles Dodgers Unranked Prospect – Hyun-il Choi
The Dodgers signed Hyun-il Choi as a 17-year old high pitcher out of South Korea in 2017. Choi is unranked at this time by MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Dodgers prospects. The 6-foot-2 right hander turns 21 in May, and in 2019 had a 5-1 record with a 2.63 ERA in the Arizona Rookie League. Choi struck out 71 in 65 innings pitched.
Yunior Severino was originally signed by the Atlanta Braves in 2016, but that contract along with 12 others was voided by MLB due to the organization circumventing international spending rules. Minnesota swooped in and signed the Dominican infielder for $2.5 million.
Severino’s 2019 slash line was .240/.287/.370 and hit 8 doubles between the Gulf Coast League and Midwest League. Severino is among two Twins players with a 2021 1st Bowman baseball card.
Advertisements
2021 1st Bowman Baseball Cards Checklist
BP-5 Nick Maton Philadelphia Phillies BP-7 Maximo Acosta Texas Rangers BP-21 Adinso Reyes Detroit Tigers BP-25 Jeremy De La Rosa Washington Nationals BP-33 Eddy Diaz Colorado Rockies BP-36 Ismael Mena San Diego Padres BP-40 Yolbert Sanchez Chicago White Sox BP-42 Mick Abel Philadelphia Phillies BP-52 Liover Peguero Pittsburgh Pirates BP-59 Jake Vogel Los Angeles Dodgers BP-71 Blaze Jordan Boston Red Sox BP-82 Antonio Gomez New York Yankees BP-87 Austin Martin Toronto Blue Jays BP-89 Gabriel Arias Cleveland Indians BP-94 Trent Deveaux Los Angeles Angels BP-97 Kevin Alcantara New York Yankees BP-106 Jared Kelley Chicago White Sox BP-110 Jose Salas Miami Marlins BP-125 Aaron Sabato Minnesota Twins BP-128 Jose Tena Cleveland Indians BP-130 Hyun-il Choi Los Angeles Dodgers BP-131 Christopher Morel Chicago Cubs BP-140 Yunior Severino Minnesota Twins BP-145 Alexander Ramirez Los Angeles Angels BP-149 Ivan Johnson Cincinnati Reds
Advertisements
2021 Bowman Chrome Autograph Checklist
CPA-AAM Adael Amador CPA-AC Austin Cox CPA-AGO Antonio Gomez CPA-AH Austin Hendrick CPA-AL Asa Lacy CPA-AM Austin Martin CPA-AMA Angel Martinez CPA-ARA Alexander Ramirez CPA-ARE Adinso Reyes CPA-AS Aaron Sabato CPA-AV Alexander Vargas CPA-BB Brainer Bonaci CPA-BE Breidy Encarnacion CPA-BJ Blaze Jordan CPA-BW Beck Way CPA-CMA Coby Mayo CPA-DC Darryl Collins CPA-DK D’Shawn Knowles CPA-DM Daniel Montano CPA-DMA Dylan MacLean CPA-ED Eddy Diaz CPA-EHA Emerson Hancock CPA-EHO Ed Howard CPA-ER Endy Rodriguez CPA-EY Eddy Yean CPA-FV Freddy Valdez CPA-GA Gabriel Arias CPA-GMI Garrett Mitchell CPA-HC Hyun-il Choi CPA-HH Heriberto Hernandez CPA-HK Heston Kjerstad CPA-HP Hedbert Perez CPA-IJ Ivan Johnson CPA-IM Ismael Mena CPA-JB Ji-Hwan Bae CPA-JCL Jackson Cluff CPA-JDL Jeremy De La Rosa CPA-JE Jeferson Espinal CPA-JED Jake Eder CPA-JK Jared Kelley CPA-JP Jairo Pomares CPA-JR Johan Rojas CPA-JRO Jose Rodriguez CPA-JS Jose Salas CPA-JT Jose Tena CPA-JV Jake Vogel CPA-JW Jeremy Wu-Yelland CPA-KA Kevin Alcantara CPA-KF Kohl Franklin CPA-LF Luis Frias CPA-LS Luis Santana CPA-MA Maximo Acosta CPA-MAB Mick Abel CPA-MB Mariel Bautista CPA-MM Michael McAvene CPA-MME Max Meyer CPA-MS Marcus Smith CPA-MW Mac Wainwright CPA-NG Nick Gonzales CPA-NM Nick Maton CPA-PB Patrick Bailey CPA-RDC Brayan Buelvas CPA-RH Robert Hassell CPA-RT Riley Thompson CPA-SE Stevie Emanuels CPA-SG Sandy Gaston CPA-ST Spencer Torkelson CPA-WH William Holmes CPA-YC Yoelqui Cespedes CPA-YS Yunior Severino CPA-YSA Yolbert Sanchez CPA-ZV Zac Veen
Advertisements
2021 Bowman Prospects Paper Autograph Checklist
Retail Exclusive PAPR-ACO Austin Cox PAPR-AN Andre Nnebe PAPR-AR Alberto Rodriguez PAPR-ARE Andres Regnault PAPR-BJ Blaze Jordan PAPR-CW Colby White PAPR-DA Daniel Alvarez PAPR-DG DJ Gladney PAPR-DS Davis Schneider PAPR-EF Edgardo Fermin PAPR-GH Gabe Holt PAPR-HK Heston Kjerstad PAPR-HM Hansel Moreno PAPR-JA Jeremy Arocho PAPR-JB JJ Bleday PAPR-JC Jackson Cluff PAPR-JM Jose Miranda PAPR-JP Jaylen Palmer PAPR-JR Julio Rodriguez PAPR-JS Jake Snider PAPR-JY Jeremy Ydens PAPR-KF Kohl Franklin PAPR-NM Nick Maton PAPR-RC Roansy Contreras PAPR-RP Robert Puason PAPR-RR Ripken Reyes PAPR-SM Shane McCarthy PAPR-ST Spencer Torkelson PAPR-VB Victor Bericoto PAPR-WK Will Kincanon PAPR-YM Yohanse Morel
What are your thoughts on the 2021 1st Bowman baseball cards?
Big news hit the hobby world this week with the announcement that Topps will be going public this year. Topps will merge with Mudrick Capital, a special purpose acquistion company, and values Topps at $1.3 billion. This is not the first time Topps will be a publicly traded company. Topps first went public in 1972 before going private in 1984. Going private was short-lived, as Topps went public again in 1987 and was traded until 2007. Topps goes public, here’s a look at the history of Topps stock.
History of Topps Company
Topps was founded in 1938 by brothers Abram, Ira, Joseph, and Phillip Shorin. The initial focus of the company was chewing gum. The company’s first foray into trading cards came along in 1950 when Topps wanted to boost gum sales by packaging picture cards of early television star William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy.
Advertisements
The first baseball cards came along one year later in 1951. Known as red backs and blue backs, the two sets contained 52 yards like a standard deck of playing cards. Fast forward another year and the first Topps baseball card set came along with the 407-card 1952 Topps set. It was full steam ahead with trading cards.
Topps Goes Public for the First Time (1972)
By 1972, Topps goes public for the first time. The initial offering of 435,000 shares of common stock went live in June. The issue price was set at $17.50 per share and quickly investors bid that price up to $22.37. Quoted in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader on June 17, 1972, White, Weld, and Company attributed the success due to “the company’s steady earnings record.”
Topps earnings for fiscal year 1971 was reported as $33.8 million. During fiscal year 1972, the company reported net sales at $36.4 million. Throughout the 1970’s the trading card market cooled from initially going public. Topps posted a $9 million loss in 1979 that hampered stock prices. The stock traded as low as $2.50 per share in early 1980, but bounced back to $4.50 on September 29, 1980.
Advertisements
Beginning of a Baseball Card Boom
Fleer and Donruss entered the baseball card market in 1981. There were court proceedings regarding antitrust laws, but Topps came out victorious. A federal appeals court ruled Topps did not violate antitrust laws by signing players to exclusive contracts. The victory marked another rise in stock prices on August 26, 1981 to $5.75 a share.
In 1982, Topps stock surged. The stock closed on January 4, 1982 at $5.00 per share. Nearly six months later, it traded at $8.88 per share at the close of business on June 29, 1982. At the end of August, Topps shares had doubled since the beginning of the year closing at $10.00 per share on August 26, 1982. As the year closed out, Topps was trading above $21 per share.
In an acquisition that would lead to Topps being privately held for the first time in 12 years, the company was being purchased by an investor group led by Forstmann Little for $94.5 million. According to an article in the Scranton Times-Tribune on November 18, 1983, it would be business as usual for employees at Topps. This will close the first chapter on the history of Topps stock.
Topps Goes Public…Again (1987)
Just a few short years later Topps would go public again in May 1987. This time around, Topps would issue 4.5 million shares of stock with an expected initial price between $15 and $18 per share. Topps showed revenues of $147 million in 1986 mainly attributed to baseball cards along with an increasing demand in non-sports trading cards such as E.T. and Rambo cards.
The first of two stock splits occurred in 1989. Topps declared a 3-for-2 common stock split that gave shareholders one additional share for each two shares held. At this time, Topps was also issuing a 10 cents per share quarterly dividend.
Advertisements
Baseball Card Boom is About to Burst
Junk wax era is a term coined for this era in trading cards. This graphic from 1991 shows the massive increase in sales for the company during this time.
Even though the trading card bubble did not burst until the early-to-mid 1990’s, some within the hobby expected to see a crash. Angelo Cataldi, a sports talk radio host and former newspaper reporter in Philadelphia, told the Detroit Free Press in 1990: “The market is glutted with product. People think that if they hold on for a long time these cards will have enormous value. But tens of millions of these cards are on the market right now. It’s just not a good investment.”
During the fiscal year that ended in March 1991, Topps reported net sales of $290 million. That would be the height and hard times were coming just like Angelo Cataldi had predicted. Shares traded at $8 in January 1993, down from almost $16 during the fourth quarter of 1992. The company stopped issuing dividends in 1993 after a dismal earnings report. Moving further into the 1990’s, the Major League Baseball and National Hockey League lockouts plagued the industry even more.
The Late 1990’s Resurgence
At the end of the decade there would be a bounce. Interest in trading cards could have shown growth from the resurgence in baseball during the summer of 1998, but moreso the popularity in Pokemon as reported in the October 26, 1999 edition of the Baltimore Sun.
Topps would continue to be traded publicly until 2007, when Michael Eisner’s Torante Company partnered with Madison Dearborn Partners to acquire the company, and it went private. Topps generated $326.7 million in sales during its 2006 fiscal year. By comparison, Beckett reports Topps had sales of $567 million in 2020.
What are your thoughts on Topps going public? What will the next History of Topps Stock look like?
There has to be a way to bulk list items on eBay. It’s a thought that has crossed my mind many times since eBay discontinued its Turbo Lister application. So, how can you bulk list items on eBay, and make more money selling baseball cards?
eBay File Exchange is the follow up to Turbo Lister. It’s not as simple as the old Turbo Lister tool, but if you can figure it out and acquaint yourself with using it, it will save you a lot of time and fill your eBay store in no time.
In the past year I have attempted to use eBay file exchange a couple times. Both attempts were a miserable failure. As I sat on the couch and listed card after card I continued to think there just has to be a much simpler way. There is and it’s eBay file exchange.
This time around I put more effort into the process and did my due diligence reading the file exchange guide. This helped tremendously, but I was still receiving many errors when attempting to upload my test listings.
How Do I Bulk List Items on eBay?
Thanks to social media, I made a call out asking for help on Twitter. Kris (@GM3AMP88) came to the rescue via direct message and we talked through it. He sent me his template and I gave it a spin. Success!
Before I passed the knowledge to you I wanted to make sure I uploaded multiple times and expedited the process. The first couple tries were pretty clunky and slow especially when it came to uploading photos. Now, I have a good process in place and will pass along the knowledge so you can bulk list items on eBay. This is not perfect nor the quickest, but should help you immensely in listing items in bulk at a much faster pace.
Advertisements
Before we start, you will need to sign up for file exchange. It is a very simple process, and to do this click on the “Help” tab on the eBay home page. This can also be done in the eBay app by going to “Help” and searching “file exchange.”
To get the most insight on how eBay file exchange works, read through the eBay File Exchange instruction guide. There are also numerical guides for categories that will be needed (more on that in a bit).
Use This Template to Bulk List Items on eBay
There are a few different templates that you can use within the eBay File Exchange page. To simplify things, I have included the template I use to bulk list items on eBay.
Once you have the template, let’s take a look at the fields. My template has a few rows of items to show you which fields are necessary to successfully upload to eBay. For this exercise we will just be adding items to list on eBay. Column A should read, “ADD,” to add your listing. Column C is the next necessary field. This will vary depending on the item you list and it is numerical, so you will need to cross check the eBay numerical category guide. You can download that category guide below.
My template is filled out with “213,” which is the sports trading card – baseball cards category. The next required field is title, which is self explanatory. Column I is Condition ID, which is also numerical. I default most of my trading card conditions to “very good.” Condition ID “4000” is very good. You can find the numerical values in the guide below.
Columns J and K are also simple, just listing out the quantity and price. Manufacturer is the next column, so Topps, Panini, Leaf, Upper Deck, etc. Column O is “single,” for single card. Column P is for professionally graded if that is the case. If your card is raw, you can use “Not Professionally Grade.” Column Q is simply the sport. Since I am listing raw cards, Column S is “ungraded.” Column T is simply original or reprint. Column U is the year of the card.
Advertisements
Uploading Pictures Using Image Shack
Column V is league, and for this example I am listing baseball cards so it will be MLB. Images are always tricky when it comes to listings. Column AM is important as this is how you will upload the image for your listing. You will need an online photo host, and not all hosting sites will work with eBay. I use Image Shack, and you can play around with it on a free trial basis. If you get comfortable with eBay File Exchange and see that it is worth a subscription, an Image Shack annual subscription is only $18 per year. Important: when linking from Image Shack, make sure you use “Direct,” for the link. Using “Link” will not upload your picture.
Column AN is “NONE” for no gallery being used. Column AO is your description. I use a default description for my bulk listings with pertinent information. The key information will be found in the title. This is just my preference, and obviously this is at your discretion. Column AP is the format of your listing, which can be auction or buy it now. This template is using buy it now, “FixedPrice” for my eBay Store. Column AQ is “GTC” for Good ‘Til Cancelled because it is being uploaded as a fixed price listing in my eBay Store. Columns AR and AS will simply be your ZIP code.
Advertisements
Shipping is another field(s) that will be your preference. All (or most) of my items I list with free shipping. This makes the bulk listing easy as everything is just listed as 0. I have all of the fields filled out in the event something in the future changes where I begin to charge shipping. These columns are set up to economy, standard, and express. Again, since I offer free shipping I have simply left the fields as “0” for cost.
Uploading Your Spreadsheet to eBay
Once you have your file ready to upload, go back to the eBay file exchange page. On the menu to the left, click on upload files.
Next, you will upload your selected file.
It takes a very short amount of time for eBay to upload your listings. My recommendation is start by running a test template with two or three listings. After eBay uploads the listings it will provide you with a download report showing any errors. You can find this by clicking on the “View Upload Results” link. Now you are ready to bulk list items on eBay.
If you have any questions or need a further explanation on how to bulk list items on eBay, please feel free to comment here or reach out via email or Twitter.
Why is the 1991 Topps Don Zimmer baseball card selling for $10 to $20 on eBay? A card featuring a manager from one of the most over produced baseball card sets of all time? Most collectors wouldn’t pay a penny for this card. For the record, my rate on cards like this is a half penny.
Here we are in 2021, and just like that another head scratching surge on pricing from a random trading card. The Allen & Ginter Egg card is so yesterday, what’s today’s hot seller? It’s a 1991 Topps Don Zimmer, apparently.
Advertisements
How did we get here? That’s what I am trying to find out, and it seems nobody really knows. We’ve seen this in the past most famously with the 1990 Fleer Jose Uribe. The sales are true, and in the past I’ve sold about a dozen of them for $5 to $10 each. The 1989 Donruss Alex Madrid is another random favorite that often catches a couple bucks on eBay.
Why Is the 1991 Topps Don Zimmer Selling?
So, why is this 1991 Topps Don Zimmer selling for $10 to $20? It’s a hobby mystery with only rumors, speculation, and potentially tall tales….until now. There were two comments possibly explaining the mystery behind the 1991 Topps Don Zimmer baseball card surge.
First, somebody mentioned a 1991 Topps Desert Shield card recently sold for around $15, which is market rate for one of these rare cards. Maybe others, not knowing what they had, thought any and all 1991 Topps Don Zimmer cards were worth $15. With the massive amount of new collectors in the hobby this could be plausible.
And then when I originally published this blog post, some comments dropped some information that might explain the mystery. It’s origin story comes from a popular podcast. It’s called the F**KFACE Podcast.
“We need to pick a (expletive) baseball card that is going to be the object of our focus,” The F**KFACE podcast said in a February episode. As podcast hosts Geoff, Gavin, and Andrew discussed picking a particular Don Zimmer card they wanted to find a manager common. The Desert Shield Don Zimmer card is also mentioned in the episode.
Essentially, the goal of the F**KFACE podcast is to get the 1991 Topps Don Zimmer baseball card to the top of the Ebay watch lists and Cardboard Connection hot list.
Topps Project 70 has really appealed to me since it’s release on Wednesday. The project, which will boast a total of 1,020 cards, is now one week and nine cards into its run. Below is my Topps Project 70 rankings for wek one.
We have seen a little bit of everything from artists such as Ermsy and Ben Baller to rapper Snoop Dogg.
Advertisements
A couple cards I love, and a couple cards are just so-so in my opinion. What’s great about this project, and art in general, is what one style a person loves another may hate. And we have seen this already in just three days. Here are my Topps Project 70 rankings.
At first glance, the 1990 Topps Ken Griffey Jr. by Bobby Hundreds was by far my least favorite. It seemed so tired and lazy. But…then I read Hundreds’ take on the project and how he will interpret cards throughout the series. He was a collector like many of us in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and fell in love with error cards. Hundreds placed several errors on this card. Can you pick them out? Now I can’t wait until his next release as I try to pinpoint the errors.
Advertisements
3) Francisco Lindor by Keith Shore
Keith Shore’s name became synonymous with Project 2020 after his Ken Griffey Jr. card sold 99,000 copies. It’s now thought of as the card that crashed Project 2020’s momentum and crazy market prices. I really like Shore’s art, and this Lindor styled in the 1985 Topps design immediately reminded me of the iconic Dwight “Doc” Gooden rookie card from that set. This is also the first Topps card featuring Lindor as a New York Met.
It’s nice to see Tommy LaSorda get some cardboard love after his recent passing. The card is designed in the style of 2021 Topps. It almost looks like a playing card, and I like the large Dodgers logo in the upper left corner. Unlike the actual 2021 Topps cards, the name plate is readable.
6) Babe Ruth by DJ Skee
Over time this card might stick near the top. Done by DJ Skee in the style of 2018 Topps it’s a great contrast with Babe Ruth on a current Topps design. The backdrop of Yankee Stadium and career statistics are an excellent touch and I like the caps in the bottom right corner.
7) Derek Jeter by New York Nico
It’s a fairly bland card using the 1961 Topps design which is one of my favorite vintage offerings. I like the rookie star, but overall it’s a boring card in my opinion.
Advertisements
8) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. by JK5
A lot going on here. When card art takes Topps Fire and puts it on steroids. This card is a bit overwhelming for me, and horizontal cards are my least favorite cards in existence. So, 1956 Topps, the design used here just doesn’t do it for me. This card could be a bottom 10% card once this series wraps up.
9) Ronald Acuna by Snoop Dogg
Like many others I was really excited to see what Snoop Dogg would offer in this project. Even though it ranks last of the nine cards released during the first week, I do appreciate the work. But I would appreciate it far more as an album cover other than a baseball card. This card may be the most divisive card of the release along with Bobby Hundreds’ Ken Griffey Jr. Some love it. Some hate it. As a work of art I enjoy it more than the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ranked higher, but as a baseball card I just can’t get behind this one.
One day before Project 70 released I would have never thought I would be this interested. I am looking forward to seeing the different takes on cards throughout the series, especially what else Bobby Hundreds does with his error cards, which Cubs cards will be released, and what other artists will be offering up.
Project 2020 by Topps was a smashing success. Topps collaborated with artists to give their interpretations on 20 different iconic baseball cards. It was such a success that the company unveiled Project 70 celebrating the 70th anniversary of Topps baseball cards. This time around there will be far more artists and far more cards to interpret. Once the final card from this project is released the checklist will total 1,020 cards.
A total of 51 artists will each release 20 cards in Project 70. The 51 artists is a nod to the first Topps baseball card set released in 1951. Topps will be releasing three cards each weekday and will be available to purchase for 70 hours.
Advertisements
The first three artists of Project 70 are familiar names as both Ben Baller and Ermsy gained a following from their contributions within Project 2020. Ben Baller even did a Topps Chrome collaboration that was sold online. The third artist, DJ Skee, has an impressive music resume and is known as the first DJ to discover and play the music Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Kendrick Lamar on the radio.
Babe Ruth, Mookie Betts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. are the first players to grace a Topps Project 70 card.
Card 1 – Mookie Betts by Ben Baller
Card number one is Mookie Betts by Ben Baller. The 1988 Topps design is something that has grown on me over the years. Still, it’s my least favorite design of the decade, probably because it’s not over used like the more popular designs of the 1980’s. The image of Betts is a bit quirky, almost like he’s directing traffic or wishing a fly ball stays in fair territory. The backdrop with the Hollywood sign is a great touch. Dodgers is prominently displayed on the top of the card and Mookie Betts is clearly spelled out in the bottom corner. Ben Baller even puts his own trademark in the bottom right corner.
Card 2 – Fernando Tatis Jr. by Ermsy
Card number two is my favorite, likely because I have become a big fan of Ermsy’s artwork. Ermsy does Fernando Tatis Jr. in the 1955 Topps design. What I like most about this piece is Fernando’s face stretched across the card. It looks like his outstretched nose and lips wrap around the left arm of Tatis in the foreground image. The name plate, position, and team names at the bottom perfectly contrast with the artwork. While I’m only buying Chicago Cubs cards that may be released in this project, I was tempted to place an order for this card.
Advertisements
Card 3 – Babe Ruth by DJ Skee
The third card Topps Project 70 baseball card is Babe Ruth by DJ Skee. There’s a lot to digest with this card. First, it’s the legend from the early 20th century on a 2018 Topps design. That is one of my favorite things about rehashing old designs, or retired/deceased players. New players on old designs, and legendary Hall of Famers on new designs. The career statistics are a great touch, and how about the New York backdrop in the background.
Overall, I am a big fan of the Topps Project 70 baseball cards. I grew tired very quickly of Project 2020, and had very limited interest because the checklist was set at the beginning and it was the same 20 cards over and over. With Project 70, it’s a surprise as Topps is holding back the checklist. This will drive me to the Topps website on a daily basis to check out the latest three cards released…and my hopes that one of them is a Chicago Cubs baseball card.
Baseball cards are extremely hot right now. And we are still weeks away from Spring Training and Opening Day. The market is only going to rise further on baseball cards in 2021. Do you want to get in on the craze at an extremely low cost buy in? Find cheap baseball card prices in the One Million Cubs Project eBay Store.
I have you covered. My eBay Store is loaded with singles for only 99 cents with FREE shipping. Not only that – if you buy three or more cards you’ll receive an automatic 10% discount at checkout. See a whole bunch of cards you want to buy at these low prices? If you stack 50 or more cards you will receive 20% off at checkout.
Advertisements
I’m not talking about commons from the “junk wax” era. These are Hall of Famers, superstars, rookie cards, and hot top prospects. Take a look at my variation listings for 2019 Bowman Chrome.
Bowman Prospects Baseball Cards
Or how about the sought after Bowman Mega Box “Mojo” refractors? More than 100 are available for about two dollars a piece with free shipping. Note: Fernando Tatis Jr. is not listed for sale and shown for stock image purposes only.
Oddball cards are well stocked. These cards were inserted into Baseball Cards Magazine in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Find more in my eBay Store at cheap baseball card prices.
You might even find some hot young superstars for 99 cents such as Ronald Acuna Jr.
Take a stroll through my eBay Store and the 99 Cents Singles category boasting more than 1,000 listings that includes around 3,000 cards total at those cheap baseball card prices. Don’t forget about those volume discounts!
Perusing the Blowout Forums one day I stumbled upon a thread about a new trading card set from Parkside Cards. The set is titled Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Centennial Draft Class. It commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues with a checklist of the 15 black baseball players drafted in 2020.
To honor those men from 100 years ago, and before Jackie Robinson bravely shattered the color barrier, we have taken the fifteen men selected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft that would have been forbidden from playing then and placed them in appropriate Negro Leagues uniforms.
Advertisements
Once I saw these cards, and that two Chicago Cubs draft picks were on the checklist I ordered immediately. The Cubs drafted Ed Howard with their first round pick, and Jordan Nwogu in the third round of the MLB Draft.
The price tag on these sets is $39.99 plus shipping and tax, which came out to about $50. You will receive the complete 15-card base set plus one autograph. There are also randomly inserted foil cards.
As I opened the box, the first card on top was one for my Cubs collection: Ed Howard. Howard is card number one in the set and is pictured wearing a Chicago American Giants uniform.
Card nine in the set is the second Cubs draft pick, Jordan Nwogu. The 88th overall pick is pictured in a Leland Giants uniform, a team that was founded in 1901.
Four of the 15 players featured in the set were drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. Jordan Walker was the team’s first rounder, picked 21st overall. Walker is pictured in an Atlanta Black Crackers uniform.
Advertisements
Oddly enough, the Black Crackers were originally known as the Atlanta Cubs upon their founding in 1919. Jordan Walker is a Georgia native from Stone Mountain.
The Cardinals drafted Masyn Winn with the 54th overall pick and he is seen here wearing a St. Louis Stars uniform.
Tink Hence is a great baseball name, though “Tink” is just a nickname. His given name is Markevian. Hence was taken with the 63rd overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He’s wearing a St. Louis Giants uniform, one of the founding members of the Negro National League in 1920.
Finally, Leonard Charles Jones IV, or L.V. for short, is the fourth Cardinal on the checklist. Taken with the 152nd overall pick, Jones is sporting the uniform of the barnstorming Kansas City Monarchs.
From the New York Mets, Isaiah Greene is wearing the uniform of the Brooklyn Royal Giants.
Baron Radcliff was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s matched up with the Philadelphia Stars for his baseball card.
The Newark Eagles were formed in 1936, but had a few different iterations in the Negro Leagues. The Eagles were formed out of the consolidation of the Newark Dodgers and Brooklyn Eagles.
Advertisements
Thirteen years later, the franchise moved to Houston where it lasted for two years before moving to New Orleans. They are being represented by Astros draft pick Zachary Daniels.
Hopefully Zavier Warren has a much longer baseball career than the organization he represents on this card – Milwaukee Bears. The Bears joined the Negro National League in 1923 and folded part way through the season.
Another franchise that did not last long, though longer than Milwaukee, was the Washington Potomacs. Sammy Infante, a Washington Nationals draft pick, represents the Potomacs. This team was formed in 1923, but moved to Wilmington, Delaware just a few years later before closing up shop.
Carson Tucker is the second highest draft pick in this set after being taken with the 23rd pick by the Cleveland Indians. Howard is the highest pick at 16th overall. Tucker is wearing the uniform of the Cleveland Buckeyes.
Mackenzie Wainwright was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. His uniform on this card represents the Cincinnati Tigers, who shared Crosley Field with the Reds for four years in the 1930’s.
Alerick Soularie was taken with the 59th overall pick by the Minnesota Twins. He’s wearing a Seattle Stealheads uniform, a team with a short, but interesting history. The Stealheads, also known as the Steelers, were founded by Abe Saperstein. Yes, the same Abe Saperstein that founded the Harlem Globetrotters.
Advertisements
The Steelheads drew players from the Harlem Globetrotters baseball team and played in the West Coast Negro Baseball Association in 1946. That league lasted only three months.
Soulairie was also the foil card I received in a separate envelope in my package. There are three variant foil sets in blue, gold, and purple. Here is the Alerick Soulairie blue foil.
Werner Blakely was taken 111th overall by the Los Angeles Angels. He sports a Philadelphia Royal Giants uniform. The Royal Giants were a California Winter League team based in Los Angeles and even traveled to Japan twice (1927 and 1932).
The Angels draft pick was also my autograph hit. The bright blue sharpie really pops on these cards. According to Parkside’s website, the blue autographs are limited to just 69 copies.
All in all, I give this set an A+ for creativity, history, design, and eye appeal. Since base sets are limited to just 1,500 I would buy one fast before they sell out.
Much like the initial sighting of a Robin signals the first sign of spring, so to does the release of Topps baseball cards. Topps Series One is scheduled to hit stores on February 10. The long awaited checklist was released today. The Topps checklist is jam packed with rookie baseball cards of up and coming stars. Here is your definitive guide to 2021 Topps rookie baseball cards.
This year is much different than any other season because of the Covid-shortened season in 2020. Opening Day was delayed and that meant players making their debut would not get a rookie card in Topps Update. Many former hot prospects climbed the ladder and made their big league debut in 2020.
Advertisements
As many anticipated in the hobby the rookie checklist in 2021 is very strong. If you are unfamiliar with prospects and young players, here is a guide to help you identify the hot rookies this year.
The prospect rankings used in this article are from MLB Pipeline. Since the Top 30 team rankings have yet to be published, I will use team rankings for 2020. In some cases a player had already exhausted his prospect status when MLB Pipeline updated their rankings in the middle of 2020, so I had to go back and use the 2019 ranking. Examples of the latter include Deivi Garcia, Alec Bohm, and Jo Adell.
Before I break down the prospects by team, let’s take a look at the amount of top prospects with a rookie card in 2021 Topps Series One. A total of TWENTY rookies in this product are ranked in the Top 100 prospects in baseball, or were just ahead of their big league debut. That is a tremendous amount of top prospects in a single Topps set.
Top 100 Prospects
Twenty rookies in the 2021 Topps Series One set are currently ranked in the Top 100 prospects in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, or were ranked just before debuting. For a further breakdown check out MLB Pipeline for rankings and scouting reports.
#5 ranked prospect (2019) – JO ADELL – Angels Jo Adell was one of baseball’s hottest prospects recently. He made his big league debut in 2020 and struggled, but remains one of the game’s more promising players.
#10 ranked prospect (2021) – NATE PEARSON – Blue Jays Pearson ranks as one the top pitching prospects and debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays last season. Pearson broke into the top 10 in MLB Pipeline’s most updated prospect rankings heading into the 2021 season.
#11 ranked prospect (2021) – CASEY MIZE – Tigers The number one overall draft pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft: Casey Mize. His much anticipated debut for the Detroit Tigers took place in the shortened 2020 season.
#12 ranked prospect (2021) – CRISTIAN PACHE – Braves Pache made his big league debut with the Atlanta Braves at the age of 21 on August 21, 2020. Pache turned 22 this past November. The outfielder only appeared in two games and went 1-for-4 at the plate in Atlanta.
#13 ranked prospect (2021) – DYLAN CARLSON – Cardinals Carlson launched three home runs as a rookie in 2020. The outfielder also landed seven doubles, but hit just .200 as a big league freshman.
#15 ranked prospect (2021) – SIXTO SANCHEZ – Marlins Sixto Sanchez came up with the Philadelphia Phillies before a trade to Miami. Sanchez not only spent time in the big leagues with the Marlins, he even logged postseason innings in the MLB Playoffs. The 22-year old pitcher went 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA last year in 39 innings.
#18 ranked prospect (2021) – IAN ANDERSON – Braves Another Braves prospect that hit the show in 2020 was right handed pitcher Ian Anderson. Anderson was brilliant as a rookie going 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 32.1 innings.
#19 ranked prospect (2021) – LUIS PATINO – Padres Now with the Tampa Bay Rays as a piece in the Blake Snell trade, Patino broke into the top 20 prospects this year. Patino appeared 11 games, with one start, for the Padres in 2020. He struck out 21 batters in 17.1 innings.
#23 ranked prospect (2021) – JOEY BART – Giants The heir apparent behind the plate to Buster Posey is Joey Bart. His highly anticipated debut in San Francisco occurred on August 20, 2020. He hit .233 in 103 at bats, but struck out 41 times.
#24 ranked prospect (2021) – TARIK SKUBAL – Tigers Skubal was hit hard in his first MLB season. He logged 32 innings with a 5.63 ERA. Skubal did have a 37K/11BB rate in his eight games – seven as a starter.
#34 ranked prospect (2019) – ALEC BOHM – Phillies Bohm was the Phillies’ third overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Making his big league debut on August 13, 2020, Bohm appeared in 44 games for the Phillies. The corner infielder looked impressive on the big stage sporting a .338/.400/.481 slash line, 4 home runs, 23 RBI while drawing 16 walks and striking out 36 times.
#40 ranked prospect (2021) – NICK MADRIGAL – White Sox Madrigal will provide hits and he proved that in his rookie season. The Oregon State product hit .340 in 29 games, and only struck out seven times in 103 at bats.
#42 ranked prospect (2021) – SPENCER HOWARD – Phillies Howard pitched 24.1 innings in 2020 and sported a 1-2 win-loss record with a 5.92 ERA. The second round draft pick out of Cal Poly debuted on August 9, 2020.
#51 ranked prospect (2021) – TRISTON MCKENZIE – Indians Triston McKenzie was very impressive in his rookie campaign. The Indians hurler started eight games with a 3.24 ERA. McKenzie struck out 42 while walking just nine batters in 33.1 innings.
#57 ranked prospect (2021) – KEIBERT RUIZ – Dodgers The future backstop of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Keibert Ruiz. Ruiz had just turned 22 when he made his Dodgers debut. The catcher appeared in two games and went 2-for-8 at the plate and hit his first big league home run.
#62 ranked prospect (2019) – DEIVI GARCIA – Yankees Garcia was quite impressive as a Yankees starting pitcher in his debut. He is still 21 years old (turns 22 on May 19). In six starts last season, Garcia went 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA and struck out 33 batters while walking only six.
#77 ranked prospect (2021) – RYAN MOUNTCASTLE – Orioles Mountcastle launched five home runs his rookie season. The outfielder/first baseman appeared in 35 games and hit .333 while drawing 11 walks to his 30 strikeouts.
#91 ranked prospect (2019) – LUIS GARCIA – Nationals 2020 was the year of Luis Garcia much like the NBA of the 1990’s with Charles Smith. Three, that’s right, THREE, players by the name of Luis Garcia appeared in the MLB during 2020. Two of them made their debuts. This particular Luis Garcia is a shortstop for the Washington Nationals. Garcia just turned 20 when he debuted on August 14, 2020. Over the course of his 40 games, the youngster hit .276 in 134 at bats.
#91 ranked prospect (2021) – DANE DUNNING – White Sox Now with the Texas Rangers, Dane Dunning’s rookie card will have him as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Dunning landed in Chicago a few years ago in the Adam Eaton trade and made his first big league appearance on August 19, 2020. Dunning sports a spotless 2-0 win-loss record with a 3.97 ERA.
#93 ranked prospect (2021) – BOBBY DALBEC– Red Sox In only 23 games as a rookie Bobby Dalbec hit eight home runs. This will be Dalbec’s age 25 season coming off his rookie season shortened by Covid in which he slashed .263/.359/.600.
#95 ranked prospect (2021) – TYLER STEPHENSON – Reds Stephenson, a catcher, hit .294 in his brief time as a Cincinnati Reds rookie. He did hit a pair of home runs in the eight games he appeared.
Advertisements
Organization Prospect Rankings
For those outside of baseball’s top 100 prospects, here we take a look where each rookie falls in their respective organizations. Again, based on when they lost prospect status we will use either 2019 or 2021 MLB Pipeline rankings.
Arizona Diamondbacks Daulton Varsho – #5 Diamondbacks prospect in 2019 Humberto Mejia – #30 Diamondbacks prospect in 2021
Atlanta Braves See top prospects
Baltimore Orioles See top prospects
Boston Red Sox See top prospects
Chicago White Sox Codi Heuer – #23 White Sox prospect in 2019
Chicago Cubs No rookie cards in 2021 Topps Series One
Cincinnati Reds See top prospects
Cleveland Indians Daniel Johnson – #18 Indians prospect in 2020
Colorado Rockies Ryan Castellani – #15 Rockies prospect in 2019
Detroit Tigers Isaac Paredes – #6 Tigers prospect in 2020 Beau Burrows – #15 Tigers prospect in 2020
Houston Astros Cristian Javier – #9 Astros prospect in 2019 Brandon Bielak – #10 Astros prospect in 2019 Blake Taylor – unranked
Kansas City Royals Brady Singer – #2 Royals prospect in 2019 Kris Bubic – #6 Royals prospect in 2019 Nick Heath – #28 Royals prospect in 2021 Edward Olivares – unranked
Los Angeles Angels See top prospects
Los Angeles Dodgers Mitch White – #9 Dodgers prospect in 2020
Advertisements
Miami Marlins Jesus Sanchez – #5 Marlins prospect in 2020 Monte Harrison – #10 Marlins prospect in 2020 Nick Neidert – #11 Marlins prospect in 2020 Eddy Alvarez – unranked
Milwaukee Brewers No rookie cards in 2021 Topps Series One
Minnesota Twins No rookie cards in 2021 Topps Series One
New York Yankees Albert Abreu – #12 Yankees prospect in 2020
New York Mets Andres Gimenez – #3 Mets prospect in 2019 David Peterson – #7 Mets prospect in 2019
Oakland Athletics James Kaprielian – #12 Athletics prospect in 2020
Philadelphia Phillies See top prospects
Pittsburgh Pirates No rookie cards in 2021 Topps Series One
San Diego Padres See top prospects
San Francisco Giants Chadwick Tromp – unranked
Seatte Mariners Evan White – #4 Mariners prospect in 2019
St. Louis Cardinals Kodi Whitley – #14 Cardinals prospect in 2020
Tampa Bay Rays No rookies in 2021 Topps Series One
Texas Rangers Leody Taveras – #4 Rangers prospect in 2020 Anderson Tejeda – #8 Rangers prospect in 2020
Toronto Blue Jays Santiago Espinal – unranked
Washington Nationals See top prospects
Advertisements
FULL 2021 Topps Series One ROOKIE Checklist
#10 Daulton Varsho Arizona Diamondbacks
#12 Joey Bart San Francisco Giants
#25 Sixto Sanchez Miami Marlins
#26 Bobby Dalbec Boston Red Sox
#32 Edward Olivares Kansas City Royals
#41 Deivi Garcia New York Yankees
#43 Jo Adell Angels
#53 Andres Gimenez New York Mets
#65 Isaac Paredes Detroit Tigers
#78 David Peterson New York Mets
#88 Albert Abreu New York Yankees
#92 Tarik Skubal Detroit Tigers
#103 Daniel Johnson Cleveland Indians
#113 Nate Pearson Toronto Blue Jays
#122 Nick Heath Kansas City Royals
#123 Beau Burrows Detroit Tigers
#126 Monte Harrison Miami Marlins
#139 Humberto Mejia Arizona Diamondbacks
#143 Ryan Mountcastle Baltimore Orioles
#144 Anderson Tejeda Texas Rangers
#145 Kodi Whitley St. Louis Cardinals
#151 Evan White Seattle Mariners
#153 Tyler Stephenson Cincinnati Reds
#167 James Kaprielian Oakland Athletics
#169 Brady Singer Kansas City Royals
#177 Ryan Castellani Colorado Rockies
#183 Cristian Javier Houston Astros
#187 Cristian Pache Atlanta Braves
#193 Brandon Bielak Houston Astros
#197 Nick Madrigal Chicago White Sox
#205 Luis Patiño San Diego Padres
#221 Chadwick Tromp San Francisco Giants
#228 Blake Taylor Houston Astros
#231 Dane Dunning Chicago White Sox
#238 Kris Bubic Kansas City Royals
#239 Ian Anderson Atlanta Braves
#243 Santiago Espinal Toronto Blue Jays
#244 Spencer Howard Philadelphia Phillies
#256 Keibert Ruiz Los Angeles Dodgers
#264 Leody Taveras Texas Rangers
#269 Jesus Sanchez Miami Marlins
#270 Mitch White Los Angeles Dodgers
#277 Alec Bohm Philadelphia Phillies
#285 Dylan Carlson St. Louis Cardinals
#298 Luis Garcia Washington Nationals
#311 Codi Heuer Chicago White Sox
#319 Triston McKenzie Cleveland Indians
#321 Casey Mize Detroit Tigers
#324 Nick Neidert Miami Marlins
#326 Eddy Alvarez Miami Marlins
What’s my grade for the rookie class of 2021 Topps? A+. This is a dynamic rookie class with plenty of talented baseball cards to chase. The only unfortunate part, for me, is that there are zero Chicago Cubs rookie cards.
