The 1995 Topps baseball card Series 2 release was the second series of Topps’ flagship set issued that year. Series 2 followed the initial Series 1 release in providing collectors an opportunity to continue building their complete 1995 Topps baseball card collection in the months following the Major League Baseball season.

Some key details about the 1995 Topps Series 2 baseball cards include:

The set included 234 total trading cards that featured current Major League players as well as managers and coaches.

Several of the cards in the set depicted key rookies from the 1995 season, including Bobby Abreu (card #55), Daryle Ward (card #144), and Mike Piazza (card #138). Piazza went on to have one of the most prolific rookie seasons ever by a catcher, hitting .318 with 35 home runs and 112 RBIs.

Veteran stars included in the set spanned all positions, such as outfielders Barry Bonds (card #29), Ken Griffey Jr. (card #103), and Ivan Rodriguez (card #177), pitchers Greg Maddux (card #1) and Tom Glavine (card #37), and infielder Cal Ripken Jr. (card #109).

The design theme continued Topps’ long-running tradition of a clean white border surrounding each image, with statistics and additional information printed along the bottom. This basic card design had remained largely unchanged by Topps since the late 1980s.

As was standard for Topps Series 2 releases, the reintroduction of players who did not appear in Series 1 allowed for the inclusion of many more stars and key performers from the just-completed season. This helped collectors to more fully complete their sets versus relying solely on Series 1.

The set was sold in wax packs containing approximately 11 cards per pack, or in factory-sealed wax boxes containing either 24 or 36 total packs. Individual loose packs had a MSRP of $1, while the 24-pack boxes sold for around $24 and 36-pack boxes went for about $36.

Some of the inserts included in 1995 Topps Series 2 packs were Star Power Silver Signatures, Diamond Kings, Checklist Future Stars, and Rookies & Minor Leagues inserts highlighting top prospects. These helped provide collector variety beyond the base card issue numbers.

Topps continued its tradition of including manager and coach “tab” cards in Series 2. These non-playing personnel cards were printed on a thinner stock of paper and had a different design than the player cards. Notable managers included in the 1995 set were Bobby Cox (card #M4) of the Atlanta Braves and Davey Johnson (card #M8) of the Cincinnati Reds.

Now let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest star cards and rookies included in the 1995 Topps Series 2 release:

Barry Bonds – As he was coming off yet another MVP season with the Pirates in 1994, Barry Bonds’ imposing image and impressive stats made his card #29 one of the most sought after in the Series 2 set. That season he hit .444 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs.

Ivan Rodriguez – “Pudge” Rodriguez had quickly established himself as the premier catcher in baseball by 1995 with his defensive skills and improving bat. His card #177 highlighted a very good 1994 season of a .293 average with 15 homers for the Rangers.

Ken Griffey Jr. – Few players were as exciting or popular as “Junior” Griffey during the mid-1990s. His card #103 featured one of the iconic player poses and swing shots Topps used often for the younger Griffey during his Mariners years.

Greg Maddux – As one of the game’s best pitchers, Greg Maddux led off the set with card #1. It depicted him in a Braves uniform as he was coming off yet another Cy Young Award-winning season with a spectacular 19-2 record and 1.56 ERA in 1994.

Tom Glavine – Maddux’s Braves teammate and fellow ace, Tom Glavine, received card #37. In 1994, Glavine posted an impressive 17-11 record and 3.68 ERA for the world champion Braves staff.

Cal Ripken Jr. – Having broken Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak the prior season, Cal Ripken Jr. remained one of baseball’s most celebrated players. His card #109 for the 1995 season was one of the most iconic in the set.

Mike Piazza – As one of the top rookies in 1995, Piazza’s imposing rookie card #138 became one of the most sought after in the set. He hit 31 home runs that first season and went on to a Hall of Fame career primarily with the Dodgers.

Bobby Abreu – Another stellar rookie in 1995 was Bobby Abreu, whose card #55 highlighted his debut season with the Phillies where he hit .250 in 57 games and showed promising on-base skills. He went on to a long, productive career.

The 1995 Topps Series 2 baseball card release provided collectors the chance to complete their sets begun with Series 1 earlier that year. Featuring top stars, rookie debuts, and vintage Topps design, the set has become a highly collectible issue prized by both casual and serious collectors today. Its combination of historical content and investment potential continue to make 1995 Topps Series 2 a revered part of the hallowed Topps baseball card lineage.