The 2014 Topps Baseball Cards Update series contained a variety of Insert cards highlighting top performers from the second half of the MLB season as well as prospects to watch for the future. As with previous annual Update issues, this mid-to-late season release from Topps focused on including statistical and roster updates for players while also providing collectors new visual designs and parallel variations to chase after.
Starting with the base card designs, the 2014 Update featured a clean and straightforward look that maintained continuity with the main Series 1 and Series 2 issues from earlier that year. On a white cardboard stock, each player was photographed against a solid color background with their team logo and positional indicator in the bottom left corner. Statistics such as batting average, home runs, and RBI were moved to the bottom right with a pennant graphic separating the stats from the headshot. Numbers on the front also referenced short printed parallels and serially numbered reductions that could be found throughout packs.
Some of the most coveted Inserts in the 2014 Topps Update centered around celebrating current season accomplishments, such as the Hank Aaron Award cards highlighting the top offensive performer from each league in both the American and National leagues. Four total cards were included picturing Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves and Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies as the AL and NL winners respectively in the first half of 2014. Similarly, the Topps All-Star cards paid tribute to selections from that year’s midsummer classic such as Clayton Kershaw, Yasiel Puig, and Andrew McCutchen.
Prospect watchers had much to look for as well with Update becoming a go-to product for following minor leaguers on the verge of a big league call up. The Topps Prospects cards showcased future talents like Kris Bryant, Corey Seager, and Carlos Rodon who were all top ranked prospects at the time but had yet to make their MLB debuts. The Popular Players subset also highlighted several up-and-coming rookies from 2014 like Jacob deGrom and José Abreu who made immediate impression with their performances as first year players.
As with any Postseason issuance from Topps, Update also paid tribute the achievements and storylines from October. Cards were dedicated to the 2014 World Series matchup between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals as well as highlighting individual award winners like Mike Trout taking home his second MVP trophy. A special insert set called Legends of the Fall also looked back at iconic Fall Classic moments from previous years featuring iconic images of Kirby Puckett, David Freese, and more.
For parallels and short prints to chase, 2014 Update offered up several exciting options to add scarcity. The Gold parallels featured a reflective gold ink treatment on the player photo numbering /249 copies. The Silver variant was limited to only /75 prints. Topps also included their popular Black parallel style limited to a tiny /10 editions. Serial numbered reductions of major stars to /499 or /75 were spread throughout packs as super short prints. The elusive 1/1 printing plate autographs signified the true holy grails for intense completionists.
Overall, 2014 Topps Baseball Cards Update delivered another solid midseason offering that served both casual fans and avid collectors well. With attractive designs, a lively mixture of current stats and past/future stars, and ample parallels to hunt – the product succeeded in its role of being a snapshots of where the season and players stood at that moment in time. While the base roster cards have inevitably been superseded, many of the special Inserts focusing on milestones and top rookies/prospects from that year continue to hold lasting appeal and memory for collectors today. The 2014 Topps Update lives on as one of the better and more memorable annual Postseason issues in recent baseball card history.
