The 2020 Topps Baseball Card set featured cards for over 800 major and minor league baseball players. As with every year, Topps produced both regular and insert card variations aimed at both new collectors as well as those looking to complete full sets. The 2020 set contained several special subsets celebrating milestones and achievements within the game.
The flagship 2020 Topps Baseball set contains flagship cards numbered 1-398 along with the usual assortment of insert cards mixed into factory and retail wax packs and boxes. For collectors completing the flagship set, the big chase was star rookie cards such as Gavin Lux, Luis Robert, and Dylan Carlson. Notable veterans in the set included Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and many other top active players.
For those looking to complete a full 9-card insert run, Topps offered multiple options. The ‘Then and Now’ subset featured current players paired with rookie cards of Baseball Hall of Famers from years past. Subsets honoring milestones included ‘MLB Debuts’ for players’ first Major League cards and the ’20 Seasons Club’ honoring those with two decades in the Majors. Topps also released ‘Records and Milestones’ inserts highlighting various career accomplishments.
Perhaps the most interesting 2020 Topps insert set celebrated Negro League legends through the ‘Negro Leagues Tribute’ cards. This 9-card subset paid homage to trailblazers like Josh Gibson, Buck O’Neil and Cool Papa Bell with retro-style artwork in honor of their historic careers and contributions prior to the integration of Major League Baseball. For collectors of MLB history, these impactful cards help shine a light on some of the game’s forgotten pioneers.
In addition to packs, boxes and blasters sold through traditional retail outlets, Topps released a complete 2020 Baseball set as both a factory set and entry-level hobby set for collectors. The 960-card factory set contained the base flagship issue along with all the standard insert sets broken out and packaged complete in one box. This provided an accessible one-stop shop option for collectors without breaking the bank through individual card purchases online.
For the more die-hard collectors, Topps offered three variations of the 2020 Flagship set in hobby form through specialty card shops, shows and websites. The Hobby Jumbo and Hobby Jumbo X featured randomized hits including auto/relic parallels and one-of-one printing plates. But the true high-end was the Luxury Suite Limited Edition, featuring serial-numbered relic autograph parallels between 1/1 to 5/5 of huge stars like Mike Trout, Christian Yelich and more.
Some key differences between the Topps flagship releases for casual collectors versus hardcore collectors included variations in print runs, parallels and serial numbering. Parallels and short prints were inserted much more frequently in the hobby versions giving collectors randomized more valuable chase cards to pursue. Numbering was also shifted between the sets, with retail using higher print run numbering like player cards numbered out of 399.
While the flagship Topps 2020 set provided the meat and potatoes for baseball card collectors, retail and hobby exclusive inserts offered something extra. Topps Chrome and Allen & Ginter each delivered their own array of inserts showcasing different aesthetics and subjects. Contenders and Stadium Club also released higher-end sets capturing game-worn memorabilia parallels of today’s biggest names.
Whether completing the flagship base set, chasing sought-after rookie cards or pursuing the rarest parallels, the 2020 Topps Baseball card releases had something for all levels of collectors. The brand continues to be the leading force in the industry thanks to its iconic photography, timeless design and tributes to the rich history of America’s pastime on cardboard. For many collectors young and old, those 2020 Topps cards released the thrill of the new baseball season each spring and captured another year’s worth of memorable MLB moments.
