Baseball cards have been a fun and popular hobby for over a century. The 2016 season brought another year of exciting players, teams, and memorable moments that were captured on baseball cards. Here is an in-depth look at some of the top cards, sets, and stories from the 2016 season.
One of the biggest card releases of 2016 was Topps Series 1. As the flagship set each year from Topps, Series 1 is highly anticipated by collectors. The 2016 edition featured many of the game’s biggest stars on the rise, including Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, who was coming off a Rookie of the Year season. Bryant’s card ended up being one of the most sought after rookie cards from the set. Other top rookies included Corey Seager of the Dodgers and Nomar Mazara of the Rangers. The set also highlighted veterans in new uniforms like Jason Heyward’s first Cardinals card and Ian Desmond’s debut for the Rangers. With its classic design and abundance of stars both young and old, Topps Series 1 is usually the most collected set each year and 2016 was no exception.
While Topps Series 1 led the way, other mainstream brands also released notable sets in 2016. Panini Donruss had another strong year with its Optic product. Featuring refractors and parallels of current stars, Optic inserted short printed veterans along with rookie cards of players like Seager and Bryant. The design was clean and modern, capturing the look of today’s game. Over at Upper Deck, the 2016 Goodwin Champions set paid tribute to iconic players and moments from baseball history with retro photo cards of legends like Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax. Upper Deck also released its Artifacts set, which mixed current players with unique relic and autograph cards featuring swatches and signatures from some of the game’s all-time greats.
In addition to the big brands, the independent and hobby-only markets had a strong showing in 2016 as well. Companies like Topps Heritage, Leaf, and Stadium Club produced high-end sets capturing the nostalgia of the sport. These releases mixed vintage designs with modern parallels and serial-numbered hits to appeal to collectors seeking differentiated products. Newer indie brands like Topps Archives Signature Series and Panini Immaculate also gained traction by focusing solely on autograph and memorabilia cards of today’s stars and yesterday’s icons at super-premium price points.
When it came to the actual season itself, several storylines played out that kept collectors engaged:
The Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year World Series drought, captivating the country. Cubs stars like Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Jake Arrieta had a massive surge in card values as the team made their championship run.
Rookies like Seager, Mazara, and Yankees pitcher Michael Fulmer excelled in their first seasons. Their rookie cards from Topps, Panini, and others were some of the hottest commodities on the secondary market.
Veteran stars like Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, and Bryce Harper continued putting up eye-popping stats and remaining among the most valuable modern players in the hobby.
Retirements of Mariano Rivera, David Ortiz, and Ichiro Suzuki at season’s end spawned a wave of interest in their previous cards as collectors commemorated their legendary careers.
Surprise breakout players like Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, and Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara kept the hobby excited with their emerging talent captured in flagship rookie issues and prospect cards.
As the offseason began, collectors started looking ahead to 2017 with optimism. Rookies like Dodgers Cody Bellinger and White Sox Yoan Moncada had promising debuts generating buzz for their upcoming rookie cards. Meanwhile, the World Baseball Classic in March would spotlight international stars on a global stage. With the never-ending cycle of players, teams, and seasons in Major League Baseball, there was plenty on deck to fuel the hobby in the year ahead. The 2016 season proved once again why baseball cards remain a collectible with lasting appeal, whether reliving past glory or anticipating future stardom.
2016 was another strong year for the baseball card industry. Rookies, stars, and memorable moments from the season provided a wealth of material for the major card companies to showcase. While flagship products led the way, independent sets also thrived meeting the diverse interests of today’s collectors. With the never-ending cycle of players and seasons in baseball, 2016 ensured the hobby would remain as vibrant as ever looking forward.
