The 2017 Topps Baseball Series 1 set introduced fans to the new crop of rookies and stars from the 2017 MLB season. As the flagship release from trading card giant Topps, Series 1 established themes and designs that would be expanded on in later series releases throughout the year.
The base card design featured a simple white border around a solid color photo of each player. Paying homage to Topps’ original 1954 design, the solid colors gave each card a very clean and classic look. At the core of any Topps Series 1 set are the rookie cards – young players just embarking on their MLB careers. 2017 was no exception, with future stars like Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, and Andrew Benintendi among those featured in the set as rookies.
As with any Series 1 release, the checklist was extensive, featuring over 350 total cards with base versions of nearly every player on a Major League roster. Topps also included variations like “Gold Foil” parallels, available one per pack on average. These featured the same photo but with a gold ink border that brought more visual appeal. Additional parallels like Blue, Red, and Silver added further to the excitement of the hunt.
Short prints were also included in each box, with the SP cards featuring different photos than the base versions. Legendary players like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays got an SP tribute nod. Checklist highlights outside of rookies included big stars like Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, and new Chicago CubsWorld Series heroes like Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. Jason Heyward also received top billing as one of the Cubs’ 2016 offseason acquisitions.
Veteran stars still going strong like Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki, and Bartolo Colon added a sense of familiarity and baseball history. Rookies and prospects like Gleyber Torres, Yoan Moncada, and David Dahl represented the future. Internationally, players like Shohei Ohtani and Shohei Otani gained initial cardboard presence in America with their Series 1 rookie cards as well.
Ace starting pitchers like Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber, and Chris Sale highlighted each team with potent on-field performance photos. Meanwhile, larger-than-life sluggers like Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper and home run kings like Miguel Sano and Gary Sanchez flexed their power potential on cardboard. Of course, franchise cornerstones like Mike Trout and Buster Posey anchored the checklist as perennial superstars.
Fans also found autographed and memorabilia rookie cards of prized prospects mixed throughout packs. ‘Chrome’ parallels featured refractive surfaces and added another layer of collecting potential. As with any Year One release, these early looks at the emerging stars held tremendous long-term potential if any of the featured rookies blossomed into superstars.
Additionally, Topps offered value-added promotions like rewards cards that could be redeemed for special prizes. Multi-player inserts brought attention to position players, pitching staffs and top rookies across the league. As with prior years, Series 1 established a familiar but fresh foundation for a full year of baseball card releases spanning multiple series and special sets/co-branded issues.
Overall, Topps MLB Series 1 for 2017 delivered the yearly ritual of baseball’s opening day in cardboard form. From established veterans through rising stars and future impact players, the set represented Major League Baseball at the start of another season with visual flair and collecting depth that endured well past Opening Day. While releases continued evolving, the first Series maintained tradition by previewing the current MLB landscape each spring.
