The 2013 Topps Update baseball card series was released in late August/early September 2013 as the third installment of Topps’ flagship baseball card product line for that year. Topps Update has become an annual tradition that baseball card collectors look forward to, as it provides the opportunity to get cards of players who were not included in the earlier Series 1 or Series 2 releases due to call-ups, late season performances, awards, and other factors.
The 2013 Topps Update set included 330 total cards and featured a variety of rookies, stars, and prospects from both the American and National Leagues. Some of the top rookies included Todd Frazier, Anthony Rendon, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Wil Myers, Michael Wacha, and Shelby Miller. Emerging stars like Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, and Mike Trout also received cards after earning prominent roles on their teams. Veteran players having career years like Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, and Clayton Kershaw also made the cut.
In addition to standard base cards, Topps Update also included various parallels and insert sets. There were Silver Pack parallels at a ratio of 1:4 of the base cards. Additionally, Topps produced Red Refractors parallels at a much rarer 1:90 packs ratio. The annual Topps Chrome set was once again included as a mini-subset, featuring 65 reflection-style cards at ratios of 1:24 packs for the base and 1:72 for the blue refractor parallel.
Some of the notable insert sets included All-Time Fan Favorites, Flashbacks, Rookie Autographs, and Mini Leaders. The Fan Favorites subset paid tribute to legends of the past like Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson. Flashbacks took a look back at iconic MLB moments from years past. The mini Leaders cards highlighted single-season statistical milestones. And Topps did include a scarce 3-card Rookie Autograph set featuring cards of Wil Myers, Shelby Miller, and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
The design theme for 2013 Topps Update centered around classic baseball imagery mixed with modern stylistic elements. The clean white borders and solid colors created a vintage baseball card aesthetic. Player names were placed prominently at the top in bold font with their team logo incorporated. Statistics were included on the reverse along with career highlights. Some parallel variations like the Chrome and Refractors presented with inverted color schemes compared to the base design. The creative design executed a neat balance of nostalgia blended with contemporary flair.
In terms of overall production and print run sizes, Beckett Almanac estimates Topps printed around 30 million packs of 2013 Topps Update baseball cards. With 11 cards per pack and 99 cards per box, that translates to a mammoth total print run estimated at upwards of 300 million individual cards. As with most modern Topps releases, printed sheets and boxes were overproduced to meet mass retailer demand, ensuring availability in general hobby shops, drug stores, supermarkets and online for months after initial release.
When first arriving in the secondary market in late 2013, the bulk of 2013 Topps Update base cards held little monetary value and often sold for just pennies apiece. Some key rookies and parallels immediately commanded higher prices. For example, the prized Wil Myers autograph RC debuted around the $100-200 range and steadily climbed from there as his career progressed. The Update Chrome and Refractor parallels of stars like Trout, Harvey, and Puig also sold briskly online.
In the years since, 2013 Topps Update cards have steadily increased in overall collector interest and secondary market valuation. Set-building enthusiasts continue picking up missing base cards to complete their albums. The emergence of prospects like Correa, Bryant, Lindor and Seager have made those players’ rookie cards more significant. And parallels of superstar performers like Kershaw, Arenado, Goldschmidt and more remain highly sought. On the whole, 2013 Topps Update has proven to be one of the strongest modern issues and provides a fascinating snapshot of where today’s MLB stood nearly a decade ago.
In conclusion, 2013 Topps Update baseball cards delivered on the tradition of highlighting the season’s top new players and performances through a classic yet modern design aesthetic. With high print runs to ensure reach into the mass market combined memorable rookie cards, parallels and inserts, the set became both accessible yet collectible. In the years since, 2013 Topps Update has grown in relevance and secondary valuation thanks to the continued success of the players featured. It serves as an important collection piece for documenting where today’s biggest stars began their journey in professional baseball.
