The 2020 Topps Baseball release featured some of the most coveted rookie cards and veteran standouts of the year. While the coronavirus pandemic significantly shortened and altered the MLB season, Topps still managed to commemorate the season through its extensive card set. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top rookies, veterans, and parallels that stand out as being among the most valuable and sought after from the 2020 Topps Baseball release.
Perhaps the biggest star of the rookie class was Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mike Trout, who continued to cement his status as one of the game’s all-time greats. Trout’s primary base card has plenty of nostalgic appeal as one of the faces of the brand. His autograph and memorabilia cards consistently command thousands of dollars on the secondary market. Fellow Angels star Shohei Ohtani also saw strong demand for his Topps cards after returning from injury to play both ways in 2020.
On the rookie side, Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays is considered by many to have the best looking base card of the class. As a flashy young shortstop who flashed power and potential, Bichette became a fan favorite and his Topps rookies sold for over $100 each early on. Likewise, Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox impressed in his debut season and has dynamic photography highlighting his speed and athleticism that makes his cards very desirable. Gavin Lux of the Dodgers and Cristian Pache of the Atlanta Braves also have designs that popped on shelves and helped drive early interest in their rookie cards.
While the usual suspects like Trout and Yelich drew focus, there were some surprising veterans who produced some of the more valuable Topps parallels in 2020 as well. A popular ‘ Rainbow Foil’ parallel of Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman popped up online fetching $500-600 each. Similarly, the Luis Robert blue ‘Rainbow Foil’ parallel numbered to /150 copies sold for north of $800 each during the season. For low-numbered parallels, completists clamored for Edwin Diaz’s ‘Top Gun’ parallel featuring the New York Mets closer that was limited to a mere 5 copies.
The highly anticipated design updates within the flagship Topps base set also created excitement. Inspired by Topps traditions from the 1970s, the vibrant color palette and photography were a welcomed change of pace. Fan favorites like Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Ronald Acuña Jr. all had dazzling base cards that collectors snapped up. The return of the classic ‘Traded’ subset highlighting players who switched teams midseason was a big hit. Mookie Betts in a Dodger uniform and Starling Marte as a Miami Marlin got significant buzz in that subset.
When it came to Topps special insert sets within the release, the ‘Photo Shootouts’ featuring stylized action photography stood out. Shohei Ohtani’s was particularly eye-catching with him depicted swinging away. Likewise, the ‘Tier One’ parallels numbered to just 10 copies each sold at auction starting around $1000 per card and went up from there depending on the player featured. For the highest-end parallels, less than 5 copies exist worldwide of cards like Trout’s ‘Gold Label’ parallel making them truly one-of-one collectibles in the eyes of many.
In terms of chase autographed rookie cards, Luis Robert, Gavin Lux, and Cristian Pache all saw strong early pulls that commanded $500-1000 or more due to the player’s upside and potential long-term value. Meanwhile, veterans Mike Trout and Christian Yelich consistently appear at the top of most valuable autograph lists given their sustained superstar production. Rarer memorabilia cards combining autographs with swatches of jersey or other game-used memorabilia often trade hands for thousands or tens of thousands depending on the player pedigree and serial numbers attached.
While the 2020 MLB season had many challenges, Topps provided a worthy commemoration through sharp photography, innovative design, and plentiful parallels to chase. The flagship products highlighted many established veterans and emerging rookies who kept collectors engaged throughout a difficult year. Topps was successful in capturing the anticipation around rookies like Robert while reinforcing legends like Trout as the greatest of their generation. When looking back at the 2020 release years from now, these standout cards will continually remind fans of the season and players who defined that challenging yet memorable year in baseball history.
