Marc Rzepczynski is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the big leagues from 2009-2016. While he was never a superstar, Rzepczynski did carve out an 8-year MLB career as a reliable left-handed specialist out of the bullpen. As a result, he has a collection of baseball cards from his time in the majors. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most noteworthy Marc Rzepczynski baseball cards from throughout his playing days.
2009 Topps #552 Marc Rzepczynski (RC): This serves as Rzepczynski’s rookie card from his debut MLB season with the San Diego Padres. It features a photo of him in a Padres uniform from his rookie year in 2009. The card stock is standard for Topps base cards from that era. While not one of the flashier RCs out there, it remains the first widely available card showing Rzepczynski as a big leaguer. For Padres and Rzepczynski collectors, this serves as a key piece to track his early career.
2010 Topps #618 Marc Rzepczynski: In his second big league season, Rzepczynski was traded mid-year from San Diego to Toronto. This 2010 Topps base card captured him as a member of the Blue Jays. The photo shows him winding up on the mound in Toronto’s home whites. Card collectors took note of Rzepczynski’s change of scenery to a new team after just one year in San Diego. While common, it’s an important card to have for anyone chronicling Rzepczynski’s full MLB pathway.
2011 Topps Update #US265 Marc Rzepczynski: During the 2011 season, Topps released card #US265 as part of their baseball card “Update” series focusing on mid-season player movements. It features Rzepczynski in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform, as he was dealt from Toronto to St. Louis at the trade deadline that year. The card stock design matches the primary 2011 Topps base set. For Cardinals collectors, it marked Rzepczynski’s arrival in St. Louis via trade after spending time previously with San Diego and Toronto.
2012 Topps #508 Marc Rzepczynski: By 2012, Rzepczynski had spent two full seasons with the Cardinals and become a mainstay in their bullpen. This base card from Topps’ flagship release that year features him in a St. Louis uniform. It’s a simple but telling visual benchmark for those following Rzepczynski’s path through multiple franchise changes early on. Being with St. Louis for two years by that point offered some stability after prior trades.
2013 Topps #384 Marc Rzepczynski: In 2013, Rzepczynski experienced another mid-season change after being dealt from St. Louis back to Cleveland, where he began his pro career in their farm system. Topps duly noted the transition with this ‘Traded’ sticker adornment on the 2013 Topps base card. It brought his path full circle while giving Cleveland fans their first cardboard taste of him in their uniform since he entered the minors in their organization years earlier.
2014 Topps Update #US265 Marc Rzepczynski: Rzepczynski kicked off 2014 back with Cleveland but was eventually traded again, this time to Washington at mid-season. Topps’ ’14 Update set recognized the mid-season deal with card US265, transitioning Rzepczynski from an Indians uniform to a Nationals uniform mid-print run. It highlighted another changing of the jerseys for the well-traveled lefty reliever.
2015 Topps #587 Marc Rzepczynski: By 2015, Rzepczynski had found a bit more long-term footing after signing a free agent contract that off-season to return to the Cleveland Indians. This Topps base card represents him back with Cleveland for a second stint, offering continuity for his collectors after several franchises in prior years. His familiarity with the Indians franchise by that point made it a natural landing spot.
2016 Topps Update #US280 Marc Rzepczynski: Rzepcynski’s final major league baseball card appearance came in Topps’ 2016 Update set after being traded late that season from Cleveland to Washington for a second tour of duty with the Nationals. Card US280 transitioned his uniform from Indiansthreads to Nationals navy. It served as the capstone for a collecting odyssey that documented Rzepczynski’s lengthy tour through multiple MLB organizations.
In total, Marc Rzepczynski’s decade-long MLB journey yielded eight different baseball cards across his franchises. For those who followed his path, the cards provided a visual scrapbook of his travels that reflected his durability and usefulness as a left-handed specialist. While not a true superstar, Rzepczynski’s career and subsequent card portfolio offered an interesting case study of a journeyman reliever who found ways to stick in the big leagues for an extended period of time.
