The 2001 Topps Major League Baseball Series 2 baseball card set was the second series of regularly issued player and team cardsproduced that year by the Topps Company. Following the release of the initial Series 1 set earlier in the season, Series 2 provided fans the opportunity to collect updated photos and statistics for their favorite players as the regular season progressed.
Some key things to know about the 2001 Topps MLB Series 2 set include:
The set featured 264 total trading cards including photos of 248 different players from across the 30 Major League Baseball teams at the time.
Design-wise, the cards featured mostly vertical player portraits with team logos at the top and player names, positions, and stats along the bottom. Backs included individual stats for that season at the time of publishing.
Rookies featured in the set included Troy Glaus, Mike Piazza, Jason Giambi, and Jermaine Dye among others who were breaking out as star players that season.
Serial numbers on the reverse ranged from S2-264 though not all numbers were used. The iconic Topps logo was plastered across several areas of each card front and back.
Insert sets within Series 2 included “Prospects to Remember” highlighting up-and-coming young talents, “Hitting Stars” focusing on top sluggers, “Power Pitchers” for ace hurlers, and “Diamond Kings” paralleling the style of classic tobacco era cards.
Short print and autograph parallel insert cards provided options for chase cards and inserted rarity/chase factors into pack/box breaks for enthusiasts.
Some notable rookies and key players recognized in the 2001 Topps MLB Series 2 set include:
Colorado Rockies SS Tony Womack, who brought speed and contact abilities to the top of their lineup. His .338 average placed him 7th in the NL batting race that season.
Los Angeles Dodgers P Eric Gagne, who was emerging as one of the premier late-inning relievers in baseball with an NL-leading 26 saves and sub-2.00 ERA at the Series 2 publishing point.
Houston Astros 1B Jeff Bagwell, who posted a mammoth .348/.458/.613 slash line through the first half and appeared on his way to a second career batting title and MVP award.
St. Louis Cardinals SS Edgar Renteria, fresh off winning the 2000 World Series MVP, continued providing excellent defense and contact ability out of the leadoff spot.
Oakland Athletics P Tim Hudson, who enjoyed a breakout season with a 13-3 record and 2.99 ERA marked by pinpoint control as a key member of the A’s rotation.
Toronto Blue Jays P Roy Halladay, who asserted himself as an emerging staff ace with a 10-3 mark and AL-best 2.15 ERA through mid-season in his 2nd full big league campaign.
New York Yankees P Andy Pettitte, who madehis mark as a clutch postseason performer and was off to another typical consistent, effective season for the Bronx Bombers.
Montreal Expos OF Vladimir Guerrero, who amazed with his raw power potential from the right side of the plate and developing all-around offensive abilities.
In terms of the market and collectibility of the 2001 Topps MLB Series 2 base set today, some notable aspects include:
Packs and unopened wax boxes can still be readily found on the secondary market for affordable prices given the relatively recent vintage of the set.
Single raw commons cards tend to trade hands for under $1 each unless it’s a star player. Top rookie cards may fetch $2-5 depending on condition and name.
PSA/BGS Gem Mint 10 graded rookies of players who went on to have Hall of Fame careers like Glaus, Dye, Piazza occasionally come up for auction in the $50-100 range.
Autograph and memorabilia parallel inserts as well as unopened special parallel packs featuring players like Mariano Rivera, Cal Ripken Jr., Chipper Jones command higher prices upwards of $75-150+ depending on the specific parallel and autographed status.
Complete commons-and-short-prints sets in PSA/SGC Slabs have sold in recent years in the $75-150 range depending on condition and inclusion of coveted error/photo variation cards which provide a little challenge/chase for set collectors.
While not considered one of the true flagship sets of the modern era due to its later issue date 2001 Topps MLB Series 2 provides an affordable set that new and vintage collectors enjoy completing. It gives a snapshot of that specific season’s events and some all-time great players as their careers blossomed, making it a fun set to explore for baseball card enthusiasts even 20+ years later.
