The 2016 baseball season was a rebuilding year for the Oakland Athletics. After losing 88 games in 2015, the team embarked on a youth movement, looking to develop promising young talent for future success. Topps’ 2016 Athletics baseball card set reflected this transition period through its photography and player selection.
With longtime stars like Brandon Moss, Ben Zobrist, and Scott Kazmir no longer on the roster, newcomers and up-and-coming players took center stage in the cardboard. Topps photographers shot many of these athletes against the lush green backdrop of the Oakland Coliseum, showcasing the natural beauty of the venue. Some cards even featured portraits taken outdoors near the ballpark or at spring training in Arizona, hinting at the fresh start underway.
Veteran hurler Scott Kazmir, coming off an All-Star campaign in 2015, was one of just a few Athletics holdovers to land one of the prestigious Topps flagship base cards. However, Kazmir would be dealt to the Dodgers before the trade deadline, capping a downward career arc hinted at through his transition from Richards’ signature silver border parallels in past years to a more common design this time. His exit further symbolized the changing of the guard in Oakland.
That changing of the guard was most evident in the big picture rookie cards distributed. While veterans like Coco Crisp, Danny Valencia, and even fading slugger Billy Butler made appearances, much of the cardboard real estate was allocated to members of the next generation. Shortstop Franklin Barreto, acquired in the Ben Zobrist trade, landed one of the coveted Topps Chrome rookie refractor autographs expected to gain value in coming years if his development continues apace. Catcher Bruce Maxwell, a Rule 5 selection who surprisingly made the Opening Day roster, got his mug on a zippy Chrome rookie as well.
Perhaps no one rookie defined the Topps 2016 Athletics set more than righty pitcher Sean Manaea. The hulking 6’5” hurler, drafted in 2013, had dazzled in a September call-up down the stretch the prior season. Topps commemorated Manaea’s arrival with a striking primary base card photograph showcasing his intense gaze. They also sleeved his autograph rookie in the prized Topps Chrome parallel, hinting he may develop into the staff ace around which the next contending A’s club could be built. His stats in a full 2016 season backed up such optimism, leading to inclusion in flagship Update and year-end Bowman offerings as expectations grew.
While veterans like Coco Crisp hung around, most of the Topps Athletics cardboard real estate in 2016 showcased up-and-coming talent like Franklin Barreto, who landed a coveted Topps Chrome rookie autograph. Bruce Maxwell, a surprising out-of-nowhere rookie catcher, also got prominent placement. But perhaps no one benefited more than starting pitcher Sean Manaea, who landed one of the set’s most striking primary photographs and a prestigious Topps Chrome autograph rookie after dazzling down the stretch in 2015. This reflected his emergence as a potential future staff ace around which the team could be rebuilt.
The focus on promising rookies and the picturesque Oakland surroundings highlighted how the franchise was transitioning to wave of exciting youth under new front office leadership. While 2016 ultimately resulted in another 90-loss season, the foundation was being laid. Topps foreshadowed this new chapter with a 2016 Athletics card design highlighting the bright spots of tomorrow emerging from the rebuilding ashes of 2015. In the years since, players like Manaea, Barreto, and others from this issuance have developed into core parts of successful A’s clubs, showing how diagnostic the cardboard could be of changes ahead, even in a season focused on development over wins. The set serves as a reminder of baseball’s constant evolution and Oakland’s ongoing quest to contend through shrewd roster construction.
In summary, Topps’ 2016 Oakland Athletics baseball card release appropriately centered around documenting the franchise’s transition to a new core of homegrown talent. Through its photography, rookie selections, and snubbing of departed veterans, the design previewed which players may lead the A’s back to prominence. Several of these featured rookies like Sean Manaea have indeed developed into impact roles, showing how prescient these cardboard portents could be. The set reflects both a time of rebuilding as well as the allure of tomorrow that motivated it. For A’s fans and collectors alike, it serves as an evocative memento of change ahead heralded by promise on the horizon.
