The 2017 Topps baseball card release marked the 59th year that Topps held the exclusive license to produce Major League Baseball cards. Some of the key highlights and facts about the 2017 Topps baseball card set include:
Base Set – The base card set consisted of 570 total cards featuring current MLB players and managers. This was 25 cards more than the 545 cards in the 2016 base set. Some of the rookies that debuted in the 2017 set included Andrew Benintendi, Nick Senzel, and Rafael Devers. Topps also continued its tradition of including an “All-Star” photo variation subset of 60 cards within the base set.
Design and Photography – Topps kept the same basic vertical design that it introduced in 2016 but made some enhancements. Specifically, they lightened the team logo and name font at the bottom to make the photography stand out more. The photos were also slightly larger than in past years. Topps photographers captured new action shots of almost every player to keep things feeling fresh for collectors.
Additional Insert Sets – Beyond the base cards, Topps released numerous additional insert sets that collectors could chase. The “Clear” acetate insert set returned with acetate parallels of popular players. Topps also began using “relic” cards featuring game-used memorabilia more extensively across different insert sets rather than just in high-end products. Examples included cloth material from MLB jerseys in the “Threadings” subset.
MLB 125th Anniversary – To celebrate MLB’s 125th anniversary in 2017, Topps released inserts recognizing the histories of each franchise as well as honoring past Hall of Fame players. The “125 Seasons” inserts featured iconic moments from each team’s past. Topps also issued special red parallel versions of these inserts that were short printed to 1-in-10 packs.
High Numbers – Continuing a recent trend, Topps issued a separate “High Numbers” series beginning with card #571 for players who did not make the base set roster cut. This High Numbers set included 119 additional current player cards to round out rosters. Topps also added “Flashback” retired player cards to the High Numbers set for the first time.
Chrome and Specialty Products – In addition to the traditional paper base and high number sets, Topps released several other premium offerings. The popular “Topps Chrome” refractors and parallels were made available in traditional factory-sealed wax packs as well as loose in specialty boxes. Fan favorite “Allen & Ginter” and “Stadium Club” sets brought distinctive designs and additional hit chase cards inserted in 1-per-box.
Star Rookies – Topps distributed several particularly hot rookie cards across its 2017 releases that have held and increased in secondary market value. Players like Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and Dansby Swanson all had flagship Topps rookie cards as well as additional parallels and insert cards that fueled collector demand for their burgeoning careers.
The 2017 Topps baseball card lineup continued the brand’s six decades of tradition while making updates to stay fresh. Along with stronger rookie classes compared to recent years, this created renewed excitement among collectors young and old. While competitors like Panini and Leaf tried to chip away at Topps’ market share with new MLBPA licenses, Topps remained the focal point and maintained its status as “The Trademark” in the annual card release cycle. Looking back, the 2017 offerings represented another solid year building the foundation for the next generation of collectors and enthusiasts.
