The 2021 Topps Baseball card checklist marks the beginning of a new decade of collecting. Topps launched several new product lines in 2021, continuing decades of tradition while also trying some new ideas. Here is an in-depth look at the major releases from Topps in 2021, including information on the base set, inserts, parallels, variations, and special sets.
The core 2021 Topps Baseball base set checklist includes 384 total cards. The checklist includes rookies, stars, and veterans from both the American League and National League. Notable rookies included in the base set are Randy Arozarena, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Ian Anderson, Sixto Sanchez, and Jarred Kelenic. Some of the biggest stars featured are Mike Trout, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, Mookie Betts, Gerrit Cole, and Shane Bieber. The veterans checklist includes Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and many others. In total, there are 30 cards per team, with 12 future stars prospects added in to make up the full base set.
Some of the popular insert sets from 2021 Topps include Topps Chrome, Gallery, Tiffany, Negative Prints, Independence Day, and more. Topps Chrome included refractor parallels and numbered parallels. The Tiffany set featured a premium design on raised embossed cards. Negative Prints featured players in black and white negative images. Independence Day honored America’s pastime on July 4th. And Gallery continued its artistic photography style.
In terms of parallels and variations, Topps Baseball in 2021 had numerous options for collectors to chase after outside the base cards. This included Silver Pack parallels on card #/99, Gold Rainbow Foil parallels on card #/70, Platinum Anniversary parallels on card #/70, Superman parallels, Diamond parallels on card #/25, Black parallels, and more. There were also Mother’s Day and Father’s Day parallel variations celebrating those holidays.
One of the most anticipated new releases for 2021 Topps was the Allen & Ginter set, which expanded beyond baseball players to also feature characters, landmarks, creatures, and more in its checklist. Some of the non-baseball highlights included Magritte art, dinosaurs, insects, Elon Musk, ancient armor & weapons, and Frankenstein. Topps also brought back its previously retired Star Wars and WWE license.
Topps also launched several special collector sets in 2021 geared towards high-end collectors. Topps Chrome Jumbo included jumbo-sized refractors. Topps Gallery was split into multiple short prints covering different sports. Topps Tier One honored today’s biggest MLB stars with premium cards containing pieces of their game-used memorabilia. And Topps Inception continued its cutting-edge design approach.
Additionally, Topps Heritage returned for its retro style paying tribute to the designs of the 1950s/60s. Topps Archives spotlighted major milestones from throughout MLB history. Topps Project 70 celebrated the 1970 Topps design in its 50th anniversary. And Topps Finest utilized high-gloss imaging technology. Topps Series 2 returned midseason with updated rosters.
The 2021 flagship Topps Baseball card release was the most ambitious yet, containing more parallels, inserts, prospects, and special collectibles than previous years. It’s sure to be a collectors favorite for years to come as the products from this season are opened and players’ careers unfold. Topps Baseball remains the industry leader heading into its eighth decade of capturing America’s national pastime one card at a time. The 2021 checklist demonstrated Topps commitment to tradition while also unveiling creative new methods of engaging collectors.
