Topps Baseball 2021 Series 2 brought fans another exciting set of trading cards to collect following the popular Series 1 release earlier in the year. With a wide variety of cards showcasing current stars, rising prospects, and memorable moments from years past, Series 2 offered collector something for every baseball fan. Let’s take a closer look at some of the standout cards from the Series 2 checklist.
One of the biggest hits and most sought after rookie cards was Tampa Bay Rays sensation Wander Franco. Still just 20 years old at the time of the Series 2 release, Franco had already established himself as one of the best young players in baseball with an incredible debut season in 2021. His base rookie card featured crisp photography showing off his signature batting stance. But it was his Several parallels and short printed variations that drove up interest and value, like the Sepia border parallel /150 and Gold /70 parallel. Franco’s autograph and relic cards also fetched big prices on the secondary market. With his five tool talents and prime age, Franco’s rookie cards from this set should maintain strong long term appeal for collectors.
Another rookie that generated plenty of buzz was Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Casey Mize. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Mize had started to deliver on his promise in 2021 after previously struggling with injuries. His clean base card design highlighting his windup framed a potential future ace. For Tigers fans, it was also fun to pull parallels and variations of Mize alongside fellow young guns Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson who all had decent rookie representations in Series 2 as well.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr continued building on his breakout 2020 season with an MVP caliber campaign, and his Series 2 base card reflected his new status as one of baseball’s brightest offensive stars. But collectors also chased short prints of the young Blue Jays slugger like his Superfractor /10. As he enters his prime, Guerrero Jr cards hold great long term collectability. Fellow rising AL talent Yordan Alvarez from the Astros also had some popular cards in the set like his Sepia parallel and Atomic Refractor parallel, fueling interest from fans of these next generation sluggers.
Veteran stars maintained strong collector demand as well. One of the top flagship cards was a Mike Trout base variation with him in an Angels batting practice jersey. As always, anything related to the game’s best player holds value. The Chicago White Sox had a breakout season in 2021 winning the AL Central, and stars like Tim Anderson, Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks had some appealing cards to represent the rising South Siders. Red Sox Xander Bogaerts, Dodgers Max Munch and Giants Brandon Belt also had desirable base designs.
Nostalgia remained a big theme with the various throwback photo and anniversary styles incorporated throughout Series 2. A Hank Aaron 75th anniversary parallel really popped for fans of Hammerin’ Hank and his legacy at 75. A Barry Bonds retro style card pulling from one of his iconic Home Run King seasons was a fun wink to baseball history. And a Kirby Puckett flashback design pulled from a classic 1991 Topps featured posed nicely to spark Twins fan memories.
Autos, memorabilia cards and special serial numbered parallels added numerous chase cards and veteran stars. A relic auto of Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. /5 and a Babe Ruth book relic numbered to 10 pieces were crown jewels. Special parallels like an Acuna Superfractor /10, Gold /70 of Ohtani, and Atomic Refractor /75 of deGrom carried strong appeal for collectors of those players.
Ultimately with a mix of the game’s present and past, rookies and veterans, Topps Series 2 once again delivered in showcasing what makes the hobby so fun and collecting so compelling. With a wide variety of subjects at multiple price points, anyone could find cards that excited them as a fan whether chasing the next big star of the future or nostalgic designs from yesteryear. The 2021 Topps Series 2 release built upon the foundation and traditions that have made Topps Baseball a cornerstone of the hobby for generations of collectors.
