New York Yankees Star Aaron Judge Named Topps Card No. 1 for 2018

New York Yankees Star Aaron Judge Named Topps Card No. 1 for 2018

The Annual Topps® Baseball Card Set Arrives January 31

(New York, N.Y., January 29) – New York Yankees star Aaron Judge continues to earn accolades as the reigning American League Rookie of the Year was voted to be Card No. 1 in 2018 Topps® Baseball Series 1 by thousands of fans as revealed exclusively on MLB Network today.

Baseball fans can get the newest Topps Judge card when the Major League Baseball season kicks off with 2018 Topps Baseball Series 1 hitting the stores on January 31. They can also find rookie cards, autograph cards of their favorite players, and an interactive sweepstakes that will last all baseball season with Home Run Challenge.

“Aaron Judge transcended baseball during his record-breaking rookie season,” said David Leiner, Topps Global General Manager. “Fans from across the league were excited to see him play so it comes as no surprise they voted for him to be Card No. 1 for this year’s set. We are thrilled to add him to the list of great players that have been featured on the first card of the year.”

Judge joins players such as Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Mike Piazza and Derek Jeter as those who have claimed Card No. 1. Mike Trout and Kris Bryant were voted to the top spot the last two seasons, respectively, through an online vote.

Topps, the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball, provides an experience unlike any other. Baseball fans and collectors can’t replicate the fun they have when opening a pack of cards.

Collecting and trading baseball cards has become a hobby that crosses generations with longtime collectors and newcomers alike getting in on the action.

“Collecting baseball cards is a great family activity from the moment you open a pack to getting your favorite player and then putting them in a binder,” Leiner said. “Baseball cards resonate with fans, which you see at the ballpark with fans asking players to sign their Topps cards or in stores where people get together to share in a special hobby.”

This year’s annual release looks at memorable moments and milestones including Jackie Robinson Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and special throwback nights depicting unique uniforms worn. Topps is also honoring MLB’s award winners from 2017 with special cards made for the Most Valuable Players, Rookie of the Year award winners, Comeback Player of the Year and more.

Baseball fans can find the newest Topps baseball product in hobby shops, mass retailers and at Topps.com.

Judge, Montgomery Named To 2017 Topps All-Star Rookie Team

Judge, Montgomery Named To 2017 Topps All-Star Rookie Team

Fans can get exclusive trading cards of the ‘Rookie Cup’ team on Topps.com

NEW YORK, November 7, 2017 -- Yankee standouts Aaron Judge and Jordan Montgomery were today named among the 11 MLB players selected to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

The right fielder Judge, the presumptive candidate for A.L. Rookie of the Year and a finalist for league MVP, slashed .284/.422/.627 with 52 home runs and 114 RBI in his first full season in the big leagues. The 25-year-old also won the Home Run Derby and was selected to the All-Star Game.

Montgomery, 24, a surprise addition to the rotation out of spring training, pitched to a 9-7 record and 3.88 ERA, starting 29 games and tossing 155 1/3 innings, both third on the squad.

“This is one of the most impressive Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team classes I have seen,” said David Leiner, Vice President and General Manager of Topps North American Sports & Entertainment. “It shows how incredibly popular baseball was this year with its young breakout stars. They join an incredible group of players who have won the Topps Rookie Cup in the past and will have the special logo appear on their Topps trading cards next season.”

For the second year in a row, baseball fans can get special TOPPS NOW® cards of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team immediately with an exclusive set available on Topps.com.

Two other MLB teams had multiple players named to the Topps All-Star Rookie: the Boston Red Sox with outfielder Andrew Benintendi and third baseman Rafael Devers, and the Milwaukee Brewers with catcher Manny Pina and relief pitcher Josh Hader.

The members of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team will have their 2018 flagship trading cards feature a “Rookie Cup” logo depicting the honor.

Past honorees of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team have included former MVPs such as Buster Posey, Ichiro, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Cal Ripken Jr. In addition, more than 20 former Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team members have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame including all three 2017 HOF inductees Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez.

Here's the full list of the 2017 Topps All-Star Rookie Team:

C – Manny Pina, Brewers
1B – Cody Bellinger, Dodgers
2B – Ian Happ, Cubs
SS – Paul DeJong, Cardinals
3B – Rafael Devers, Red Sox
OF – Aaron Judge, Yankees
OF – Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox
OF – Trey Mancini, Orioles
RHP – German Marquez, Rockies
LHP – Jordan Montgomery, Yankees
RP – Josh Hader, Brewers\

Gleyber Torres signs with Topps

New York Yankees top prospect Gleyber Torres signs with Topps Authentics

The Topps Company has added Gleyber Torres to its Topps Authentics lineup. The New York Yankees' top prospect has signed an exclusive deal for autographed memorabilia with Topps Authentics.

Fans can learn more and order pieces at https://www.topps.com/topps-memorabilia/topps-authentics/athletes/gleyber-torres.html.

Topps Authentics, the memorabilia arm of The Topps Company, will offer signed baseballs and bats by Torres, who is rated in the top three of all MLB prospects, on Topps.com.

“I’m happy to be part of this big family,” said Torres, who has appeared on Topps’ Bowman line of baseball cards. “I’m happy to be here and everything Topps has done for me.”

Look for Torres’ signed memorabilia on Topps.com. 

Topps Authentics is also the exclusive home for signed memorabilia for MLB standouts Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Luis Severino, prospect Mickey Moniak and more.

Sanchez Takes Mantle’s Vaunted No. 7 Topps Card

Sanchez Takes Mantle's Vaunted No. 7 Topps® Card

Yankees star catcher Gary Sanchez, who hit 20 home runs in 53 games in his rookie season in 2016, may or may not be the next Mickey Mantle in the Yankees lineup. But the powerful 24-year-old is following in The Mick's footsteps in another way for Yankees fans and card collectors—the storied No. 7 card in the recently released Topps® 2017 Series 1 Baseball set.


Card No. 7 had been reserved for Mantle since his death in 1995. Beginning with the 1996 flagship set, Card No. 7 had been either Mantle or, for a few years, no one. That meant a gap in the checklist for the years in which Topps did not have an agreement with the Mantle estate to include his card in that particular year.


Enter Sanchez, whose exploits earned him runner-up status in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, despite playing less than half the season in pinstripes.


“Baseball fans are witnessing a great time in baseball right now with an impressive young group of players,” said Kevin Eger, Topps Brand Manager. “We felt it was time to offer Card No. 7 to a young, emerging star, but we still wanted it to be a New York Yankee. Gary Sanchez is part of the re-emergence for the Yankees, helping to bring that certain mystique back to the team. He felt like a natural fit for Card No. 7.”


The Sanchez card was issued earier this month along with N.L. MVP Kris Bryant's No. 1 card, the "Ultimate Card Giveaway" of two million cards from throughout Topps' 66-year history and a series of First Pitch™ insert cards in its Series 1.

Topps to Release Cards Focused on Players Who Overcame Disabilities & Health Problems

I know baseball cards are so 1990’s and earlier but Topps, the leading maker in baseball cards, is doing something that I felt was worth mentioning. Topps is releasing a new set of baseball cards that will feature and showcase ballplayers who have overcome disabilities and health changes on their path to stardom in Major League Baseball. This is quite the gesture, and marketing ploy but stick with me, by Topps and it deserves recognition in my opinion.

The set is to be called “Pride & Perseverance” and was released this week to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and also honors the 25^th anniversary of American with Disabilities legislation.

Wendy Lewis, Major League Baseball’s Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Strategic Alliances, released a statement praising Topps for the new set and for bringing these players into the limelight once again. Players like Jim Abbot who was born without a right hand but went on to pitch in Major League Baseball and even throw a no-hitter with the New York Yankees after winning a U.S Olympic medal with the countries baseball team in 1988. Players like Curtis Pride who was legally deaf but still went on to play outfield and hit at a Major League level for 13 years with the New York Yankees, Detroit Tiger and others.

Jim Eisenreich will also be honored in the series after battling Tourette’s syndrome alongside Pete Gray, the St. Louis Browns outfielder who lost his arm in a childhood accident, and William Hoy who was born deaf but was still able to play centerfield from 1888 to 1902. There will be current players in the mix as well as the Chicago Cubs ace starting pitcher and first baseman Jon Lester and Anthony Rizzo, both cancer survivors, will be in the pack along with former New York Yankees reliever Buddy Carlyle, who was diagnosed with diabetes. Houston Astros outfielder George Springer, who deals with stuttering on a daily basis, will be in the pack along with Jake Peavy, the San Francisco Giants right-hander, who is legally blind without corrective lenses or contacts.

Well played Topps, you may have just convinced me to get back into buying baseball card sets again.