Sometimes I feel like my life is just a bunch of updates. News updates, updating a social media feed…, it always feels like I’m catching up with things. Everything moves so fast and I’m always behind it. Maybe I don’t get to watch a game and I just have to check updates on my phone. Or DVR it and try to avoid updates on my phone. Work is even worse because that’s the other way around. The boss wants updates on projects and initiatives that are going on. I pray I have something or that I can at least make something up.
But the Update Series of Topps cards is a little different. Oh, it’s an update alright, but its not quite the same. Maybe because you know it’s coming and it scheduled so far in advance. Or maybe it’s because you can pretty much guess what will be in the update (for the most part). Normally I don’t look forward to it. I mean it’s more of the same isn’t it? But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy opening packs. Of course it also helps when you actually like the design a bit.
So here comes an update from Topps, via a blaster of 2018 Topps Update.
Going Through a Phrase
These cards aren’t new, but I think that Topps stepped up it’s game a bit more recently related to these. Just take these for as an example and you can see that it gave them a chance to use some interesting pictures in these cards.
My favorite of all these is the Braves card. It’s a fresh cards and a fresh design for a couple of fresh-faced rookies. I love that they are doing the exact same thing and fixing their hats. The just feels like a cool moment to catch. The Pujols card isn’t a fabulous photo, but it is a fabulous moment. And to see Pujols getting greeted by Trout really makes it. It feels like a passing of the torch kind of.
The Altuve and Judge card I think has been done before, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make me giggle when I see it. Whenever I see little guys playing, no matter what the sport, I always show my wife and kids because they are on the petite side and appreciate a good player wrapped up in a small package. The Yelich and Cain card feels like its caught the vibe the Brewers had for a lot of this year.
Mets Update… Kinda
Yes, these are Mets cards, and yes, this is update. But it’s not a very good one. First, Bruce felt like he was out almost all year and had a terrible season on top of that. Injuries are a bitch! But it just felt like Bruce was basically absent all year. It makes it hard to find the need to put him in the set. As for Joey Bats, he wasn’t on the Mets by the time the season ended. He wasn’t on there when it started either. Again, it makes it hard to build a case for having him in the set. This all makes me wonder when they have to decide on what will be in the set and when.
Annoying Gnats
As a Mets fan I have no love for the Nats. None whatsoever. That doesn’t mean I don’t respect what they are doing and how great they’ve been for basically 6 years or so (not 6 years straight because there were a few downers in there). It just felt like this was a lot to get in a blaster. Juan Soto is obviously the update that everyone wants. While my vote would be for Acuna, that dude had an amazing season. It scares me as we go into next season to have him on that team even if Harper isn’t there.
But base cards weren’t the end of it. The inserts were filled with Nats too. Topps is continuing the ’83 Topps throwback insert. I like it because I’ve always liked 83 as a design, but I’m a little tired of it. We have Heritage and Archives, do we need this type of insert again? But here we have another Soto and a Harper. Plus there’s that Harper Highlight set and this one is a blue parallel. I do like how they added the stars into it as well.
Insert Comment Here
These are all pretty typical inserts. I don’t exactly know the concept behind them all but some are OK. The Jackie Robinson commemorative patches…, hasn’t that been done already? I’m not really sure how they think of those things. I don’t know how I feel about that instead of the coins and things like that.
They’re continuing these Legends in the Making cards but they are starting to wear on me. These are black and blue versions that I got. I have several of the “base” version of that Khris Davis card already. Well, maybe not several, I think it just feels like that.
Damn Yankees!
If it wasn’t enough to get a bunch of Nats, now I have to get a bunch of Yankees too!? At least they are guys that were always hard to hate.
The Matsui is a continuation from the “An International Affair” insert that you saw from above. But this one is the Postseason Preeminence and the blue parallel for that insert as well. I really like the Postseason Preeminence insert. I think it might be my favorite of the Update set. I always dig a color photo with black and white background, plus I love the way they did the lettering and kind of faded it over the main picture. I also like the way they did the name and year in gold at the bottom. It’s a really nice card. So is the Storybook Endings inserts, but I think they are a step below. I kind of like the idea behind those though.
Rainbows and Gold
As always there are the standard plethora of parallels for the base version of the set. I think the Rainbow foil really works with the design this year. I am really not a fan of the designs they did for gold and other parallels. However, feel like the effect on this card makes it super funny. First off, the idea of he three of them together on a cart is funny. I makes me wonder if anyone thought to make a rule that you can’t have three high profile players in a vehicle at the same time in case something happens. I don’t know if its all over, but I once knew of a rule about kids could only have one other kid in the car in case there was a crazy accident. Kind of like that. But the way the gold looks made it even funnier to me for some reason.
Overall, still fun in the Update set, but at this point aren’t we all just waiting for next year.