2022 Topps Series One Hobby Jumbo Box Whatever

After the all around disappointment of 2021 Topps to me, I refused to buy my usual Jumbo boxes of Series 2 or Update. However, I liked the design of 2022 a whole lot more, and was excited to take a good look at Topps newest flagship offering. Perhaps I was just starving for any sort of new baseball content, as the lockout pretty much ruined the offseason.

Maybe this 2022 Topps Series One Hobby Jumbo Box will somewhat ease the pain until this billionaires vs millionaires battle of attrition finally ends, and we start playing the actual game again.

I wrote that when I started this story, back on February 17. Now that I’m finally getting around to finishing writing this, the lockout has ended, and the players and owners have worked things out, for five more years.

Good! It was starting to seem a whole lot like 1994, just as I predicted it would several times in the last few years.

This started out as my usual pack by pack review. Highlighting the 9 cards from  each pack that I liked the most. I've used this format the last few times I reviewed a Topps Jumbo Box. Usually, I can find 9 cards out of the 46 in each pack, that I want to write about.

With most of this box, I was struggling after even five cards in a pack. But I eventually found 99 2022 Topps Series One cards! Scanned them all and got set up to start writing, wrote out the first two packs worth and... And quit.. Just couldn't find the motivation. I'd lost too much interest in even working on it. Nothing against the box, it was easily above what I'd expected. So I was happy with my purchase. Also liked the cards a whole lot more than last year's. You can actually read the players names!

2022 Topps - San Diego Padres Team Card

Not good enough for the Whatever, this warrants mention for the sole reason as it was the first card I saw in the first 2022 pack I opened. So it wins this spot for historical significance. At least it's a cool photo with two superstars on it, this year. Not Zach Godley or Nomar Mazara...

Oh well, here's the Top 59 2022 Topps Series One Cards I got in a Hobby Jumbo Box:

#59 - 2022 Topps - Jose Ramirez - 1987 35th Anniversary

I've already written enough about how sick I am of seeing 1987 Topps revisited every year. So let me complain about something else! Topps was all over their Photoshopping Team scrubbing the Indians from memory. The badly drawn "Guardians" across his chest is one thing, but there's still that embarrassingly awful Guardians logo in the upper left corner. It looked bad enough just floating on an all white background, but this card puts into mind how stupid it's going to look on every Cleveland card going forward. 

Never green light the first thumbnail someone draws you!

#58 - 2022 Topps - Kyle Gibson

Former Twins always grab my attention while ripping packs. Gibson looks better in a Phillies uniform than a Texas Rangers one. And he looked better in a Texas Rangers uniform than he did in a Minnesota Twins uniform...

That’s unfair, he wasn’t that bad...

#57 - 2022 Topps - Buster Posey

Shocking not shocking retirement adds more importance to this card. Still fairly young in baseball years, it would be easy to see Posey playing another 3-5 years at a star level, while getting paid a very significant wage. Then again, his body has taken a toll over the last decade plus. After taking 2020 off, it's understandable if he decided he'd had enough and it's time to do something else. Three World Series wins make him a likely Hall of Famer, and he has made plenty of money over his career. Time to go enjoy life.

I'm jealous...

#56 - 2022 Topps - Hunter Renfroe

Nike strikes again! 

Dressing the Boston Red Sox in yellow and teal? In addition to wiping their logo filth all over MLB uniforms, Nike came up with their "Hometown" uniform gimmick for 2021. A “new” take on classic uniforms, with different logos, nicknames and colors! I really hated these. Just another money grab from a company that is... Well, I just hate Nike. So I'm not going to write a whole bunch more about them...

I would just plain hate this card if it wasn't for the nice shot of Fenway as a backdrop. That part looks good, even though it hurts me to compliment anything Red Sox. I like this picture. Just not the uniform featured. And the player featured, is now a Milwaukee Brewer. So that helps.

#55 - 2022 Topps - Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Speaking of gimmicks, this is what Nike did to the Marlins uniforms... I read that it's to reflect the Cuban heritage in Miami or something, I'm not sure and I don't feel like looking it up. I was really hoping the Marlins were finally getting away from that obnoxiously bright orange color, after they went pseudo-goth in their 2019 heavy on the black re-branding.

#54 - 2022 Topps - Zach Pop

Or, as he's known in some parts of the country, Zach Soda.

#53 - 2022 Topps - Riley Adams - Gold

A popular gripe/lament in the card collecting hobby has been the “return to the junk wax era” levels of production. While I don’t believe for a second that there are just as many 2022 Topps cards printed as 1989 Topps, there are definitely more of them than say 2009 Topps. Back then, I was getting my usual Topps Hobby Jumbo Box from Mike's Sports Cards (in Englewood, CO) for less than $100. You still got the 1 auto, 1 game used and 1 manufactured relic per box, but each pack also came with a gold foil parallel, numbered to the year. 

I got one in this Jumbo box. 

While I'm guessing there are more retail packs of 2022 Topps than there were in 2009, this is a pretty telling sign of an overall increased press run. 

Here's the back of a 2022 Topps base card, except this is the Gold parallel. Which only changes the back with the addition of the foil serial number. 

Pretty standard flip-side layout for Topps. They did a good job with a large and legible card number. I'm not going to complete the set, but if I was going, they'd be easy to sort. 

#52 -  2022 Topps - Juan Soto - Generation Now

This insert set is based off the 2007 insert set of the same name. Looks like it's done better this time... Back in 2007, I seemed to pull several thousand of these cards, but of only 4 different players. I got sick of them real quickly. The 2022 take on that design is nicer. And I didn't get too many of them either.

Must be all those extra retail packs!

#51 - 2022 Topps - Pete Alonso - Feet

Since wacky socks and bedazzled cleats are becoming the big new thing for players to show off their need for attention, it only makes sense that they're FEET-ured on their own cards! 

See what I did there? That was a really lame shoe pun!

2022 Topps Series 1 Jumbo Pack

Yup. That's what they looked like.

Before I opened all of them.

#50 - 2022 Topps - Fernando Tatis Jr.

Good photo for Tatis.

#49 - 2022 Topps - Brian Anderson

Getting much more goth than Nike's interpretation of the Marlins uniforms... Anderson is a half-hearted PC, ever since I pulled a jersey/auto from a retail pack of 2017 Donruss. 

#48 - 2022 Topps - Shohei Ohtani - Greatest Hits

Hmmm... Strongly doubt that Topps is going to make a bunch of Ohtani inserts this year...

#47 - 2022 Topps - Reid Detmers

Ohtani needs more to really help the Angels get Mike Trout into the Playoffs. They seem to be high on Detmers' potential, as a recent draft pick, 10the overall in 2020. Small sample size analysis: Lotsa baserunners, but a good strikeout rate. 

#46 - 2022 Topps - Bryce Harper

Good photo for Harper.

#45 - 2022 Topps - Juan Soto - Welcome to the Show

An insert set honoring the Major League Debut of current superstars...

Well that's certainly an idea Topps has never tried before!

#44 - 2022 Topps - Joey Votto SP

After looking through image galleries of the 2022 Topps Short Prints, I was kind of excited to get one with a cool photo. This was one of the least cool photos of all the short prints... It's not all that different from the regular base cards. 

I really tend to get Joey Votto minor hit cards fairly often, and they're rarely interesting...

#43 - 2022 Topps - Clayton Kershaw

Clayton remembered to zip up this year! As much as I hate the Dodgers, I’m happy Kershaw re-signed with them. It would be cool if he payed his entire career with one team.

Just because I never want to see Clayton Kershaw the Texas Ranger...

At least they went back to full career statistics, instead of just the previous five, like they experimented with for 2017. 

#42 - 2022 Topps - Albert Pujols

Pujols the Dodger just looks weird...

I'd really like to see him reach 700 home runs, but that may be unrealistic. No doubt Hall of Famer even if he falls short.

Unfortunately, the card backs are once again facing left or right at random. I can forgive that as a one time printing error, but if that is the new standard, I call bullshit. That ruins the look of a complete set in a binder. 

Can Topps justify this with a logical reason for doing it? 

I doubt it...

#41 -  2022 Topps - Vidal Brujan

Another Rays top prospect gets a rookie card in 2022 Topps. If you're in a group break, you could do a lot worse than drawing the Rays. Like getting the Astros in a Bowman Draft break, as I did in January... When MLB takes all of your draft picks away for cheating, you are sorely underrepresented in a baseball card draft themed set.

2022 Topps Series 1 Box Topper Dylan Carlson - 1987 35th Anniversary

More 1987 Topps... But it's a much bigger card!

#40 - 2022 Topps - Randy Arozarena

I read someone online say that pulling this card from a pack is going to disappoint a lot of people. You quickly notice it's a Rays card, make note of the Topps All Star Rookie cup, and immediately think it's Wander Franco. Nope... Kind of unfair to Arozarena. He did win 2021 American League Rookie of the Year, beating his teammate Franco. But yeah, as hyped as he was after the 2020 World Series, Arozarena feels like yesterday's news. 

However, Arozarena has a much better autograph. With the little smiley face under the R! 

I need a Randy Arozarena autographed card...

#39 - 2022 Topps - Luis Robert

Good move Topps! I'd much rather see these 1983 White Sox throwback uniforms, than those horrible Nike abominations. Vertical floating bat just adds extra coolness.

#38 - 2022 Topps - Shohei Ohtani

The guy featured on the packaging has a decent looking card.

Nothing special, but that's what all of the annoying Topps Short Prints are for!

#37 - 2022 Topps - Ryan Zimmerman

The final Topps card for a Nationals legend. Not the megastar as expected after the 2005 Draft, but a steady player for over 15 years. And a worthy representative face-of-the-franchise, for a team that needed one. If only to help the franchise erase the Expos from their legacy.

See how much cleaner career statistics look with only one team listed? 

#36 - 2022 Topps - Jarred Kelenic

Overall solid first year, once you dismiss his first couple of months. If that's not realistic, just take a look at how his numbers improved as the year went on. With all the Mariners have on the horizon, I'd like to see Kelenic become a key player on a Seattle team that actually makes the postseason. 

#35 - 2022 Topps - Andrew McCutchen - Welcome To The Show

Always liked McCutchen as a Pirate. Too bad ownership wouldn't pony up for a supporting cast, so his Pittsburgh run could've mattered. Nice flashback though.

McCutchen the Brewer seems like a good fit.

#34 - 2022 Topps - Jon Lester

Kind of surprised me that Jon Lester retired at the end of the 2021 season. I figured he had a few more seasons in him, but he apparently -like Posey- decided this was enough. Nice photo for his final Topps card.

#33 - 2022 Topps - John Gant

Glad he got a Twins card in 2022 Topps. I thought he pitched pretty good in his two months with Minnesota, after coming back from the J.A. Happ dump. With the pitching needs of the Twins going into 2022, I thought they'd keep him around. But he was non-tendered in November, then signed with a team in Japan during the lockout. Getting a decent guaranteed contract to go to Japan, rather than roll the dice on what may not have been as good of a market, when the lockout ended here.

#32 - 2022 Topps - Taylor Rogers

The Twins union representative. He was the guy in charge of keeping the rest of the players posted on what was going on with labor negotiations. So if you hold it against the players, and want to be angry at Minnesota for some reason, Rogers is your guy!

#31 - 2022 Topps - Josh Donaldson

My first Twins card of 2022.

As I was finishing this story up, I read the shockingest of shocking Twins news. They had just traded Donaldson to the New York Yankees, along with Isiah Kiner-Falefa (and Ben Rortvedt), for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela. They even got New York to take on ALL of Donaldson's contract, to make even less sense of this. Oh, and the Twins had traded our starting catcher, Mitch Garver, to the Texas Rangers for Kiner-Falefa, only the day before.

Not sure what exactly they are doing here, but at least it's interesting. Seems like they're treating the buildup to Spring Training almost like a swap meet. Falvine is running around trying to turn a thumbtack into a starting pitcher, salary relief and a shortstop. 

Just don't trade Austin Martin and I'm fine with whatever you're doing!

And I'll still defend the Donaldson signing. 

Of all the Twins problems the last 2 years, Donaldson was not one of them.

Good luck as a Yankee. Now you can challenge DJ LeMahieu for the title of "My favorite current Yankee."

Gotta like at least one of them...

Not like they're the Red Sox...

2022 Topps Jumbo Pack Wrapper

Each of the packs of cards came wrapped in one of these.

Spiffy.

#30 - 2022 Topps - Mike Trout

Seems like people are down on Trout these days. After the last couple of injury plagued seasons, chatter is he wont again reach the levels of his MVP runs ever again. It hasn't been that long since he was widely considered the best player in baseball, but he's no longer talked about in the same level as the biggest stars of 2021. People predicting the 2022 MVP's rattle off the names Acuna, Soto, Guerrero and Tatis.

So, Trout is old news today?

#29 - 2022 Topps - Nolan Arenado

Sadness...

#28 - 2022 Topps - Trevor Story

Been reading that the Twins post-lockout moves have been setting up a run to try and sign Story to a contract. After tricking the Yankees into taking on all of Donaldson's owed money, the Twins have plenty available to fit Story in the budget. Very un-Twins move to make, so I'll believe it when I see it. And I'd like to see it. 

#27 - 2022 Topps - Ryan McMahon

In the absence of Arenado, McMahon quietly put up a very good year.

Even his Topps card looks very Arenado!

2022 Topps - Nelson Cruz

The biggest benefactor of the National league Designated Hitter. Great for him. I hope he has a big year, comes back in 2023 and hits his 500th home run. Although I was predicting Padres. Didn't see Cruz going to the Nationals...

#25 - 2022 Topps - Miguel Sano

Sano photo that looks like it wasn't taken after a strikeout. That's pretty rare!

Unless it's Photoshopped, Sano has slimmed down considerably over the last year.

#24 - 2022 Topps - Alex Kirilloff

Hopefully the wrist has healed so Kirilloff really can be a future star.

#23 - 2022 Topps - Gerardo Parra

Made me happy to see Parra come back to the Nationals, after a year playing for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. And there's a 2022 Topps card to commemorate it! One of my lasting baseball memories of 2019, was sitting in Nationals Park on the last day of the season. Parra came up to pinch hit in the later innings, and I was right in the middle of a nearly sold out stadium, all signing and dancing to the Baby Shark song. Perfectly weird.

#22 - 2022 Topps - Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

What kind of numbers is he putting up in 2022?

#21 - 2022 Topps - Wander Franco

Well, there you go... It’s the 2022 Topps card that everyone is after. Good thing for them, Topps printed enough to make sure everybody gets one. Or ten. I knew I’d get one in my jumbo box, so that’s cool. I have one now.

Just like everybody else.

Let’s say that 25 or so years from now, we’re looking at Wander Franco’s first ballot election to the Hall of Fame. He’d finished a remarkable career that saw him post similar numbers to... Oh, let’s say Alex Rodriguez (without the steroid issues), for argument’s sake. With the production numbers for 2022 Topps being where they are, it’s hard to imagine that Franco card I got in this pack, selling for more than $10-$15.

And if Franco ends up having a career more like... Oh, let’s say Alex Gonzalez. Well, a whole lot of people lost a whole lot of money on him. No one more than the Tampa Bay Rays. And whoever forked out 6 figures for his Superfractor.

A week before 2022 Topps Series One hit the shelves, I split a Hobby box of 2021 Bowman's Best with my mom. She took the mini-box in back, and I got the other one. My mini-box was nothing special. (I did get a Chase Petty base card, which pleased me, but didn't make up for the high entry fee.) 

However, two packs into the mini-box she chose, this gem shows up... 

2021 Bowman's Best - Wander Franco - Gold Refractor

Numbered 7/50!

I'm not even going to begin to try and figure out that whole "Is this a rookie card or not?" argument that the Becketts posed when this set came out. We'll just let that sort itself out over time. Point being, regardless of which Alex that Wander's career ends up looking more like, this card will be far more valuable than the 2022 Topps base.

Which doesn't really even need to be said...

I guess the real point is, I grabbed the wrong box of 2021 Bowman's Best...

And then Chase Petty gets traded to Cincinnati, for Sonny Gray. At least this trade makes sense for both teams, but I liked the potential of Petty, and wanted to see if he could be the next great Twins strikeout pitcher. The odds are definitely against that, but we'll see what the Reds do with him.

Back to 2022 Topps.

(Which I'm rapidly losing all interest in writing about...)

#20 - 2022 Topps - Andrelton Simmons

The day after the lockout ended, Simmons signed a one year deal with the Cubs. Ending a legitimate concern that he may be back in Minnesota for a second year. This ranks high because it's his LAST Twins card.

#19 - 2022 Topps - Minnesota Meetup

This is pretty cool, Shohei Ohtani and Kenta Maeda hanging out in Target Field. However, they needed to be standing in a more photogenic portion of the stadium. Perhaps with the light up Twins logo above center field? Would've been a lot better than the Ford logo hanging above the Twins bullpen. 

But the bigger story is what is going on with Maeda's t-shirt?

ENHANCE!

Oh, that needed to be much clearer! It's a Willans Astudillo caricature as a sumo wrestler. 

Going to miss Astudillo not being on the Twins next season. At least he's sort of represented with 2022 Topps! 

(Willans Astudillio has signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. So there's a Series 2 or Update card I'll be looking for!)

#18 - 2022 Topps - Juan Soto

That's a good trick, balancing an upside-down bat on his hand.

#17 - 2022 Topps - Ronald Acuna Jr. - 1987 35th Anniversary

Yup... That looks like 1987 Topps...

#16 - 2022 Topps - Christian Yelich - 1987 35th Anniversary Relic

Yup... That looks like 1987 Topps... With a jersey wedge stuck inside it...

#15 - 2022 Topps - Logan Gilbert

Logan's patriotic socks don't look right against Mariner green...

#14 - 2022 Topps - Archie Bradley

Now here's an action shot you rarely see on a baseball card...

#13 - 2022 Topps - Ke'Bryan Hayes

Topps needs to show consistency with their "Future Stars" logo. The great rainbow script one from 1987-88 would look so much better than this boring blocky banner. There's been a few over the years that have looked good. This looks like they weren't really trying.

#12 - 2022 Topps - Kirby Puckett - 1987 35th Anniversary

Looks like the same photo as his 2021 Topps Archives card. Which was a photo I really liked, and felt it would have fit in on 1987 Topps. So what does Topps give me? The card I sort of asked for last fall!

#11 - 2022 Topps - Enrique Hernandez

Where's his parachute?

#10 - 2022 Topps - Satchel Paige - Diamond Greats

I saw an image of this card shortly before I bought my Jumbo Box, and hoped to get one inside. A few days before I saw that picture of this card, I read a story about Paige's last run in the Major Leagues, as a 58 year old with the 1965 Kansas City Athletics.

And how un-PC is that early 1950's St. Louis Browns sleeve patch?

#9 - 2022 Topps - Ji-Man Choi

All sorts of 1998 going on here! At least Tampa's throwback Devil Rays jerseys made a base Topps card, instead of trying to round up a short print. Like the one Wander wore...

#8 - 2022 Topps - Kyle Lewis

Next to Byron Buxton, the player I most want to see a full season out of, in 2022. 

#7 - 2022 Topps - Jarred Kelenic - City Flag Patch

Topps always has to include one of their homemade creations as one of the box hits, and usually they are pretty crappy. Most of the city flag patch images I saw online were underwhelming, but this one I really liked. That's a cool design, even if the patch itself is blurry. (How can a patch be blurry?) Even the colors work with the Mariners.

#6 - 2022 Topps - Ken Griffey Jr. - 1987 35th Anniversary

Classic Griffey mid-90's photo, likely just after a home run, from the Kingdome. Not really fitting for a 1987 Topps design. And the font used for the player names, is just slightly enough off that it's annoying me.

#5 - 2022 Topps - Tony Kemp

Need to see footage of that catch... Soon as I saw this photo, I knew there was no way Topps would have a better action shot in the set, than Kemp pulling out the Matrix moves.

#4 - 2022 Topps - Vladimir Guerrero - Diamond Greats

Good sign for a box, when the first pack of that box has an Expos card inside! While not as extravagant, these cards remind me a lot of the 2011 Topps Diamond Giveaway die-cuts. I need to try and find more of those cards... 

#3 -  2022 Topps - Josiah Gray - Baseball Stars Autograph Black

My promised autographed hit came in the second pack. Which really didn't build up too much anticipation... At least Gray is a decent prospect instead of a likely journeyman. That may end up as his future anyway, but he should be given a real chance to play a starting role on the 2022 Nationals pitching staff.

I didn't notice at first that this was the Black parallel. When I flipped it over and saw the serial number, that clued me in. And 198/199 looks kinda cool!

According to the odds listed on the 2022 Topps Jumbo Pack Wrapper, the Baseball Stars Black Autographed Parallel cards fall at a rate of one in 173 packs. Not the greatest autographed hit I could've gotten, but far from the worst. 

#2 - 2022 Topps - Wander Franco - Gold Foil

Well, look at what the fine folks at Topps blessed me with! Unfortunately, this isn't the gold parallel that is serial numbered, but I'm not complaining. Some have said these gold foils are harder to get than the numbered non-foil cards. I don't know how to follow that math. 

The math I do follow says that I paid just over 42 cents per card in this box. On the day of release, these cards were selling for over $600. Since then they've settled down in the $200 range. Looking at the per card price, that's a significant return.

But I don't sell my cards. When I pull something significant like this, I'm happy, then slide it into a Top-Loader and stash it in a box. Along with all of the other big hit cards I've pulled over the years. Maybe someday I'll sell them, but for now, keeping stuff like this is a nice record of my experience in the hobby. My memento of the time that the collecting world went apeshit over a hot rookie. I remember Ohtani in 2018... Harper in 2012... Strasburg in 2010... Maas in 1990... 

It goes on and on...

But when the dust settles, I still have my piece of the hype. And that's good enough for me.

I'm not into cards for the money.

Guess I'm just stupid that way...

"First player born in 2001..."

Wow... I vividly remember 2001. I was only 26. Wander just turned 21. 

Feel so old now...

Oh well, there's just one last card left in the 2022 Topps Series One Whatever! Who could it be? After all, if a Gold Foil Wander Franco rookie card wasn't my favorite card in the box, what possibly could be?

#1 - 2022 Topps - Lars Nootbaar

This card had the number one spot locked down since last June. I waited all this time since Nootbaar debut with the Cardinals, for his official Topps rookie card. But since it's Topps, Nootbaar was somehow overlooked for the flood of rookies featured on redundant 2022 insert cards. There are no Nootbaar autographs available from Topps at this point. I could be happy to chase some of the the rainbow of colored Nootbaar parallels, but I'm done buying packs of 2022 Topps Series One.

Since I didn't get any cool Nootbaar parallels, here's the card back. He moved through the Cardinals system pretty fast, putting up decent numbers at each level. Likely not more than a fourth outfielder, I'll be collecting Nootbaar as long as he's playing.

And now...

A Super Special Added Bonus Whatever, here are the...

Top 8 2022 Topps Series 1 Silver Pack Cards!

#8 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Ozzie Smith

These...

#7 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Jack Flaherty

Are...

#6 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Xander Bogaerts

Not...

#5 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Tony Gwynn

Nearly...

#4 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Buster Posey

As...

#3 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Bryce Harper

Cool...

#2 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Clayton Kershaw

As last year's Silver Pack cards...

#1 - 2022 Topps Silver Pack - Yoan Moncada - Blue

Oh look, a blue one!

31/150... 

Neat!

In summation, this was a Hobby Jumbo Box of 2022 Topps Series One. Pretty much what I'd expected it to be. Some good stuff and some boring stuff, but nothing was actively terrible. The design was a major improvement over the last few years, and miles ahead of the terribly unreadable 2021 edition. I may pick up a pack here and there, especially if I run into any at the retail level, but I'm not going out of my way to buy any more of this.

My overall opinion of this box was high enough that I'll plan on doing the same with Series 2 and the Update series. Probably wont do another pack-by-pack review, but Whatever...

I did go back to the card shop a few days after breaking this box, thinking I may buy a couple more jumbo packs. Gamble on hitting some desired parallels, or maybe hit an autograph?

But when I went in, I saw the team bins had been stocked with a heap of 2021 Topps Silver Pack cards. Including an Andrew Benintendi red parallel, numbered to 5. They won my collecting dollar that day, but didn't add any more Wander to my life...

I took a few weeks off from going to the card shop. Then I dropped by a few days into March, Wandering if 2022 Topps Heritage had arrived. Not yet, but boxes of 2022 Topps Opening Day are in! Oh, why not... These have different inserts than flagship Topps, and I have a soft spot for each year's mascot cards. No Wander inside, but an Opening Day Nootbaar!

Which I didn't feel like hooking up the scanner to show you.

Writing this story has literally taken 3 weeks longer than I'd intended. I simply didn't want to write it. I didn't want to talk about 2022 Topps as soon as I started doing it. Even cutting the story nearly in half didn't provide a spark of inspiration to finish it. 

But I finally slogged through. 

Just in time for a set that I want to collect, to hit the market:

2022 Topps Heritage Hobby Box 

I bought one of these early in the afternoon. I'm a fan of the 1973 Topps design, and this packaging is pretty damn cool! The first box wasn't anything special. I did get a Wander, but more importantly, I also got a Nootbaar. Topps fired up the Photoshop to feature many of the pre-lockout free agent signings, drawn into their new uniforms. Which was a nice surprise when opening my first pack and seeing Steven Matz as a St. Louis Cardinal. A powder blue jersey chunk of J.T. Realmuto was my box hit, and there was an image variation card of -who else- Joey Votto! The short printed image was taken at Target Field, with a great view of the Minneapolis skyline through the ballpark. If I have to throw another Votto minor hit on the pile, this photo makes it one I'd want to own anyways.

Liked the box enough that I needed to see more... The entire time I was out running weekend Aarons, the idea to buy another box was biting at me. Almost like I'd gone without a cigarette for four hours. Thankfully that wasn't the case. So I hit the card store just after the grocery store. A fresh case had been opened up to stock the shelves between my visits. Took one that seemed to jump out at me when I started to pick the box I wanted. I moved two aside, which pushed this one closer. 

So this box wanted to come home with me!

Two packs in, I find this...

(Sorry, I still didn't feel like hooking up my scanner. Poor quality phone camera shots will have to work.)

2022 Topps Heritage Mookie Betts Color Variation 

According to the wrapper odds, this particular variation falls at a rate of 1 in 3961 packs. Which is something like 1 in 165 boxes. So that's pretty cool. 

The fifth pack I opened from the box had that heart jumping light blue semi-gloss tint, which immediately stands out against a card stock like Heritage. 

Almost certainly a redemption card!

2022 Topps Heritage Wander Franco Redemption

Hmmm... Keeping it!

And a whole bunch of people read that and are now calling me stupid...

I'm just happy to have finished this. So I can go find something else to write about, that has NOTHING to do with Topps!