The 2026 Topps Series One Mega Box Review of Apathy
Yay…
And there it is…
******
Friday, February 20, 2026
This day had been pencilled into my calendar for several weeks. It would be the first televised Minnesota Twins game of 2026. An unofficial 7 inning exhibition game against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. I set the DVR, and sat down to watch the game on a five hour delay, after getting home from work.
Golden Gophers starting lineup.
I do not know who any of these people are, and I’m not surprised by that.
The Twins starting lineup.
A couple veterans, a couple bench hopefuls and some prospects of varying degrees of goodness. Wasn’t expecting to see Byron Buxton or Royce Lewis starting tonight, they’ll be held off for the first official game of 2026 Spring Training. That will be against the Red Sox (of course) the next afternoon.
Zebby Matthews would get the start for the Twins. Really would be nice to see him step up and take hold of a rotation spot, and run with it this year. In parts of two seasons, he’s shown that potential is there, it just hasn’t been consistently there. Something that would help would be a return to the insane control he showed in the minors. The walk rate doesn’t have to be microscopic, but it should be a lot closer to what he did at lower levels. Tonight, he tossed 2 innings, giving up no runs, off 2 hits, striking out three.
A good first showing, in an absolutely meaningless game.
As I watched the game, I started to look up images of 2026 Topps hits online. The formerly highly anticipated release was a week or so earlier, and what I saw was what I’d expected. But it gave me the urge to play the lottery… It’s a new baseball card season. And I’m not ready to give it up cold turkey…
Wait! I have some unused gift cards for Target! (Assembled along with the Fanatics gift cards, I wrote about a month ago.) Already needed to go to Target, for some house related stuff… I can pick up some 2026 Topps (purely for research sake), without adding to the Target budget. As in, I’m not spending and of my money on Fanatics! Win/Win!
Website of the Becketts provided a 2026 Topps checklist for further research:
So many parallels… Too many to care about…
Which sums up my thoughts about 2026 baseball cards… I’m trying, but I just don’t care. This list of pointless and endless parallels (that above list isn’t even all of them) is a symptom of the hobby’s biggest problem. It’s strictly a lottery now. Prices go way up and the value goes way down.
There’s a reason that every single base card now has over 50 different parallels, all at varying levels of rarity. Fanatics has to give you something, considering they’re printing around 1.5 million copies of every single 2026 Topps Series 1 base card.
Yeah, I’m done with it…
So what does 2026 Topps have to offer in terms of adding to the Twins binder. I’m only talking about the base cards. Not the inserts. Definitely not the over 50 different parallels, at varying levels of rarity. Nor the rare autographs and whatever parallels, at varying levels of rarity, were printed of those. Just tell me which Twins made the Series 1 cut, so I know what cards I have a realistic chance of pulling, that I would even want to keep.
Everything else is a game of chance. With a stupidly high price to play.
Ten cards out of the 350 card set, are of Minnesota Twins. Good selection of starters, bench players and a couple of rookies, but nothing I wasn’t expecting. Series 2 will potentially have some of the more obscure players, but I’ll have to wait for June/July for that. That’s if I even bother to buy any…
Checking over this list, I decided that whatever I bought for 2026 Topps the next day, I would be looking specifically for one base card. If I pulled that base card, the purchase will have been an instant success. Now, If I don’t get that specific base card, but I hit the lotto and get something spectacular, Then it will also be a success. Obviously… I’m setting a low bar for satisfaction. Realistically, I know I’m wasting money that will only bring disappointment afterwards. I need a realistic goal for a success.
Either way, this is another case of me buying a story.
Only this time with gift cards!
A few days later, I ended up at the Andover Targets. After an abbreviated half-circle, I had my chewable antacid tablets, roll of Press-n-Seal for Laura, multi-pack of Kleenex boxes for both of us, and a bunch of canned fish pate for Harley. After those selections, I’d hit he card aisle on my way to the checkout stands.
For 2026 Topps Series One inventory, the Targets had a full slate of Blasters, Fat Packs, Hanger Boxes and Mega Boxes. I’d planned on going with 2 blasters, but shifted focus when I saw they had Mega Boxes. Since my stated goal was chasing one specific base card, one Mega Box would give me the most base cards with the best chance at less duplicates. (196 in total.) Had I gone with a combination of multiple pack options, I’d likely pull a ridiculous amount of doubles. And triples. Or worse… I remember last year’s four Fat Packs of Series Two, that had 4 of the same cards, in all four packs. So yeah, the Mega Box won the audition for my affection.
Along with a Blaster of 2025 Stadium Club, since it was my first time seeing it in the wild.
More on that later…
For good luck, I grabbed an old coupon from Pal’s Sports Cards, from New Baseballcardland. Thinking it could inspire a better hit, I set it on the table next to the packs I was ripping. Some lottery players are superstitious to the point of ridiculousness. Why not play along?
Spoiler alert: It didn’t work…
What the Mega Box brought me was pretty much the minimum of what was promised. I got what I was supposed to get. Nothing more. I wasn’t excited. I wasn’t disappointed. I was apathetic. So apathetic, that I’m not even going to give this a traditional Whatever… This is a bunch of cards. I won’t keep even 3/4 of them.
For reasons that are dumb, I like to make note of the first base Topps card I see in a pack, with the new year’s flagship set.
2026 Topps Series One’s first card was…
2026 Topps - Carson Whisenhunt
Not a good sign when your first card is from a team you greatly dislike. To be clear, as a team, the Giants still rank below Boston, Houston, the Dodgers, Atlanta, and the Yankees, on the teams I hate list. So I’ll gladly take a Whisenhunt, over say… an Alex Bregman, as my first impression of a new brand.
Still a foreboding omen that I’m in for a really “meh” experience with new baseball cards that I already wasn’t over amped for…
2026 Topps - Payton Tolle
And there’s a green Red Sox pitcher… Those jerseys are just dumb. Tolle’s gotten a fair amount of attention, because he plays for Boston and he’s quirky. So I was kind of tired of him as Spring Training began. I did watch him pitch against the Twins, the night after the Gophers game, and he did pretty well.
Which is probably a better statement about Minnesota’s weak offense, then Tolle’s potential as an Ace.
2026 Topps - Nolan McLean
Everyone is predicting McLean (Deluxe) to become the next Ace for the New York Mets.
2026 Topps - Jonah Tong
Along side his little Mets pitching buddy, Tong.
2026 Topps - Bubba Chandler
Pittsburgh hopes Chandler can quickly step in behind Paul Skenes, which would improve an already above average rotation. The Pirates were lucky to find a few free agents over the winter, willing to play there. So their lineup isn’t as pathetic as it’s been in recent years.
2026 Topps - Jacob Misiorowski
Last summer’s rookie sensation ended up on the National League All Star Team after only 5 starts. Which caused a bit of controversy. Players and writers seemed to agree that roster spot should go to someone with more experience. Trea Turner of the Phillies, went as far as to call it a joke. Misiorowski quickly tailed off as the scouting reports circulated the league. His overall numbers are promising, but he will definitely need to cut back on the walks and learn to pictch more efficiently, if he’s going to become a perennial All Star.
2026 Topps - Cam Schlittler
Unfair personal bias alert…
Can’t get behind Schlittler. Name sounds too much like something I’ve called the current president. Sorry…
Cam’s also a Yankee. Which doesn’t help his case. Go pitch for the Rockies and we’ll talk.
2026 Topps - Joe Rock
Rock was traded to the Rays, by the Rockies. I remember when the Rockies drafted Rock. Seemed like a perfect fit. Imagine the marketing possibilities? I don’t remember what the Rockies got for Rock, but it wasn’t notable. Neither was he. Likely ceiling of a lefty reliever. So why not keep and use him? Coming out the Rockies bullpen, is Rock! Rock of the Rockies! Something.
Rock the Ray?
That’s just lame…
2026 Topps - Kyle Teel
Nothing Skull-Crushing about it... Liked Teel going into the 2023 MLB Draft, when he was taken by Boston in the first round. Now he’s starting with our division rival… For last place. And with Minnesota’s offseason, compared to the White Sox offseason, that battle for last place is going to be epic..
This was pretty much the stash of notable rookie cards I pulled from the Mega Box. Nearly all of them were pitchers. Kind of bummed that I didn’t get a Roman Anthony or a Jac Caglianone or a Samuel Basallo or a Colson Montgomery, because that’s who the internet is telling me I want. But I got a bunch of rookie pitchers. For what looks to a be a pretty strong class of rookie pitchers.
Okay… Now I’ve seen a good sampling of 2026 Topps.
Design is a big positive this year.
I really like the stitched jersey concept, fading to white. Elements of grass, bases, wood bats, and leather baseballs have often been used as a starting point in designing cards over the years, but you don’t see a nod to the uniform as much. (Relic cards as an exception.) Also the perfect opportunity to use team colors in a way that fits the overall presentation.
For a large scale flagship set, this is a great design. Everything fits. There are no unnecessary shapes interrupting the photo. The important information is clearly presented and is in a visually appropriate location. Team name (abbreviated) at the top, team togo at lower left, player name and position on the right. When your eyes see it, the card reads in a proper order. Again, great job compared to some of really poor designs Topps has given us in the 2020’s.
Plus, the font and point size used for the player names, immediately brought 1993 Bowman to mind. I appreciated that!
1993 Bowman was filled with prospects I was closely following.
So how about a look at some of the Twins top prospects, that played in the Gophers game, tonight? Now that’s a damn good segue!
Emmanuel Rodriguez is the Twins #4 ranked prospect, #69 in the MLB Top 100. A 23 year old center fielder, who is close to a five tool talent, has been slowed by injuries. To date, he’s hit for a strong average, shown plus power, decent speed, struck out a lot, but also drawn an eye popping amount of walks. If he could stay healthy, he could be a star. On the night, Rodriguez went 1 for 2, with a walk. I didn’t see anything that says he can’t play center field.
Josh Bell was our big free agent signing. Getting $7 million to play first base and DH.
In this game, he got hit by a pitched and scored a run.
Gio Urshela is back! He put in an underrated 2022 season, as the Twins third basemen. Since then, he’s bounced around to the Angels, Tigers, Braves and Athletics, but hasn’t had near the same level of production. This spring, he’s in Twins camp on a minor league deal. They’ve given him a fair amount of playing time, but I don’t see him making the team. If he’s willing to play in St. Paul, he could be a valuable depth piece.
Alan Roden has had a good spring. He’s trying to crack the collection of below average Twins outfielders. We got Roden in last July’s trade with the Blue Jays, for Louis Varland. Given the seemingly legendary status Twins fans have given Varland, the Twins are going to give him extra chances. Similar to bringing in James Outman’s situation. Only he’s out of options, so he has an even greater chance of sticking on the roster.
Hendry Mendez, ranked as the #25 Twins prospect, went 1 for 2 against the Gophers. He was acquired from the Phillies, last July, in the Harrison Bader trade. Listed as a left fielder, Twins management has talked up a future at first base. He hasn’t shown a lot of power yet, but has a great strikeout to walk ratio. For the 2025 season, he posted a promising .299/.399/.439 slash, over 118 games in AA, split between the Phillies and Twins systems. He’s still likely a year away from the majors, that’s if he has a big year in AAA St. Paul. Building off a strong season in Double A.
Gabriel Gonzalez is similar to Mendez, but he strikes out a little more and walks a little less. Strangely enough, Gonzalez is ranked #8 in the Twins system (to Mendez at #25). Against the Gophers, Gonzalez went 0 for 1, with an RBI sacrifice fly, Ticketed for AAA St.Paul for 2026, he’s still behind Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez on the outfield depth chart. Likely a reason why the Twins are looking at Mendez as a possible first baseman. We have no shortage of good outfield prospects. While first base has been a black hole since Joe Mauer retired.
And it’s not like he was all that great of a hitter over his last few seasons.
******
Some more 2026 Topps, yeah?
Topps is nearing the end of the 35th Anniversary designs that I’m interested in. I like the 1991 Topps design a lot. I’m cool with the 1992 design, which is pretty similar to 1991. However, I loathe 1993 Topps, dislike 1994 and 1995 Topps equally, really hated 1996 Topps, and 1997-2000 were all absolutely ignored by me. So this is one of the last years I’ll have any interest. Not like I’m going to buy a bunch of unopened product anyways…
2026 Topps 1991 Anniversary - Dylan Beavers
Heheheheheh…. Beavers…
2026 Topps 1991 Anniversary - Shoeless Joe Jackson
Now this was a surprise. I was under the assumption that Shoeless Joe Jackson was still on Major League Baseball’s “Permanent Ineligibility” list, for the 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal. Maybe the whole lifetime ban has been revisited since it’s been almost an entire lifetime since he died?
Wait… Curiosity got me and I looked it up… On May 13, 2025, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred removed the 7 other members of the 1919 White Sox AND Pete Rose from that “Permanent Ineligibility” list. Manfred changed the policy to state that “Permanent Ineligibility” expires at death. So final… Once I re-read this, I remembered it happening, but forgot about it when I saw the Jackson card.
This means that now Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose are eligible for induction to Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Which would have to be through a committee vote, not a traditional Hall of Fame ballot. It will be very interesting to see what kind of support both players could get. Jackson could present a reasonable case. However, I don’t see Pete Rose gaining much sympathy, because he really was a total crotch for a human being.
Does that mean I’ll get a licensed Pete Rose Expos card someday soon?
He’s dead now, so he’ll never know!
2026 Topps 1991 Anniversary Crackle - Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2026 Topps Mega Boxes have 3 randomly inserted “Crackle” parallels of the 1991 Anniversary set (and of course the requisite abundance of parallels of those). One of my three was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which I’m completely cool with.
2026 Topps 1991 Anniversary Crackle - Mike Schmidt
Wasn’t a Phillies or Mike Schmidt fan, but I like this one too.
2026 Topps 1991 Anniversary Crackle - Ken Griffey Jr.
Now we’re talking! Kind of strange to see the old Mariners colors on the border, instead of the colors matching their 1993 re-branding. Don’t care, will always love Ken Griffey Jr. cards. No rare, serial numbered 1991 Crackle colored parallels inside this Mega Box, but I’m happy with the three that I got. Two Hall of Famers and one that’s putting up a good case for it.
Speaking of future Hall of Famers, now in base card form…
2026 Topps - Clayton Kershaw
Good… I’m happy I got this card. I would have wanted it and now I don’t have to find one and buy it. Kershaw retired after the 2025 season, so this will be his last base card as an active player. At least Topps used a good photo for it.
Now I know the full story that I’d been following since buying a Blaster of 2006 Bowman Draft (sure miss Bowman Draft selling in retail stores), in late December 2006, from the WalMarts in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. One card from that box made me have to care about a top Dodgers prospect…
2006 Bowman Chrome Draft - Clayton Kershaw - X-Fractor Autograph
When you pull a card like this, unless you’re selling it, that becomes a player whose career you follow. Seemingly 99% of the time you get a big hit of a prospect, they flame out quickly. There’s a whole lot more Kyle Drabeks among prospects, than Kershaws. This would turn out to be the best case scenario for a prospect card pull. Still my best retail pull ever.
In August 2017, I ranked my Top 12 Retail Pulls. Which -obviously- only included through 2017. Thinking about what list would look like today. 2018-2022 saw a whole lot of new retail hits. But even if I redid that list today, this Kershaw would still take first place. (Though a contender from May 2024, could easily take that title someday.) Perhaps I’ve just talked myself into writing that story?
Card back showcases his entire career. Those numbers look insane in relation to how the game itself developed in those years. Clayton Kershaw first made the Majors in 2008. After a rough first season, dominated the game until his body couldn’t continue the grind. Hard to imagine another starting pitcher coming after Kershaw, posting the same stretch of absolute dominance, that he did from 2009-2019. Before injuries started taking their toll, Kershaw was the best pitcher in the game. Above the likes of Verlander, Scherzer, Grienke, and anyone else you can name, that pitched between 2008-2025.
I watched enough Dodger games when they played the Rockies, to know that we had zero chance if Kershaw was pitching. Even when the Rockies weren’t a total embarrassment to the game. I remember begrudgingly having to cheer him on, because I got to watch him throw a No-Hitter against Colorado, live on TV. You can’t hate that… You just have to admire it.
2026 Topps - Mookie Betts
Don’t get me wrong Mookie, I still hate the Dodgers!
2026 Topps - Alex Bregman
Now a Cub. That’s not going to help. Still really don’t like him.
2026 Topps - Ronald Acuna Jr.
Still really don’t like the Braves either.
2026 Topps - Paul Skenes
Everybody knows that Skenes will not pull a Kershaw and pitch his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. I just don’t want to see him with the Dodgers. I’d even hate it less, if he ended up with the Red Sox. How about Toronto?
How about the future expansion Montreal Expos?
What say you, Ashram Karbasfrooshan?
I can dream…
2026 Topps - Bobby Witt Jr.
Great photo of Witt Jr., who will remain as an anonymous megastar. Until Kansas City figures out how to build a team around him, he’ll be the best player in the league that no one ever notices.
2026 Topps - Aaron Judge
Okay… I get it… Judge had a better career than Yoan Moncada….
2026 Topps - Andrew McCutchen
After a three year late career run back in Pittsburgh, I figured McCutchen would call it a day and retire a Pirate. Nope… Early March minor league deal with the Texas Rangers. Not to fault McCutchen, he’s been one of my favorite players for many years, but that just seems wrong. Cool on him if he wants to continue playing, but the last three years seemed like an appropriate end. Minor league deal with Texas kind of ruins the bookends.
That is a great photo as well. A Texas Rangers photo will never look as cool.
2026 Topps - Oneil Cruz
Well, that’s a pretty cool photo as well… Keep waiting for Cruz to put it all together and have that breakout season. Maybe 2026 will be the year? Pittsburgh has added some actual Major Leaguers to the lineup around him, so he’ll have some support for the first time in his career. Gotta build up value so the Pirates can trade him!
2026 Topps - Mike Yastrzemski
Only including this card because every time I look at it, I see a comma between Mike and Yastrzemski. Took me a moment to notice that it was just his shoe, but I still see a comma. Yastrzemski will have to wait for 2026 Topps Series Two or Update, for his first Atlanta Braves cards. After signing with them as a free agent, his playing time will likely see an increase now that Jurickson Profar has proven himself to be a complete moron.
2026 Topps - Jackson Merrill
Great photo that Topps would typically save for Stadium Club, except for…
Nope. Not going to complain about Stadium Club quite yet…
2026 Topps - Jackson Holliday
Nothing special here. I’m including Jackson because I don’t have any cards of his younger brother, 2025 Colorado Rockies first round draft pick, Ethan Holliday. Son of former Rockies outfielder, Matt Holliday. Looking at what he did after signing with the Rockies, wasn’t immediately eye catching. He’s only 18, and was started off in Low A, with the Fresno Grizzlies. Over 84 plate appearances, he put up a .239/.357/.380 triple slash. Numbers look a little better when you consider he was more than three years younger than his competition. The predicted great power wasn’t quite there, and the strikeouts are way too high.
Ethan Holliday didn’t come in and set the league on fire, as most thought he would. But there’s enough there to believe he could become an All Star at some point.
2026 Topps - Daniel Schneeman
Didn’t rank them, but this may be my favorite 2026 Topps photo from the Mega Box. Of a Cleveland Guardian. That NEVER happens. That facial expression make me wonder if he’s diving into a cake, sitting just outside the frame. Whatever he’s jumping on, he sure looks ecstatic about it.
2026 Topps - Jack Leiter
Al Leiter’s kid, and possible future teammate of Andrew McCutchen!
2026 Topps - Logan Gilbert
Never liked black as a color for baseball pants, but I hate to admit that I don’t mind the Mariners Nikefied alternate.
It’s better than this…
2026 Topps - Daniel Palencia
Look, the Cubs are trying to the 1980’s Montreal Expos! This Nikefied mess caused me to do a massive double take the first time I saw it on television. While the caps don’t have a third panel of red in back, they’re using a very similar font for the name and numbers, to the Expos blue road uniforms. Appreciate the thought, but nope… This design just doesn’t work.
Nike just needs to stop it.
******
What going on in that Twins Gophers game I’ve been watching?
It’s now the 4th inning, and all 2 of the Major Leaguers are out of the game. So it’s time to call in (more of) the prospects!
Twins #18 ranked prospect, Marco Raya, is in to pitch.
Goes without saying, this will be the first time I’ve seen the 2020 4th round draft pick, pitch in a game.
Speaking of more firsts, who’s that now in at shortstop? Why it’s 2024 first rounder, Kaelen Culpepper! I was hoping to see him in the game. As far as Marco Raya’s inning, he gave up a hit, was very wild with his control, yet struck out the side. I can see why the Twins are high on him. He threw several pitches at 99mph. If he ever learns how to keep it in the zone, Raya could become the Twins closer someday.
Heheheheh… 420…
Now in center field is the Twins #1 prospect Walker Jenkins (#10 ranked prospect in MLB). Was really hoping to see him play tonight. Jenkins missed Spring Training last year, due to a hamstring injury, so I didn’t get to see him last year. A couple of innings later, I got to see Jenkins get his first chance in the field. He dove for a lazy fly ball and botched it, leading to a Gophers triple.
Jenkins stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 4th.
After working the count for a few pitches, he drilled a line drive into the gap…
And hustled his way to second base for a double. Later scored on a single by catching prospect, Noah Cardenas, who batted next. For the game, Jenkins went 1 for 1 with a walk and an RBI.
It wasn’t on this slide, but Jenkins injured his hamstring again early on this spring, and was prematurely cut from Twins camp. Jenkins wasn’t going to make the Twins Opening Day roster, but I hope he doesn’t miss too much of St. Paul Saints first month.
The Twins scored 3 more runs off overmatched Gophers pitching before Kaelen Culpepper stepped up for his first plate appearance. I forgot to note what he did in the at-bat, but he made the final out of the inning. He did see a few pitches so it wasn’t wasted. Culpepper drew a 4 pitch walk in his second trip to the plate.
Since tonight’s game was only a 7 inning exhibition, we’ll bump up the ballyhoo…
Please stand for the 5th inning stretch!
******
Early February saw Laura and I back in tropical Rochester, MN, for another surgery.
This one would keep her in the hospital for nearly a week. But we didn’t know that going in…
I spent the first four nights at the Aspen Suites hotel, directly across the street from St Marys Hospital. The road has been under construction since at least September of last year, but the crosswalk has now reopened. Makes for a quick trip across the street and back, without having to involve a car and parking.
Oh good, the babes are here!
Aspen Suites is located next door and above the Canadian Honker restaurant. Their food is excellent, so we chose that for pre-surgery dinner. Called it in, then I walked down and picked it up. Fantastic burger.
Her surgery was scheduled for Wednesday morning, with a likely Friday morning release. Friday came and it became a Saturday go-home. Hopefully… I needed to get home to deal with home stuff, then go back to work on Monday. Saturday morning came and they weren’t ready to release her. I ended up driving home Saturday, working Monday until 8pm, then driving to Rochester to pick her up and drive her back. Finally getting home at 2:15am.
But for those four glorious nights at Aspen Suites, I got to rest my weary body in the hot tub. Unless I can be alone, I have to try and assimilate with other middle aged hot tub users, or ignore a team of female high school volleyball players, squealing about Tik Tok and how Jeremy broke up with Sarah. Which was sad.
Really could use a hot tub right about now…
The public restroom at St. Mary’s Hospital has an interesting sign in each of the stalls. The “Do not flush” section is fine. You don’t want to put any of that in the toilet. Underneath that is: “Don’t reach into the toilet.” Now that’s an entirely different sort of caution. Does the Mayo Clinic typically deal with many people just reaching into toilets? What exactly are they reaching for? Other than the time I accidentally flushed my car keys at Red Rocks Amphitheater, I can’t think of any instance where I wanted to reach into a toilet. But at that time, it was already too late to call for assistance. I certainly wasn’t reaching in for the Reese’s NutRageous, that also fell out of my pocket.
Days that I was with Laura at the hospital, I was hanging out for typically 7-8 hours. Eventually, I needed to get away for a spell. At least longer than the walk outside for a cigarette, then back in and up to her room. One afternoon while she was napping, I took the car out, filled it with gas and decided I needed to spend some time looking at collectable toys and fun stuff. Which meant a visit to Nerdin Out, just a few blocks west of the hospital.
A massive store with comic books, collectable toys and games, and all the stuff that warms a nerd’s heart. Perfect escape for too much time spent sitting on a couch, looking at my phone in a hospital room. There is a Nerdin Out location in Crapids now, but it's less cool than the one in Rochester. Still stop by every once in a while to look at toys and stuff. It's a nice oasis of stuff that doesn't suck, in the northern suburbs.
Upon entering, I was looking at the display cases around the register. That’s where they put some of the better vintage stuff available. The video game case had some rare NES classics: Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior II and Dragon Warrior IV, plus my personal holy grail, a copy of Tengen Tetris. Yanked from the market quickly after release, thanks to a lawsuit from Nintendo. Tengen’s version of the game is vastly superior to Nintendo’s, but you know… Couldn’t justify $90 today. And my picture of is too blurry to use.
Another case had several carded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures. With some Masters of the Universe figures on the shelf above. Many of them had the mini-comic book, some accessories and semi-mutillated backing cards.
The guy at the register was sorting through some new arrivals. Stack of assorted, 40 plus year old coloring books are sitting on the countertop. A copy of this Masters of the Universe coloring book (circa 1983) was on top. I recognized it immediately and said out loud: “Wow! I have that one!” He asked if I collected Masters of the Universe, and if I was interested in anything from the stack. Replied that I’m more of a Transformers G1 collector, but not exclusively. He said that he had a guy that was going to call later, that buys pretty much anything from the original Masters of the Universe line. Then he pointed out that most of these coloring books had the original 4 color fold out posters, still intact. Hmmmm… My copy doesn’t have any 4 color fold out posters… Wonder what ever happened to those?
The case next to it had some mid-1980’s Garbage Pail Kids stickers. Even beat up commons from the first series sell for $6 each. I’ve bought a few here before, but none today…
Next case over was mostly Transformers (with related lines, copycats and knock-offs), but very few of the original 1980’s Generation One line. These days, those are the only Transformers toys I care about. And that red Inferno fire engine had my eye. For some reason, that particular figure appeared in a dream of mine a few months back, that stood out enough to remember it. Now that I’m seeing it as one of the only original Transformers available in the store, I expressed interest. Seems like a sign or something. He said it was a great condition, with all of the accessories included. It looked good, and $60 isn’t a bad price considering…
Shhhhh…. Don’t tell my wallet…
One corner of the building is now dedicated to a miniature video arcade. This used to to be storage/shipping/packing area, when I was here about a year ago. One of the vintage machines is Rygar, in what looks like an old Super Pac Man cabinet. You don’t see Rygar in video arcade form very often, these days…
Hey Mr. Rux, the “Grubby Buttholes” look a lot better in the arcade, than they do on Nintendo…
Amongst the Pro Wrasslin action figures is an autographed Cactus Jack, from the mid-2000’s Jakks Pacific Classic WWF Superstars line. Those were cool figures. Cactus is an absolute legend, but the guy behind him, Mick Foley, is just one all around good dood. After retiring from wrasslin, he’s done a great deal of charity work, and always been entertaining to listen to, on podcast or whatever. I have a ton of respect for him walking away from his WWE Legends contract, because of their affection towards President Pig Shit’s regime.
His 2000 book, Have A Nice Day! (a New York Times #1 Bestseller), actually helped me refocus my dedication to writing. after it had gone astray in the late 1990’s. He wrote his book by hand, on legal pads, over a period of several months. Which reminded me of how I started out with Wasted Quarter, and progressed over the years. And I can’t say his writing style wasn’t a bit influential as I got back into it. His book was a fast read, given the conversation tone Foley writes with.
While I’d love to have his autograph, I wouldn’t buy it second hand. Ideally, I’d have my copy of his book signed in-person. I’d love to ask him about the process he used in putting his book together. While not mentioning the 1998 Hell in the Cell match.
No matter how incredible it was…
Now to get a yummy, delicious Cheesesteak from Jersey Jo’s, and get back to the hotel and eat it!
******
What was I talking about?
Oh yeah… That 2026 Topps Series One Mega Box…
Got distracted by stuff I’d rather write about…
Guess we’ll bring it down a notch and talk about the Twins cards I found inside.
2026 Topps - Royce Lewis
Light blue Twins cap must mean this was from the Father’s Day game in 2025.
2026 Topps - Ryan Jeffers
Jeffers gets a rather standard bat swing follow through picture.
Nothing special here.
2026 Topps - Pierson Ohl
Mission accomplished! Pierson Ohl was the 2026 Topps base card, I wanted the most. Now anything else is just extra!
Ohl made his debut with the Twins last summer, and pitched okay. I was rather surprised they designated him for assignment, just before spring training, as our 2026 bullpen is going to be a mismatch of random pieces. (No one has really stood out in Spring Training either.) Ohl was then traded to the Colorado Rockies, along with second baseman, Eduoard Julien, for injured minor league pitcher, Jace Kaminska. Julien played himself out of the Twins plans, and was out of options. Management must have seen little upside to Ohl, So they ditched two players they no longer wanted, for an injured lottery ticket. Maybe Kaminska gets healthy, and in 2-3 years becomes a decent bullpen option?. His pre-injury numbers in A ball were pretty good.
Shortly after Spring Training began, it was announced that Pierson Ohl came down with a case of Tommy John Surgery. Ending his season before it began. Sucks for him, but there is a bright side. He will spend the entire season on the 60 Day Injured List, collecting a full season’s salary (around $750,000) and benefits, plus the Rockies will cover all expenses related to the injury, and he gets a full season of Major League service time.
Really hope I get a Colorado Rockies Pierson Ohl card someday.
2026 Topps - Travis Adams
The only other Twins rookie card in 2026 Topps. I chose Pierson Ohl, over Adams, is because Adams is still on the roster. There’s a good chance he pitches for the Twins at some point this year. There’s a chance Adams will have additional Topps cards down the line. Pierson Ohl, most likely won’t.
It’s only Spring Training of course, but the Twins have one of the worst records in MLB. Tough Talking Tom Pohlad sat in on commentary, for a half inning, during the first game against Boston. He answered softball questions with the same cliches that we’ve all heard before. But the bottom line is, he says we’re competing… Everybody’s eyes say this team is going nowhere and it’s getting worse.
Whatever happens behind the scenes is a far more compelling story than anything the 2026 Twins will do on the field.
I’m going to watch the games and listen on the radio, as I always do. Not going to spend any real money on the team. Not necessarily out of protest, because why would they care about a couple hundred bucks from me, attending a game or two? I’m just sick of the entire Pohlad family. The same tripe Tough Taking Tom talked, is the same as Joe Pohlad, Jim Pohlad and Carl Pohlad, have all said over the last 42 years. Baseball to them is strictly a business, and it has to be run that way. From what I’ve seen, since Carl’s death in 2009, is that none of the Pohlad’s have learned anything about how to run a successful business. Years of poor decisions are catching up to them, and it’s affecting the team more than ever before.
They need to sell the team.
But it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon. So I’m not angry, I’m used to it. Problem is, I’ll sit here and accept it, because I love the game.
Poor ownership of a professional sports team is in no way unique to Minnesota. Wasn’t like the team in my adopted home state of Colorado, was run by anyone that had a clue what they were doing.
2026 Topps - Hunter Goodman
Goodman was Colorado’s 4th round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, and became an All Star and Silver Slugger winner, in 2025. Colorado hasn’t had very good luck in the draft over the last ever. Most of the top picks from 2016-2022 have all struggled or failed in the majors. Zac Veen… Sigh… Not going to list them all, too much disappointment…
2026 Topps - Ryan Ritter
Nike just needs to stop.
2026 Topps - Warming Bernabel
According to Wikipedia, Warming’s name is a combination of his father, Warren, and his grandfather, Ming. He was called up to the majors in July 2025, and went on a tear, with 3 home runs in his first seven games. But it wasn’t sustainable, and his numbers quickly switched to awful. Warming signed with the Washington Nationals, after the Rockies released him in December.
2026 Topps Rainbow Foil - Kyle Freeland
Pretty sure Kyle Freeland will be a lifetime Rockie. Born in Denver, went to high school in Denver, college in Evansville, Indiana, then drafted in the first round (2014) by the Rockies. Debut with the team in 2017, and he been a rotation workhorse ever since. His first two seasons were very promising. Freeland looked like he could become one of the top left-handed starting pitchers in baseball (not named Clayton Kershaw). However, he’s been only slightly above average since. Good story though, I can fully endorse his lifetime Rockies status.
Just don’t sign a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, if the Rockies opt to let you go…
Oh, and this is a Rainbow Foil parallel. Which of course has parallels.
2026 Topps Holo Foil - Sean Murphy
There’s also the Retail Exclusive Holo Foil parallel. For an Atlanta Braves card, I don’t hate this. Always like catchers fielding on a card. Plus the Retail Exclusive Holo Foil gimmick works well with this photo. I’d even go as far as to say this card is a keeper for the Braves binder.
Which is much thinner than the Blue Jays binder…
2026 Topps Purple Holo Foil - Kevin Gausman
Retail Exclusive Purple Holo Foil parallel, serial numbered out of 250. Now, I’m in no way complimenting that Nike mess of a Blue Jays uniform, but the way it almost camoflages itself against the Retail Exclusive Holo Foil, is pretty cool. This won’t make the Blue Jays binder, because it’s worthy of the Blue Jays Top Loader box!
I’m more generous over storage for these types of minor hits from teams I like.
2026 Topps Big Ticket - Elly De La Cruz
More of a straightforward insert set, that you typically get filling packs of the flagship set. This one has some character, and I kind of like it for a small (26 card) insert set.
******
Well… I guess I’ve put it off long enough…. Time to discuss my disgust with 2025 Stadium Club.
2025 Stadium Club - Blaster Horizontal
As mentioned, I picked up a blaster of the new Stadium Club, along with the Topps Series One Mega Box. Used to be one of my favorite sets that Topps put out. Along came Fanatics, and Stadium Club feels more like a line they’d rather cut, than put any real effort into. Gone is the thick card stock and heavy gloss coating, now thinner and coated the same as base Topps cards. The focus on great photography is just now the same assortment of batters batting and pitchers pitching, that makes the flagship set look so tedious.
Well, who was on the very first 2025 Stadium Club card I saw?
2025 Stadium Club - Chase Petty
Well, that’s cool. My first major league card of the 2021 Minnesota Twins first round draft pick. Found some mild amusement that Petty is wearing Pete Rose’s old jersey number, which has a Pete Rose memorial patch on the arm. Just above the advertisement for Kroger.
Dating back to the very first Stadium Club sets, the focus was intended to emphasize photography. Which is why there was the partnership with Kodak, back in 1991. On card graphics would complement the photo, not distract from it. That ridiculous banner around the name is just too much. This isn’t a Stadium Club design, it’s a first draft from someone that knows very little about baseball.
Or what I picture the heads at the Fanatics division of baseball cards. Or whatever that corporate position is called.
After opening the first pack, my immediate thought was: “I wish I hadn’t bought this…”
2025 Stadium Club - Agustin Ramirez
Something I also feel strongly about is the fading of the photo on the top and bottom. Combined with the stupid name banner, the lower 20% of this picture is ruined. Same with the top 10%. Stadium Club’s entire gimmick was full bleed photography. This reduces Stadium Club to just another baseball card. Shame because I really wanted to like this photo of Ramirez, stepping out of the dugout in Loan Marlins Park Depot.
My favorite card from the Blaster.
And that’s not saying much.
2025 Stadium Club - Bo Bichette
Good luck in New York.
I think you made a mistake.
2025 Stadium Club In Case of Emergency - Mike Schmidt
Don’t hate this insert card as a concept, but it belongs in Topps Big League (do they still make that?) and not Stadium Club.
2025 Stadium Club Savage Sluggers - Vladimir Guerrero
Same as above, then add: Right player… Wrong team…
2025 Stadium Club - Craig Biggio - Lime Green
Too many lame, uninspired parallels. Am I supposed to believe that Houston Astro Hall of Famer, Craig Biggio, hangs out in a toxic waste dump between innings? Hope he keeps safely away from that blop of whatever dripping down the wall.
Stupid.
2025 Stadium Club - Andrew Benintendi - Sepia
Eh… I don’t hate the Sepia parallel … Probably because the photo itself has a little character.
Only a little...
Yeah, 2025 Stadium Club is a disappointing, low effort, sadly stripped down version of what made Stadium Club worth buying. I’ve seen a lot of online anger aimed at cutting down from two autographs per hobby box, to one. Even more anger to the complete scrapping of the Stadium Club Chrome parallels. And all of those highly collectable Refractor parallels. Which really took away a lot of the draw for me buying them.
Almost seems like Fanatics is sabotaging the brand in order to get rid of it.
Until this is cleaned up, I’m done buying any new Stadium Club in pack form.
This is absolutely not what I want from that brand.
******
How are the Gophers doing?
Looks like they lost… Their pitchers walked 10 Twins, which made this a very hard game to watch. You could tell some of the Gophers seemed almost nervous and very tentative. Even the commentators mentioned that a lot of these top Twins prospects that people tuned in to watch (like me), never got a decent strike to even attempt a swing.
But that was semi-expected, given the competition. For the first game in months, it was fun to watch. Kind of brought up all the reasons why I’m excited for the upcoming baseball season. While not being excited about my baseball team. That has nothing to do with the players. It’s not their fault they’re stuck playing for a poorly run franchise.
So how’s the future looking?
Aaron Sabato was the Twins First Round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. His play had pretty much written him off as a MLB prospect. It took him until 2025 to have his first decent season in the minor leagues. He went 1 for 2, with a run scored, tonight. He’ll play the 2026 season in St. Paul, but depending how the Twins season goes, and if he continues to hit as he did in 2025, a Major League debut this summer isn’t out of the question. Completely unexpected given where he was in team plans, after the 2024 season.
Kala’i Rosario also came to the Twins in the 2020 MLB Draft, in the 5th round. While Sabato isn’t a ranked prospect any longer, Kala’i sits at #29! After coming into the game, he went 0 for 1, with a walk and an RBI.
Kyler Fedko put up some really good numbers in 2025, completely out of nowhere. He was (and still is) an unranked prospect, but provides good depth on the farm. Numbers like that, with the ability to play all three outfield positions and first base, will keep him ranked above Sabato. He went 0 for 2 in the game.
Jon Klein is still an unranked prospect in the Twins system, but they are serious enough about him to add him to the 40 Man Roster. He’s from Brooklyn Center, MN, which is very close to my home base, so I’ll root for him to do well in St. Paul. His inning pitched was scoreless, off 2 hits and 1 strikeout.
Andrew Bash would be strictly organizational depth at this point, but I’d like to see Bash in the Bullpen. Think of those marketing opportunities! He pitched a clean inning, striking out 2.
After the game, the Twins and Gophers did a traditional handshake line.
Which was actually really cool to see.
Then the Gophers team gathered in front of their dugout, and sang the University of Minnesota fight song, to the collective of Gophers fans, who gathered there after the game. Also pretty cool to see.
******
Before I get back to talking about 2026 Topps Series One (which I really don’t feel like doing), Here’s an unadvertised, surprise Whatever!
A very small part of Nerdin Out in Rochester is devoted to sports cards. Which as athletic as they may be, are still a nerdy thing! The flipping rack of cards on display are all overpriced and of questionable collectability, but still fun to look through. The stand up display case has some decent stuff, but at prices I wouldn’t pay. Previous treasure (for my PC’s) has come from those boxes underneath. 25 cents a card, and not all of them were junk wax era bulk.
My hopes were to spend some time flipping through cards and finding a bunch of low level commons that I needed for stuff I collect. Unfortunately, these boxes still had the same cards they did about three years ago, when I pulled most of the good Twins, Expos and Rockies out. And the box labelled “Wrestling” had only basketball and football cards inside. That was a real disappointment. Would have probably dropped a bunch of more quarters if they had a thousand or so Pro Wrasslin cards for me to mine… But I did still find 10 cards I wanted! So now I present to you, the…
Top 10 Cards Pulled From Nerdin Out Rochester’s 25 Cent Card Boxes!
#10 - 2018 Topps Legend in the Making - Jose Berrios
Funny this card has eluded me. I bought a bunch of 2018 Topps back in the day, and it’s still a set I really like.
However, these inserts were nothing special, and I wasn’t a big fan of them then…
#9 - 2001 Pacific - Jeff Reboulet
Reboulet was a utility infielder for the Twins, from 1992 to 1996. Then a few years in Baltimore, and a trade to the Kansas City Royals, for the 2000 season. His career wrapped up with a couple seasons with the Dodgers and one in Pittsburgh, before retiring after the 2003 season.
#8 - 1998 Score - Chris Widger
I don’t have enough 1998 Score Expos (or Twins or Rockies), so this was an easy call. Widger was the Expos primary catcher between 1997 and 1999. They acquired him from the Mariners after the 1996 season, then traded him back to the Mariners after the 1999 season. Got too expensive, you see…
#7 - 2021 Donruss Elite Series - Trevor Story
25 cents for a cheesy overproduced, unlicensed insert Story? Sure!
#6 - 1998 Score - David Segui
Another 1998 Score Expos card I needed. Segui was another. And he was a better player than Widger…
#5 - 1998 Score - Alex Fernandez
Think I need a 1998 Score Marlin as well. I was a fan of the team the White Sox were building in the early 1990’s. You had Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura leading the offense, with Alex Fernandez and Jack McDowell leading the rotation. Thought they would win more than they did, after adding pieces that should have lead to division wins. But Oakland had that wrapped up. Then it was Cleveland, after the divisions were restructured in 1995.
After a great 7 year run with the White Sox, Fernandez signed a big contract with the Marlins in 1997. Won the World Series in his first year with the fish, but tore his rotator cuff and missed the 1998 season and part of 1999. He retired after the 2000 season, citing lingering shoulder problems.
#4 - 1997 Collector’s Choice - Chris Widger
Unlike Fernandez, Widger did win a World Series with the Chicago White Sox. As a backup catcher on their 2005 World Championship team. And this card is superior to the 1998 Score issue.
#3 - 1985 Fleer - Danny Jackson
Pretty sure this is his rookie card, though I can’t be bothered to look it up. The mid 1990’s Royal produced a staff of pitchers that had very respectable careers. Jackson being just one them. You had Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, Bud Black, and David Cone all go on to long, productive major league careers. Both in Kansas and elsewhere.
#2 - 2012 Bowman Platinum - Chad Bettis - Purple
Good 25 cent addition to the Rockies binder. Bettis even had a few decent games for the 20-teens Rockies.
Before getting to number one of this little Whatever, here’s another bonus item picked up from Nerdin Out….
1993 Kenner Starting Lineup - Larry Walker
A few months ago, I wrote about how all of those Kenner Starting Lineup figures from the late 80’s and 90’s have zero collector value today. Yet this Larry Walker still had $4 in value to me. After seeing it hanging from a peg board, I knew it was worth adding to the Expos collection. Even at double price on the discounted WalMarts price tag.
Problem being, it doesn’t really look anything like Larry Walker…
ENHANCE!!!
Actually, this looks a whole lot like Expos Hall of Famer, Gary Carter.
Speaking of Hall of Famers, it’s time for number one…
#1 - 2020 Topps Chrome By The Numbers - Hank Aaron
Strange world we’re in where any Atlanta Brave can outrank all these Montreal Expos… But here you go…
Whatever…
******
During yet another Boston Red Sox Minnesota Twins Spring Training game, the Twins mascot, TC Bear, had some comically oversized binoculars, with large googley eyes on them. Had to be distracting for opposing pictures to see a live action cartoon taking place in your direct line of sight, while trying to pitch the ball.
I was also pretty high, so it made me laugh more than it should have…
Guess I have to go back to talking about 2026 Topps…
Think I’ll call this the “Pandering to Super A’s Fan Rob’s 2026 Topps Sacramento Athletics Support” section. Going to show all of the Sacramento A’s cards I got inside the Mega Box. Which will start to end this tedious review of something I really don’t care about.
2026 Topps - Athletics Team Card
Topps gives each team a team specific card. Used to be for full team photos, but these days it’s usually a photo of an over the top home plate celebration.
2026 Topps - New Age Athletics
Which makes it strange that Topps added a second team card of similar subject matter. Save this card for Series Two.
Or vice-versa.
2026 Topps - Nick Kurtz
Kurtz was lucky there were no other decent rookie first baseman in 2025, so Topps was able to honor him with a rookie cup, without alienating a better player. Surprising because there are nearly 700 Major League players better than Nick Kurtz…
2026 Topps - JT Ginn
Just liked the composition of this photo.
Bright yellow A’s jersey cast against the deep blue empty seats of Sacramento High School baseball stadium.
2026 Topps Stars - Jacob Wilson
I pulled an Athletics insert card, but none of the Twins or Rockies (probably because they don’t appear in many insert sets). Topps Stars are a very common retail insert set. Which shrunk a bit this year. In the recent past, it used to be 50 cards per series, and just served as an excuse to print extra cards of superstars.
Like…
2026 Topps Stars - Mike Trout
And…
2026 Topps Stars - Shohei Ohtani
2026 Topps Stars was shorted by 20 cards in favor of a new 20 card insert set of exactly the same theme and different design, Topps Titans of the Game.
Because we need yet another…
2026 Topps Titans of the Game - Shohei Ohtani
And yet another…
2026 Topps Titans of the Game - Aaron Judge
(Yoan Moncada didn't make the checklist.)
And soon we’ll all be tired of unproven newcomers like…
2026 Topps Titans of the Game - James Wood
I do like the design, but it’s the same thing as Topps stars.
Which has a slightly less watered down checklist than previous years.
2026 Topps Titans of the Game - Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Other than looking nice, there’s no real value to any of this…
Like the garbage can outside the gas station, filled with scratched off losing lottery tickets.
Which is pretty much how I feel about 2026 Topps.
******
The other night, I’m standing in line at the convenience store, on my way home from work. I’m up next, but a middle-aged, highly chunkified woman at the register is going overboard on the scratch-off tickets. Taking forever to decide on backup choices when some of the different ones she wanted were sold out. After a couple minutes of this, I hear the guy behind me clearly mutter: “Fucking lottery…” I make sure to nod with enough enthusiasm, to convey my full agreement with his sentiment, without looking at him.
Lady… I get that you really want that last few dollars you can scrape up, to become your last few dollars plus two, but it’s after 11pm. We all just want to pay for our gas, cheddar cheese coated popcorn, and two packs of Winston Lights Gold 100’s with Raisins BOX!, so we can go home.
Speaking as a former convenience store employee, obsessive Lottery players are the worst…
I’ve watched the hobby slowly evolve into a lottery, since the Junk Wax Era. Fanatics was the final nail in the coffin. Now we’re all just middle-aged and chunkified women at the register, wondering why we wasted good money on worthless paper. Wishing for a chance to have one of those pieces of paper, to not be worthless.
Those days are gone... Chasing me further and further away from the hobby.
I know I'm not alone....
Please don’t get hurt… Please don’t get hurt… Please don’t get hurt… Please don’t get hurt… Please don’t get hurt…
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