Each baseball season Topps kicks off the card collecting
calendar with their flagship offering of Series 1. The product is designed to
unveil the new look of cards for that season, and sets the stage for players in
new uniforms, as well as the unveiling of new rookie cards. A few weeks later,
Opening Day follows up as a more affordable, and kid friendly product.
With hobby boxes selling for just $29.99, and single packs
available at retail stores for a buck, Opening Day is designed to get younger
collectors excited about the hobby. It is an easy sell as an impulse product,
and while there’s a lot of crossover from Series 1 here, there’s plenty of new
inserts to make the set worth checking out. For Twins fans, there’s a couple of
specific draws that will make ripping some packs more than worth it.
Base Set
Minnesota has eight cards in the 200-card base set. Jonathan
Schoop gets his first flagship style offering in a Twins uniform, and stars
like Jose Berrios and Eddie Rosario are present as well. The most notable card
here is #153. Willians Astudillo will be presented on his first licensed rookie
card in which he does not share the cardboard. In 2019 Topps Heritage,
Astudillo has a rookie offering in which both Kohl Stewart and Stephen
Gonsalves appear as well. If his personality and alluring image are to be
trusted, this should be a card to check out.
Inserts
Attempting to distance itself a bit from the traditional
Series 1 set, Opening Day brings its own unique inserts to the table. Staying in
the kid-friendly vein, a mascot set is typically one highlight. TC Bear is
among the most recognizable figures in the baseball world, and he is one of the
25 entertainers depicted in this set. Max Kepler gets a card in the Rally Time
insert offering, and Jose Berrios makes an appearance on the Sock it to Me! checklist.
In total, Minnesota has offerings in three of the seven insert sets.
Hits
No matter the year, Opening Day is not a hit driven product.
Keeping the autographs and relics to a minimum helps to drive down the price of
the product. Although there are patches, autographs, and dirt relics to be had
in the product, it’s the mascot avenue in which Minnesota is represented. TC
Bear is once again an autograph subject, and he also has a relic offering. Given
the short print status of mascot hits in the product, these cards typically
command a pretty penny on the secondary market.
Given the cheap entry fee, 2019 Opening Day should once
again be a fun rip. Don’t expect anything big out of a pack, but there’s plenty
to enjoy here. The highlight for Twins fans is going to be Astudillo’s rookie
card, and if you happen to pull a TC relic along the way, it’s all gravy.
