2019 Topps Update Series Baseball cards bring the year’s flagship line to a close. Some elements from and continue while others are entirely fresh. In true traded fashion, veterans on new teams get new updated cards while many early call-ups get their first Topps flagship Rookie Cards. On top of that, the checklist has the usual deep assortment of inserts and other chase elements.
For those chasing the premium stuff, hobby boxes have the standard one autograph or one relic. Hobby jumbo boxes come with an autograph and two memorabilia or manufactured relic cards.
2019 Topps Update Series Baseball Base
Like recent years, the base set has 300 cards. This is lower than the 350 cards Series 1 and 2 each had. And while Update Series has different numbering and is considered different, it brings the full flagship line to 1,000 total base cards.
In addition to regular player cards, there are subsets that cover in-season events like the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby.
As far as what’s in hobby and hobby jumbo packs, parallels are . These include 150th Anniversary (1:6 hobby packs), Rainbow Foil (1:10), Gold (/2019), Vintage Stock (/99), Independence Day (/76), Black (/67), Father’s Day Powder Blue (/50), Mother’s Day Hot Pink (/50), Memorial Day Camo (/25), Printing Plates (1/1) and Platinum (1/1). Black are not available in any retail configurations.
Clear (/10) also return, although these are usually a partial parallel that doesn’t cover the entire base set. Clear are only found in regular hobby, not hobby jumbo and not in any retail.
exist for select cards.
Inserts
On the insert front, there are three themes that carry over from the previous 2019 Topps Baseball sets. 150 Years of Professional Baseball expands further into the game’s history on this anniversary season. This large set is broken down into three sections: Greatest Moments, Greatest Players and Greatest Seasons.
1984 Topps Baseball continues as well. These are new cards based on the 35-year-old set’s design. This time around the checklist is primarily rookies, traded players and other veterans.
Iconic Card Reprints take some of the most recognizable Topps cards from the past, at least those not used earlier in the year, around the block for another spin.
2019 Topps Update Series Baseball has some new inserts as well. Est. 1869 goes somewhat hand-in-hand with the 150 Years of Professional Baseball theme. However this particular set sticks with just one team, the Cincinnati Reds (or Red Stockings as they were originally known as). The franchise was baseball’s first professional team, hence the Est. 1869 name.
The Family Business looks at baseball lineage. The checklist highlights players who have family members who were also pro ball players.
All of these inserts except the Iconic Card Reprints have a similar parallel structure with Blue, Black (/299), 150th Anniversary (/150), Gold (/50), Red (/10) and Platinum (1/1) versions. For the Iconic Card Reprints it’s just 150th Anniversary as well as, for select cards, Autographs (/25 or less).
As far as manufactured relic cards go, 150th Anniversary Medallions are only in hobby and hobby jumbo packs. These take on the entire history of baseball and offer up players spanning more than a century. Parallels are 150th Anniversary (/150), Gold (/99), Red (/10) and Platinum (1/1). Some cards also have autographs (/10).
Autographs and Memorabilia Cards
Many of the hits in 2019 Topps Update Series come with a Mid-Summer Classic theme. These start with All-Star Stitches memorabilia cards.In addition to the regular versions are Silver (/50), Red (/25) and Gold (1/1) parallels.
All-Star Stitches Dual and Triple cards come with just 25 copies each. There are also a small number of All-Star Jumbo Patch cards (/5 or less), which have a one-of-one Red version as well.
All-Star Stitches Autograph and Dual Autograph cards are numbered to 25 or less with additional Red (/10 or less) and Gold (1/1) parallels. All-Star Autograph Jumbo Patch cards top out at ten copies apiece.
It’s not all All-Star hits, though. Legacy of Baseball Autographs and 1984 Topps Baseball Autographs are both back with new installments. Besides the base versions, these come in 150th Anniversary (/150), Gold (/50 or less), Red (/25 or less) and Platinum (1/1).
Exclusive to hobby and hobby jumbo packs are Topps Reverence Autograph Patch cards (/10).
Cut Signatures can also be found, but with all being one-of-ones, they’re among the scarcest cards in the product.
Additional memorabilia cards include Major League Material, which have 150th Anniversary (/150), Gold (/50 or less), Red (/25 or less) and Platinum (1/1) parallels. Own the Name Relics are only in both hobby versions. These have letters from the back of a jersey. Each is a one-of-one on its own but players usually have multiple cards with different letters.
2019 Topps Update Series Baseball variations come in a couple of forms. Similar to cards in and , one level is basic short prints that should show up regularly. The other group features tougher SSP cards that highlight some of the season’s top rookies.
2019 Topps Update Series Variations – SP vs. SSP
Base Short Print Variations are the more plentiful of the two types. This goes for both the size of its checklist and frequency in which they fall. A total of 50 retired legends not on the , veterans and rookies all have SP cards. At the hobby level, these are 1:32 packs. For hobby jumbo, they’re 1:10, or one per box.
Rookie Variations are much tougher to find. The checklist here, as you’d expect, are first-year standouts. According to the odds, you’re looking at 1:622 hobby packs and 1:190 hobby jumbo packs to pull one. In short, they’re rare.
It’s worth noting that some rookies have both types of variations for the same card number. This is where the codes come into play to make identification even easier. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Austin Riley are among the rookies with both SP and SSP variations.
Legends have now appeared in the SP lineups for all three of the flagship 2019 Topps Baseball releases. Here, key players include Ken Griffey Jr., Jackie Robinson, Nolan Ryan and Thurman Munson. Willie Mays has two different variation sin 2019 Topps Update Series, one with the New York Giants. The other has the Hall of Famer from his days in San Francisco.
Confirming Variations with the Fine Print
There’s a handy image gallery below showing the 2019 Topps Update Series variations. And while this makes spotting SP and SSP cards easy, there’s another way. The code method. It’s quick and only requires collectors to remember a couple of numbers instead of dozens of photos.
The fine print on the back holds the key. Go to the very end of the fine print and you’ll find a long code. It’s meant for production purposes, but collectors can use it to spot a variation quickly.
Here are code endings you need to tell the difference between a base card, an SP variation and an SSP variation:
- Base – 010
- SP Variation – 055
- SSP Rookie Variation – 057
2019 Topps Update Series Baseball Checklist
Here’s a list of confirmed 2019 Topps Update Series Baseball variations. The list of Base SP Variations is believed to be complete at 50 cards. The SSP Rookie Variations list will grow as there’s lots to figure out still. Topps did not release a list. Stay tuned for lots of updates in the days ahead. SSP cards are noted.
– SSP (holding ball)
– SSP
– SSP (with mascot)
– SSP (finger signs)
– SSP (with catcher)
– SSP
– SSP (overhead shot)
Silver Packs
Exclusive to 2019 Topps Update Series HOBBY and HTA JUMBO boxes you will find Silver Packs inside the boxes.
Inside the packs are special 1984 Topps Baseball Chrome cards not available anywhere else. Additional parallels and autographs are randomly inserted as well.
Parallels: Orange #d/25, Red #d/5 and SuperFractor 1/1
Update Series Silver Pack Autographs- 37 cardsT84U-1 Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels
T84U-2 Shohei Ohtani - Los Angeles Angels
T84U-3 Griffin Canning - Los Angeles Angels
T84U-4 Randy Johnson - Arizona Diamondbacks
T84U-6 Ronald Acuña Jr. - Atlanta Braves
T84U-7 Austin Riley - Atlanta Braves
T84U-8 Michael Chavis - Boston Red Sox
T84U-10 Rafael Devers - Boston Red Sox
T84U-11 Kerry Wood - Chicago Cubs
T84U-12 Eloy Jimenez - Chicago White Sox
T84U-14 Ken Griffey Jr. - Cincinnati Reds
T84U-15 Trevor Bauer - Cleveland Indians
T84U-17 Jeff Bagwell - Houston Astros
T84U-19 Corbin Martin - Houston Astros
T84U-22 Keston Hiura - Milwaukee Brewers
T84U-23 Byron Buxton - Minnesota Twins
T84U-24 Pete Alonso - New York Mets
T84U-25 Clint Frazier - New York Yankees
T84U-26 Gary Sanchez - New York Yankees
T84U-28 Thairo Estrada - New York Yankees
T84U-29 Aaron Judge - New York Yankees
T84U-30 Jose Canseco - Oakland Athletics
T84U-33 Cole Tucker - Pittsburgh Pirates
T84U-34 Fernando Tatis Jr. - San Diego Padres
T84U-35 Chris Paddack - San Diego Padres
T84U-37 Edgar Martinez - Seattle Mariners
T84U-38 Ichiro - Seattle Mariners
T84U-39 Will Smith - Los Angeles Dodgers
T84U-40 Mitch Keller - Pittsburgh Pirates
T84U-41 Lane Thomas - St. Louis Cardinals
T84U-42 Brandon Lowe - Tampa Bay Rays
T84U-43 Blake Snell - Tampa Bay Rays
T84U-45 Cavan Biggio - Toronto Blue Jays
T84U-46 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - Toronto Blue Jays
T84U-47 Trent Thornton - Toronto Blue Jays
T84U-48 Carter Kieboom - Washington Nationals
T84U-49 Victor Robles - Washington Nationals
