It’s been weird pulling Cubs baseball cards for Rizzo, Baez, and Bryant lately.
The Cubs dump their World Series Champions core, and yet in the Topps digital app, their Cubs cards continue to exist. Congrats! You have a Rizzo card in a Cubs uniform. That happens all the time with print cards. Once that year’s edition is done, you expect it to be dated.
But with a digital app, it seems like it should feel more updated. Especially when it’s the first time you pull a Baez card, and the app exclaims “New card!”
It’s September now, Topps has just released their 2nd edition base cards for 2021. We finally get updated cards for all the players the Cubs traded this year. How will Anthony Rizzo look in his Yankees uniform on a card? What will be the official pic Topps select for Baez as a Met?
These are the iconic photos that last through the generations. The photos that are used in the base set are often the most repeated images you’ll see of a player.
Let’s see what Rizzo, Baez, Bryant, Kimbrel, and Pederson look like on their updated cards in series 2.
The big three in their new cards
Pederson and Kimbrel
I hesitated including Pederson and Kimbrel in this post, because they are not long-time Cubs. Years from now, we might even forget that they were once a Cub.
Schwarber and Lester
Kyle Scharber and Jon Lester were not part of the mid-season Cubs dump, because they simply were not resigned in the offseason before the 2021 season. Even still, both players were traded by the Nationals to new teams. Thus, they each get their own Series 2 update.
Arrieta
Jake Arrieta didn’t make the Series 2 set. The Cubs released him after the trade deadline, and resigned with the Padres. That was probably too late for Topps to squeeze him into the Series 2 set. As of September 1, he’s pitched in only one game for San Diego. Perhaps he won’t get ANY baseball card featuring him as a Padre?
New Cubs to appear in the Topps 2 Bunt base set
Some Cubs finally get their own 2021 base card, like Alec Mills and David Bote.
With all the previous Cubs gone, new guys have come up and taken their place. Who is the face of the new Cubs?
Codi Heuer
Frank Schwindel
Matt Duffy
Rafael Ortega
Robinson Chirinos
Sergio Alcantara
Just a side-note. Seeing the Topps 2021 Base cards in full resolution on my computer is really nice. Makes me want to get an iPad to see these in even more resolution. Also, the background of the base set is WOOD. I never realized that until now seeing them up close. How cool that this set calls to mind the classic 1987 Topps and 1962 Topps.