2019 Topps Heritage Review
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Topps Heritage is out, spring training in full swing, March Madness nearing, Opening Day around the corner....and hopefully this midwestern deep freeze will thaw soon.
This year was a bit different as Heritage prices have been heavily inflated the past two years and I didn't order a case. Pre-sale hobby boxes have been price around $100 each, but was able to take advantage of a Fanatics deal for $75 per box and ordered five boxes (they have yet to ship). What I did receive was my blaster case of 2019 Topps Heritage.
I went to eBay and put in a best offer that was accepted for more than $3 under retail price (including shipping). On top of that savings, it was 8% eBay Bucks so I'll have an additional $22 to spend next month.
Of the 16 blaster boxes in the case, I have opened 14 of them, and will probably take the last two with me this weekend for some hotel ripping. A total of 44 Chicago Cubs baseball cards were pulled. Let's review going in numerical order starting with #46 Kyle Hendricks. A posed shot of "The Professor" at what appears to be the spring training complex. The white pinstriped uniform looks great bordered by the 1970 gray design.
Javier Baez led the National League with 111 RBI in 2018. He gets the treatment on the RBI Leaders card with Nolan Arenado, Christian Yelich, Jesus Aguilar, and Trevor Story. Why do the fourth and fifth ranked players (Aguilar and Story) get larger pictures than the top three leaders in the category?
Jon Lester appears on a National League leaders card for wins. Lester, along with Miles Mikolas and Max Scherzer each had 18 wins a year ago. Again, the guys fourth and fifth on the list (Kyle Freeland and Aaron Nola) receive larger images on the card.
A posed picture of infielder/outfielder Ian Happ. Many collectors do not like the posed images from spring training. I love them, and feel we don't see enough in the Topps flagship set.
Kyle Schwarber shown holding the lumber. This is a cool shot, and we even get a good look at his wrist bands. The green wrist band is for a child name Campbell Faulkner, who has a rare genetic disease.
The 2019 Cubs Rookie Stars feature James Norwood and Duane Underwood Jr. It's good to see pitchers drafted by the organization to reach the big leagues. Let's hope we see sustained success.
Albert Almora shown in a similar pose as Schwarber. I am digging the blue Under Armour sleeve.
A batting pose by Jason Heyward.
I wonder how they chose the team name color on these cards. My first thought was it went by series, but that's not the case. The Cubs are in red on the Zobrist card. Other cards have Cubs in black or yellow.
Here's hoping Yu Darvish has a breakout season in 2019. On paper, the Cubs have an amazing starting five in the pitching rotation.
One of those five pitchers is Cole Hamels, who was acquired midseason last year and was outstanding in the second half. My (least) favorite Cole Hamels memory is being in the Wrigley Field bleachers to watch a visiting Hamels no-hit the Cubs for the first time in 50 years.
Steve Cishek eyes the (probably pretend) batter.
Carl Edwards Jr. showing off his sleeve (tattoo). I'd like to see him go back to C.J. Edwards.
Hats to the left, here's Pedro Strop.
Great to see David Bote pop up in all of the sets. We were starved of Bote cards for so long because he was never a top prospect in the Cubs system. In fact, Bote was often not even a top 30 organizational prospect.
The Sporting News All-Star cards. These are beautiful and are among my favorite All-Star cards Topps put out through the years. Not only that, but my second favorite Cubs player, Willson Conteras, gets the All-Star treatment.
And my favorite Cubs player, Javier Baez. This Baez All-Star card was the first Cubs card I pulled out of 2019 Topps Heritage.
Another Cubs player I want to see breakout after a down year is Brandon Morrow.
A high numbered short print at #405 is Jon Lester. Great pose.
I did not pull any Cubs hits from my boxes, and one insert card. It's the New Age Performers card of Javier Baez. New Age Performers has been an insert set in Heritage for years, and is always a favorite of mine.
That was fun, and I'm looking forward to my hobby boxes so I'll have a chance at action, traded, color swap, and throwback variations (not in retail).
One Million Cubs Project Stats
Wednesday's (3/6/2019) Cards: 44
Wednesday's (3/6/2019) Packages: 0
January's Cubs Count: 9,343
February's Cubs Count: 8,980
March's Cubs Count: 4,080
Total Trades/Donations: 67
Trade States of Origin: Alabama
Arkansas California (4) Connecticut (5)
Florida (2)
Georgia
Idaho Illinois (7) Indiana Maryland (3) Massachusetts (3)
Michigan Minnesota New Jersey (5) New York (6) North Carolina (2) Ohio (4) Pennsylvania (3)
Rhode Island
South Carolina Tennessee (2) Texas (3) Washington (2) Wisconsin (8)