2023 Topps Series II

My 2023 Topps Series II set came in. Completing the modern sets is low priority for me but I do like to try to keep the Topps run as complete as possible.

It's been well established that the photo style in flagship has gotten very repetitive over the years. 90% of the action shots are batters swinging, pitchers mid-delivery, an occasional outfielder making a catch. Even the "quirky" photos tend to repeat so there are a lot of celebrations and guys in mid-air, enough to make even those boring after a while.

Still I found a few cards worth briefly blogging about.

The thing I liked best was that there was a lot of color. Like Sean Manaea's green glove. Which I am just realizing right now means this was a photoshopped photo from his time in Oakland.

The City Connect uniforms look pretty goofy in games, but sometimes they look good on a baseball card. I like this one that says "Brew Crew".

My favorite is the Rockies' uniform based on the classic Colorado license plate. The shiny, baggy green pants look like pajamas, though, which spoils the look a bit.

Of the young Yankees that have come up over the past couple of years, I've found Oswaldo Cabrera to be the most fun to watch. Like many young Yankees he took a step back in his second year. One of the team's many problems is the inability to develop young talent at the major league level after their initial success. The league figures them out and they can't adjust. Hopefully there is some kind of change next year. The "acknowledging the dugout after reaching base" is another photo style that got overused in this set.

I've been really impressed with the Phillies this postseason. Not everyone like Bryce Harper but I sure wish the Yankees had gotten him when they had the chance. There are so many highly touted prospects that fall short of expectations, it's nice when one actually does have the kind of exceptional career that they were expected to have.