I’m playing catch-up here after an illness that fortunately(?) left me at home so I could watch the final two Mets spring training games before tomorrow’s opening day. So after seeing a bunch of random guys in Mets jerseys wrap up their game with a bunch of random guys in Yankees jerseys today, it was time to gear up for some games that count with players who are on the rosters.
Of course, the 2012 season started for baseball cards back in January (for Topps at least, Panini is still stuck in 2011). Already several products into the year, it’s not looking good for the Mets. David Wright is the default Mets star for Topps insert sets, but that’s about as deep as they go. Besides Wright, only Gary Carter and Jose Reyes have multiple Mets game-used cards so far this year. But hey, it can only get better, right?
Products
In years past, we would already be halfway through the current product year with dozens of products already available. This year, Panini is still cranking out 2011 product and Topps has released just Topps Series 1, Opening Day, Tribute, Heritage, and (this week) Museum Collection. Of those, Topps Series 1 was golden, Opening Day was as pointless as ever, Tribute was a dud, and Heritage was just great, unless you are a Mets fan. Yeah, it’s going to be one of those years.
You can expect the usual Topps products over the rest of the year (Allen and Ginter’s, Topps Series 2 / Update / Chrome, Triple Threads, Finest, and various Bowmans), but there are a couple of newcomers that deserve attention. First up is the long-overdue return of Topps Archives. Last seen in 2005 (as Topps Fan Favorites), Archives is the inverse of Heritage, putting retired players and old card designs on modern card stock (this year also mixes in a lot of current stars on old card designs). It looks to be loaded with stars, including former Mets Ed Kranepool, Dave Kingman, John Olerud, and Robin Ventura. Whether Olerud of Ventura will be shown in a Mets uniform is still unknown, but it should be a great product.
The other product to watch is Topps Museum Collection, which went live this week. You may remember the name from the metal-framed autograph insert series in last year’s Topps Marquee. The framed autographs are back, along with regular autographed cards and loads of premium game-used. The cards look great, but the player selection is a broken record for Mets fans – David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Gary Carter. Reyes has some nice blue jersey cards in this one, just in time for Reyes’s start in Marlins orange.
Panini should eventually start releasing 2012 products, though their 2011 offerings leave much to be desired. To their credit, Panini acknowledged at this year’s industry trade show that their cards suck and promised that it would get better. I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but they’re going to have to offer something that Topps doesn’t have if they want to get away without team names or logos. So far, deeper prospect autograph offerings are the only advantage Panini has over MLB’s official trading card monopoly.
Player Projections
Despite what the media may want us to think, the New York Mets will be fielding a team of players this year. They may even win a few games. While the lack of depth at most positions may be a problem for the product on the field, there’s still plenty to work with for the product in packs.
Face of the Franchise
With Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes off to redder and oranger pastures, respectively, David Wright is the lone default Met for inserts and other specialty products. Wright’s declining stature in the hobby is definite cause for concern; with less Wright and no other Mets to take over for him, the end result is less of a Mets presence in the hobby. Prior to the release of Museum Collection, only three 2012 memorabilia cards have featured current Mets – two of Wright and one of Niese. Johan Santana’s return to the rotation should correspond to a return to the hobby and Ike Davis’s hobby breakout in 2011 should eventually carry over in 2012. Between Wright, Santana, and Davis (and, dare I say it, Reyes), we should see the debut of the 2010 cream colored pinstripe Mets jersey in cards at some point this year (last year featured the first pre-2010 pinstripe jersey in Beltran’s Topps Marquee game-used inserts).
Breakout Players
Last year, five Mets made their game-used debuts, with Fernando Martinez getting his first MLB-used material and Ike Davis getting his first patch cards. It’s hard to see that much activity this year, but most of these debuts were late in the year and there are still plenty of deserving players in the Mets organization who are without any game-used cards. Here are my picks for this years newcomers to the game-used ranks, assuming last year’s numbers.
MLB at Last – Ruben Tejada
Ruben Tejada had his first game-used cards back in 2009 with pieces of his WBC jersey and has had nothing since. As the replacement for Jose Reyes, he should get some consideration for at least a bat card this year. He’s due.
The Next Five – R.A. Dickey, Lucas Duda, Chris Schwinden, Bobby Parnell, Mike Baxter
What does R.A. Dickey have to do to get some respect? He climbed the mountain. The book is out. He’s in an upcoming movie. I’m starting to think he’ll need to record a country album, write a Broadway musical, and be the first person to throw a knuckleball in space before Topps will recognize him. Maybe next year?
No matter how down you are on the Mets this year, you have to be excited to see what Duda can do with a full season. He has some serious power; his opposite field home runs look like they shouldn’t even clear the infield, but gravity seems to go on vacation when his bat hits the ball. Like Pagan last year (after he secured his position), I’m guessing we get a mix of game-used from Duda later in the year that falls short of patch cards.
Schwinden will start the year in Buffalo, but he’s bound to see plenty of playing time at some point with all of the question marks in the Mets’ rotation. Like Dillon Gee before him, he got a taste of the big leagues last year and has some official Rookie Cards out this year. He makes sense for one of the rookie-themed products at the end of the year.
Bobby Parnell started off strong in the hobby with lots of autographs, but that’s where he stopped. After a failed bid for the closer role last year, Parnell could come off a scoreless spring showing and build his case anew if the three ahead of him (Francisco, Rauch, and Ramirez) can’t lock it down.
Who would have picked Justin Turner for a jersey card last year? This year, I’ll go with Mike Baxter as a backup/bench player who gets a jersey card nobody saw coming. Update: Josh Satin’s near-callup on April 14 has me rethinking this one. If Satin is next in line for a promotion, he could get some hobby attention.
Patch Time – Daniel Murphy
Murphy got a quick start in the hobby with bat and autographed triple bat cards in 2009 and 2010 but hasn’t been seen since. After a great start to 2011 (before being knocked out for the season) and a solid spring training this year, he should be in line for an upgrade.
Maybe Next Year
Of last year’s newcomers, none made their Mets debuts in 2011. That’s bad news for Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who should all be in line for major league promotions this year. Look for them in 2013.
Postscript
As of tonight, Jose Reyes is officially a Marlin. So Topps, enough with the Mets cards. Those blue jersey cards in Museum Collection look great, but it’s time to cut up that Reyes Marlins jersey you showed us and get some garish patch cards out there. My collection will be waiting.
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