Collect the Mets

Baseball’s back, even though it probably shouldn’t be

So, um, right. Baseball! As a pandemic rages unchecked across the country and travel and gatherings of all kinds are frowned upon, MLB is back in action. Sure, there won’t be fans in the stands. And there may be complications along the way. But, in times like this, we need baseball to let us know that everything is fine and there’s nothing to worry about, even though it isn’t and there is. But, but, baseball!

What a wild ride it’s been through the first four months of the non-season. The growing animosity between owners and the MLBPA and the utter disdain for all things minor league were laid bare as negotiations to get the season started dragged on. In the end, nobody got anything they wanted, MLB declared that the season was happening under the rules agreed to in March, and a greater battle looms as the CBA is set to expire after next season. The fun never ends! Now on to the cards.

Farewells

The Mets have said goodbye to a lot of players over the last few months. Let’s face it, we’ve already forgotten most of them. And, no, Jed Lowrie is not among them. Since most will never have cards as Mets, we’ll just go with these four: Todd Frazier, Joe Panik, Briam Campusano, and Jacob Rhame. Frazier did his time and is now free to pursue other endeavors, Panik for some reason got a card in 2020 Topps Heritage long after he was gone, Campusano had his first autographs released just days before he himself was released, and Jacob Rhame’s first card (somehow not a Rookie Card) was announced in Topps Total Wave 6 just before he was claimed by the Angels.

Hails

The Mets were busy in the offseason, acquiring at least two dozen players through various means. And then a bunch of them were cut when the minor league season clearly wasn’t happening. And the cuts kept coming, even as the Mets announced another wave of signings, adding at least seven more players, including old friend Juan Lagares. So who’s left? Jake Marisnick, Michael Wacha, Rick Porcello, and Dellin Betances were on major league deals, so they were a given if the season ever happened.

Eduardo Nunez, Chasen Shreve, and Hunter Strickland made the active roster, so they’re in. Jared Hughes opens the season on the IL and Stephen Gonsalves was DFAd to clear space on the 40-man roster.

As for the rest, there were a bunch of offseason NRIs and they may or may not still be with the organization. These things are changing by the hour. Jarrett Parker, Francisco Rios, and Jake Hager have autographs, so here they are.

But that’s not all! The Mets made a flurry of deals with the season now imminent, yielding the aforementioned Strickland and Hughes plus Gordon Beckham, Melky Cabrera, and Brian Dozier. Autos are still inbound on the last two…

Rookies

Things are pretty bleak on the RC front for the Mets in 2020. It’s pretty much up-and-down relievers and bench players who couldn’t stick all the way down. And many of those, Jacob Rhame included, have since moved on without getting any cards. And then yesterday’s news that Andres Gimenez made the Opening Day roster changed everything. We should see his first RCs in packs by October and online as soon as tomorrow. The only question is what his signature will look like. Update: There won’t be any Rookie Cards this year, so Giménez will have to wait until 2021 for one. Instead, he’ll have to settle for a “Call-Up” card.

Prospects

With Gimenez now in the majors, who’s left? Ronny Mauricio will probably not see any action this year, David Peterson should probably already be on the team given the state of starting pitching, Brett Baty has not yet been traded for a bag of magic beans, and Tim Tebow is still around? So, yeah.

In cards, we’ve seen the first cards from Francisco Alvarez, Wilfred Astudillo, and Kevin Smith so far this year in addition to the trio of autograph subjects covered below. Topps is digging deep to find these guys…

Draft Picks

We’re so late in the year that the latest crop of draft picks is already here. Well, they’re somewhere. Not in the minors, but somewhere. Doing something. Of the dozen or so guys taken in the draft or signed afterward, Pete Crow-Armstrong and J.T. Ginn are solid bets to have autographs in the year-end prospect products. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.

Memorabilia

So far this year, Pete Alonso and Robinson Cano have joined Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil in the pinstripe pants club. There’s a joke in there somewhere, but I’m not looking for it.

Meanwhile, Jeff McNeil finally has memorabilia from an actual jersey worn in an actual game-type activity of some sort. With patches even! And Noah Syndergaard has bat swatches from Topps for the first time I’ve seen (he had some from Panini in 2016).

Remember when there was an All-Star Game? It seems like forever ago, but pieces of the workout jerseys worn by Jacob deGrom, Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso came out in 2019 Topps Update. Also Marcus Stroman from his time with the Blue Jays.

It’s been getting harder to find in recent years, but 2019 also brought us material from the All-Star Futures Game Sponsored by Some Company I’m not Going to Bother Looking Up Just for the Sake of Some Bit. Andres Gimenez had pieces of his 2019 Futures Game jersey in 2019 Topps Heritage Minor League. It’s not marked as such, but it’s clear what it is. Gimenez also had Arizona Fall League material, also known as a generic gray Mets jersey (patch variant shown earlier).

Oh, right, Players’ Weekend happened last year, too. Never forget.

Autographs

Well, it looks like they found a way to get Noah Syndergaard to lay off the autographs…

2020 Bowman gave us four new prospect autographs, the unfortunately timed Briam Campusano and three prospects in their first (and so far only, as they have no base cards) appearances in cardboard: Will Toffey, Tony Dibrell, and Joe Genord? Not only is Genord’s appearance here a mystery, but his cards are inexplicably the biggest hits of the bunch.

Panini Elite Extra Edition gave us a hint of what might be coming sometime in the future with a pair of Mets prospects from the Dominican Prospect League, Alexander Ramirez and Junior Tilien. Don’t expect anything from Topps until at least 2023.

Elsewhere, it’s been more of the same. Jed Lowrie made one of his more conspicuous appearances as a Met with an attainable autograph in 2020 Topps Tier One. Other notable rare Mets autographs can be found in what would be a fitting destination for Lowrie (hint, hint), Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Player Edition. Notable players who are rarely seen as Mets include Moises Alou, Bartolo Colon, Cliff Floyd, and Shawn Green, plus the seldom-seen Rey Ordonez. Also featured: David Wright. Too soon?

Season Outlook

It’s a 60-game season with 16 teams making the playoffs and the Mets will be starting off with both of Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello in their top four starters. Behind that, Stephen Gonsalves was DFAd, David Peterson isn’t on the active roster, and Seth Lugo absolutely is not leaving the bullpen. The season just started and the Mets are in midseason form. Where it goes from here is anyone’s guess.