2026 Topps Now: Cleveland Guardians
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I am kind of over Topps Now. I started collecting them halfway through the 2016 playoffs–the maiden season of the set–so I am too deep to quit it completely, unfortunately. Until recently, I would purchase the Cleveland Road to Opening Day team set, important cards during the season, any cards celebrating a clinched playoff spot, and the postseason team set.
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Anymore, only get the cards of players who are called up and clinch cards. Technically, the “call-up” cards are not rookie cards, but they are the first cards issued once a player is on the 26-man roster and are short-printed. Since these called-up players will almost certainly not make it into that season’s flagship set, the cards are a nice companion piece to the Topps flagship team set.
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This year, Topps Now issued 27 Guardians cards. Jose Ramirez was on 12 of them. I don’t need 12 Jose Ramirez cards. The call-up cards this season were #216 Nic Enright, #536 C.J. Kayfus, and #585 Parker Messick.
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I try not to get postseason cards unless they are very memorable games, but this season, I was forced to buy two since the Guards had two rookies on the postseason roster. They were #804 George Valera and #812 Chase DeLauter.
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If Cleveland ever wins the World Series, I will spend a small fortune on Topps Now cards celebrating their victory. Until then, I am going to stay the course with minimal purchases.