Baseball Cards 2026

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Topps announced the update set checklist yesterday, and there is a glaring omission and some real head scratchers when it comes to the Mets. Actually, this whole year has had some curious selections. I know the deadlines for these things are way in advance and a fair amount of guesswork goes into selecting who makes the set. But check this out:

 

Series one, which comes out in the early spring/late winter. Nothing too crazy here. 

Jonah Tong

Pete Alonso

Francisco Lindor

Juan Soto on a leaders card

Ronny Mauricio

Nolan McLean

David Peterson

Luisangel Acuna - with the "Future Stars" icon, which seems a stretch.

Clay Holmes

A team card

Sean Manaea

Francisco Alvarez

Brett Baty

Series two, which comes out before the All-Star Break and sometimes has guys traded in the off-season with their new teams.

Mike Tauchman - in a Photoshopped uniform. 

Luis Robert Jr.

Jonathan Pintaro

Bo Bichette

Luis Torrens

Tyrone Taylor

Alejandro Carrillo - I have no recollection of this player

Ji Hwan Bae - I have no recollection of this player, either! 

Marcus Semien

Juan Soto

Mark Vientos

Freddy Peralta

Kodai Senga

Jorge Polanco

Jared Young

There is a short-print Carson Benge card that takes the place of Jared Young in the factory sets.

Then there is the update set, that is usually filled with rookies and guys with new teams.

Devin Williams

Andy Ibanez - How long was he with the team? 

MJ Melendez

Christian Scott

Tobias Myers

Carson Benge

Nolan McLean debut card, which is lame because he debuted in 2025

Jonah Tong, which is lame because he, too, debuted in 2025

A Lindor/Bichette duo card

A Juan Soto highlight. 

OK, so where is AJ Ewing? We get Andy Ibanez and MJ Melendez and not Ewing? Luke Weaver and Brooks Raley get a backseat to those guys, too? Zac Thornton has been up long enough to get a card. 

[seawolf17]

I've wondered about Topps' checklist choices for a while now. Williams was in Chrome, so I'm not surprised to see him here, but so was Weaver and they somehow left him off. Raley was in 2023 Update but hasn't shown up anywhere since.

Seems likely that they locked in the checklist in early May, which means it would catch Ibanez but not Ewing. Ewing will definitely be in 2027 S1. Thornton probably too. With that logic, though, I'm surprised Kimbrel isn't in here.

Tong is something of a surprise, because he was in S1. 

But yeah. Topps makes weird checklist decisions.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Good call on Kimbrel, and it would be kinda cool to have a Met card of him! I did get my hands on the Benge Series 2 short print. He was in Chrome and some of the other sets. 

[ashie62]

6 hours ago, seawolf17 said:

I've wondered about Topps' checklist choices for a while now. Williams was in Chrome, so I'm not surprised to see him here, but so was Weaver and they somehow left him off. Raley was in 2023 Update but hasn't shown up anywhere since.

Seems likely that they locked in the checklist in early May, which means it would catch Ibanez but not Ewing. Ewing will definitely be in 2027 S1. Thornton probably too. With that logic, though, I'm surprised Kimbrel isn't in here.

Tong is something of a surprise, because he was in S1. 

But yeah. Topps makes weird checklist decisions.

Yes on 2027 Ewing. Topps doesn't use all of their powder at once