As if we weren’t already excited to rip through 2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball packs, the card giant recently gave us another reason. According to Topps Dugout on Instagram, they’re introducing a subset featuring Topps Baseball Cover Athletes — those who’ve graced flagship product covers throughout the years.
This is the first time Topps has honored these cover stars with dedicated cards inspired by the actual box designs. It’s an awesome nostalgia play that connects different generations of collectors through images that got many of us hooked on card collecting in the first place.
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The Complete Lineup of Topps Baseball Cover Athletes
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Here’s the full roster that’ll be in this subset (and you can flip through the above Instagram post to see what some of them look like):
- Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)
- Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals)
- Julio Rodríguez (Seattle Mariners)
- Juan Soto (Washington Nationals)
- Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels)
- Pete Alonso (New York Mets)
- Prince Fielder (Detroit Tigers)
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta Braves)
The mix is perfect because you have generations and playing styles spanning from Pujols’ 2000s dominance to the modern premier power hitters like Judge, Ohtani, Alonso, and Soto. Each player has a unique story tied to when they landed on Topps’ box cover.
Pete Alonso’s Polar Bear Power Immortalized
Following an electric and record-breaking debut season in 2019 with the New York Mets, first baseman Pete Alonso was named the National League Rookie of the Year. Topps also decided to have him grace the cover of their flagship product in 2020.
Alonso slugged 53 home runs in Queens that year, which is the most ever in a season by a rookie. Unsurprisingly, that number is also at the top of the Mets’ single-season home run leaderboard. Along with all those taters, Alonso slashed .260/.358/.583 with 120 RBI, 30 doubles, and 103 runs scored. He placed seventh in NL MVP Award voting, went to the All-Star Game, and won his first Home Run Derby title.
When Topps put him on the 2020 Series 1 cover, they were betting on a generational power hitter who’d just announced his arrival. Based on his production since then, they haven’t been wrong. Now collectors get to chase a card bridging the moment Alonso became a household name with this year’s anniversary celebration.
Bryce Harper’s MVP Season Legacy
The Harper card celebrates his 2016 Topps cover, which followed his incredibly impressive 2015 NL MVP season. During his age-22 season, the left-handed slugger slashed .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs (still a career-high mark), 99 RBI, and 118 runs scored. In addition to being named MVP, Harper went to his third All-Star Game and won his first Silver Slugger Award.
Being named MVP is a big deal no matter when it happens, but it was a little extra special for Harper because of his age. He became the third-youngest player to take home NL MVP honors. But the race wasn’t close, either — he won the award unanimously, becoming the youngest player to accomplish that feat. His league-leading 9.7 bWAR helped prop up a Nationals team that would’ve likely finished with a losing record without him. Instead, they wrapped up the 2015 campaign with an 83-79 record.
That 2016 cover placement captured Harper at the peak of his early-career dominance, making this a must-have for collectors who appreciate him making good on those ridiculously high expectations.
Why 2026 Series 1 Is A Landmark Release
The Cover Athletes subset arrives as part of Topps’ 75th anniversary celebration, and the company has pulled out all the stops for this release.
They’ve introduced a special “Topps 75” diamond logo throughout the product, and the Series 1 box features four icons: Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr., Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani. The 350-card base set includes today’s biggest stars alongside top rookies, league leaders, and team cards on a fresh 2026 design that incorporates jersey-like stitching.
Beyond the Cover Athletes cards, collectors can hunt anniversary-themed inserts. The “75 Years of Topps Die-Cut Autographs” features legends like Cal Ripken Jr., Ichiro, Barry Bonds, and Derek Jeter. There are also special 1952 variation cards honoring Mickey Mantle’s iconic rookie card.
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