There are a lot of elements to view on the card front, like arrows, swirls and artistic looks at players.
It is definitely a set that can overload the senses, and the 2022 version is no exception.
The base set, as it has been for the past few years, consists of 200 cards of MLB stars, promising rookies and several retired players — including Hall of Famers.
Key names in the set feature Wander Franco, Bobby Witt Jr. and Julio Rodriguez. Rookie cards will feature Steven Kwan and Seiya Suzuki.
As usual, I bought a blaster box. This one was $24.99 and features seven packs, with six cards to a pack. In addition, blasters contain four Gold Minted parallels. My blaster had the added bonus of an autograph card.
In the blaster I bought, there was one Orange parallel of Tyler O’Neill and two Flame parallels — Shane Baz and Josiah Gray.
As for base cards, I pulled 34. I do not particularly like the name plate that only includes the player’s last name, but that is a personal preference. The names are bold and large and do not interfere with the action shot.
The card backs feature the player’s full name, team and position, along with a five-line description of a career highlight. Unlike the card front, the backs are relatively muted, with only a hint of the wild front designs.
The four Gold Minted parallels I pulled were of Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, Tarik Skubal, Kevin Smith and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
As you will see in these photographs, my scanner does not like gold on cards. But trust me, they look better than they are depicted here.
In fact, all four inserts I pulled were gold.
There was a Fired Up insert of Javier Baez, part of a 20-card subset. Not surprisingly, the card shows Baez in an enthusiastic moment. The artwork is done by noted digital artist and graphic designer Tyson Beck. It’s good stuff; the card really pops.
A more subdued bit of work by Beck is showcased in the 15-card Flame Throwers insert set. The card features Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty; the card back shows a pitch speed of 93.6 mph which was Flaherty’s average fastball velocity.
The final insert I pulled was from the 25-card To The Moon subset. The card featured Nolan Arenado and concentrates on players who can send baseballs rocketing out of the ballpark.
It’s a sticker autograph too, and while I get the concept of stickers — doesn’t mean I have to like the idea — a little effort into the signature would have been nice.
My 8-year-old granddaughter can do better.
However, getting an autograph card is always a plus, especially in a blaster. It’s unexpected and a nice surprise.
There are plenty of flashy cards in this set. If many moving parts are your thing, then Topps Fire is up your alley.