Welcome to this year's edition of my 12 Days of Christmas. This theme will run through Christmas Eve with each day's topic somehow related to the number of days remaining until Christmas itself! 
For Day 7, we are going to countdown the Seven Best Base Cards from the two boxes of 2022 Topps Stadium Club that I recently ripped as part of a group break. For those that are interested in group breaks (or card collecting in general), I would invite you to join my Discord channel where I have all sorts of baseball card stuff - plus some non-card fun discussions as well!
Top 7 Base Cards from 2022 Stadium Club
#7: 4. Lou Gehrig
I'm starting off with an image of an all-time great. For me, this image is brand new - and that's what landed Gehrig on the countdown. A more astute collector may be able to tell me that this photo has been reused countless times before (in which case the Gehrig card wouldn't belong in a Top 50, never mind a Top 7 countdown). Nonetheless, it's a new image to me and I like it - fun, quirky, you know, everything that Stadium Club should be!
#6: 87. Alfonso Rivas
The 2022 Stadium Club set is loaded with rookie cards but few of them pack as much action into a single shot as this Rivas card does. The flying helmet, the spraying dirt, and even the fact that only Rivas' hands are touching the ground make for a great photograph (and an awesome rookie card for Rivas)!
#5: 105. Jose Siri
Speaking of awesome rookie cards, how lucky is Siri that this magnificent shot is his rookie card? I'd be so happy with this one if I were him - great shot of him (presumably) crushing a dinger and letting the bat fly in celebration.
#4. 61. Mitch Haniger
The "Night Owl Special" right here - a great night time card of Haniger. I lvoe the hands up celebration and the framing of the Haniger with the ring of stadium lights around the background is perfect. The one quibble I have is Haniger isn't looking up at the crowd here - this photo probably needed to be snapped a couple seconds sooner!
#3: 23. Nolan Ryan
I don't want a ton of "gimmick" base cards in Stadium Club but give me one or two done right each year and I'll be happy. I love the photo of Nolan Ryan here - and his pup! Even better, Ryan is assigned to the Rangers in this card which is only fitting given his choice of attire for the photo.
#2: 216. Pete Alonso
A card that could easily be #1 in other years, this Alonso card is one of the best celebration cards I've seen in quite some time. I love that he's being "showered" with double-bubble here rather than the usual gatorade or water. The look of elation among the Mets players is great - and even better, Alonso's face is still front and center for the card (not easy with celebration shots typically).
#1: 161. Aaron Judge
I'm no Yankee fan but even I can admit that this card is cardboard perfection. Judge playing in the Field of Dreams game in Iowa - full field of corn right behind him beyond the outfield fence. It's everything that baseball ought to be - and it makes for a stunning base card!
And there you have it, my list of the Top 7 base cards from 2022 Stadium Club (based entirely on the contents of the two boxes I ripped for a recent group break). I definitely like this year's version of the set...almost enough to try and collect it myself - almost!
More from my 12 Days of Christmas celebration coming up tomorrow - see you then!
I like the color-coordinated team names in this year's set, I just noticed that. ... Yes, the Gehrig photo was used in Stadium Club in 2015. There are a few examples of that in this year's set. If I was trying to complete it that would turn me right off.
ReplyDeleteI think this is my first exposure to 2022 SC. No better way than to start off with someone's favorites. That Judge is spectacular. Can't argue with that #1 pick.
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