First Impressions: 2019 Topps Series 1

Thank the Lord for Target! I've been making routine checks at Wal-Mart, hoping to see some of the new base set, but they've been slow to the punch. Fortunately, I had an opportunity to visit Target and they had everything out! Now I can open a pack and see how I feel about it now that it's in my hands!

The honor of the first card of 2019 goes to:

#156 Luis Castillo

Alright, lets talk about the design. I'm happy for the partial border. The lines remind me of early 80's designs, and the bathroom tile effect in the corner is subtle and not overpowering. I know some people weren't a fan of the last name getting top billing over the first, but this doesn't bother me. Castillo's shot is your standard "pitcher gonna pitch" photo, but I like how it crosses over the border.

#80 Tim Anderson
#176 Trea Turner

That's about as nice of a closely cropped jump shot as you're going to fine. Well done!

#8 Adam Jones
#17 Caleb Joseph
#236 Sean Doolittle
#79 Miller Park

If this card is indicative of the whole stadium subset, then I am a fan. Beautiful photography. This is the kind of picture you set as your computer's desktop image.

#3 Eduardo Nunez - WS Game 1

I didn't start buying cards again until 2015, which means this is my first time pulling a Red Sox World Series card. It's everything I hoped it would be!

#323 George Springer

This is officially my way-too-early choice for card of the year! Holy cow that's fantastic!

#222 Zack Greinke
#282 Tim Beckham
#119 Wilson Contreras
#180 Justin Turner
#66 Stephen Piscotty (Rainbow Foil)
#ED-13 Yankee Stadium (Ballpark Evolution)

The sepia tone of the old Yankee Stadium makes this insert really stand out. The white lettering is a bit washed out but overall a nice looking insert.

#27 Mike Leake
#121 Joey Wendle
#268 Blake Snell LL
#214 Colin Moran
#238 Whit Merrifield
#230 Miguel Cabrera

Let's peruse the backside, shall we? First off - full stats have returned! This is a welcome return to normal, even if my old man eyes are going to need a microscope to read anything. They continue to include player's Twitter and Instagram info, but have wisely eased up on displaying Topps' social media handles. (The #ToppsBaseball hash tag does seem to appear on players who are too cool to have Twitter/Instagram, like me!)

#280 Miles Mikolas
#229 Shane Greene
#155 Tyler Glasnow
#252 Jakob Junis
#212 Brian Anderson (FS)

Rainbow colored "Future Stars" heading, and it's not obnoxious! Also, our first on-card look at the new Marlins logo (Too much black for a graphic in my opinion.)

#174 Jose Leclerc
#296 Lewis Brinson
#337 Michael Givens
#200 Jacob DeGrom
#66 Stephen Piscotty
#315 Duane Underwood Jr (RC)
#67 Danny Jansen (RC)
#43 Nick Burdi (RC) 

Overall, I like this set quite a bit. The photography seems to be high quality, and the design is appealing without being overbearing. My biggest complaint would be the super small font size on the back. I understand if a player has 15 years of stats to include, but otherwise it needs to be more legible.