SAN DIEGO – Fernando Tatis Jr. added another accolade to his superstar rise. The electrifying Padres shortstop was named Topps’ No. 1 card, which means its presence as one of the sport’s pre-eminent stars.
SAN DIEGO —
The electrifying Padres shortstop was named Topps’ No. 1 card, which means its presence as one of the sport’s pre-eminent stars.
BREAKING from @MLBNetwork: Fernando Tatis Jr. Announced as Number One Card in 2021 Topps Series 1 Baseball! 🔥 @tatis_jr 🔥
(Switch on # ToppsSeries1RipParty on February 9 at 6 p.m. ET as we celebrate 70 years of Topps and take a look at S1 before it’s out! https://t.co/MJdy1YwRe4) pic.twitter.com/mXIe4DTnEP
– Topps (@Topps) January 28, 2021
Tatis joins a list of superstars that include Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., Aaron Judge and Kris Bryant who have received this award over the past five seasons.
In Topps’ annual release, Card # 1 has always denoted an extremely important card in the set. Since 2016, Topps has been collecting a community vote to determine the top spot. Trout is the only player to win this vote twice, in ’16 and ’20.
It is unfathomable that Tatis could one day come to Trout. He is only 22 years old and has already cemented himself as one of the most exciting players in the game.
Here is a list of the players who have ranked first since it opened for fan voting in 2016.
2016: Mike Trout
2017: Kris Bryant
2018: Aaron Richter
2019: Ronald Acuña Jr.
2020: Mike Trout
2021: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis was named first-team All-MLB in 2020 after a season of 17 homers and 11 steals in 59 games against .277 / .366 / .571. Additionally, he added an excellent glove and generational flair to Shortstop.
It’s quite a skill – exactly the kind of skill that will get you Card # 1 at Topps – and Tatis made the most of it in his first two years in the big leagues.
