Who’s Number One?

For the past three seasons the good folks at Topps have given the fans the responsibility of selecting the ballplayer who will be featured on card #1 of their annual flagship issue. Now they have done it again for 2019. For a player to have his likeness on card #1 is considered a significant honor. In the past such great players as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, all chosen by Topps, have had this honor bestowed on them. But to have an opportunity to vote for the player of your choice is an ineluctable gift to all fans who love baseball cards. Topps gave us nineteen players to choose from, which I have divided into four separate groups. In this post I comment on each player, tell you who got my vote and then name the winner. 

Players returning from injuries:

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros: The second baseman was slowed by a fracture in his right knee in 2018. A healthy Altuve is an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player candidate every year, and he won it in 2017.

Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox: Left shoulder inflammation and other issues limited Sale to 158 innings pitched last season, his lowest total since 2012. However, the southpaw was very effective when he was healthy.

Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs: A left shoulder injury caused Bryant’s 2018 numbers to drop significantly. The 2015 National League (NL)  Rookie of the year and 2016 NL Most Valuable player was voted #1 by the fans for the 2017 Topps set:

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: The future Hall of Fame first baseman was slowed by a ruptured left biceps tendon in 2018. Nearing 36 years of age, there is some question as to whether he will return to his top form.

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers: Maybe the future Hall of Fame pitcher is feeling some wear and tear, and at 30 years of age and with over 2,000 innings thrown, who could blame him. A lower back strain and biceps tendinitis resulted in two separate stints on the disabled list in 2018.

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: The rugged rightfielder suffered a right-wrist fracture and missed a key portion of the season when the Yankees were trying to catch the Red Sox. When healthy, however, Judge punished the ball, hitting 27 home runs and slashing .278/.392/.528 in 112 games. The fans voted Judge card #1 for the 2018 set:

The Rookies:

Shohei Ohtani, Angels: The 2018 AL’s Rookie of the Year impressed as one of only two major league players to throw at least 50 innings and have 250 plate appearances in the same season. The other player to do so was Babe Ruth. Enough said.

Ronald Acuna, Jr., Atlanta Braves: The 2018 NL Rookie of the Year was promoted to the big club a month into the season and immediately began to produce. Blessed with power and speed, the left fielder helped propel the Braves to the top of the NL East division.

Juan Soto, Washington Nationals: At the age of 19 the youngster posted a .292/.406/.517 slash line, cementing his place in his team’s lineup for years to come. He was second in the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Pitchers:

Jacob deGrom, New York Mets: The righthander, one of major league baseball’s elite pitchers, had a phenomenal season in 2018, winning the NL Cy Young Award. It was unfortunate that his team consistently failed to score runs for him.

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals: This power pitcher is now a veteran of eleven major league seasons and is still going strong. Last year’s 300 strikeouts, 0.911 WHIP and 18-7 record is right on target for Scherzer, who appears to be on a Hall of Fame track.

Position Players:

Bryce Harper, Free Agent: When this post was published it appeared that the Philadelphia Phillies were going to sign the uber-talented star player. He had a good season in 2018, but it was nowhere near the year he had in 2015 when he was the NL Most Valuable Player.

Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees: The outfielder and designated hitter had an excellent year for the Bronx Bombers, and most seasons 38 home runs, 100 RBI and a slash line of .266/.343/.852 would earn you serious consideration for card #1, but not this year.

Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies: Story was an All Star for the first time in 2018. Frequent strikeouts are the price he pays for his tremendous power,  but how can you not like 37 home runs and a .291/.348/.567 slash line?

Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians: The slick-fielding shortstop led the American League in runs last season and has been an all star three years in a row. He is popular with the fans and respected by other players.

Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox: This fan favorite had a monster season in 2018. He is a bona-fide superstar right fielder who can also play in center or at second base.

Mike Trout, Angels: The future inner circle Hall of Fame outfielder had another stunning season in 2018, and it’s difficult to not vote for a player who hits 39 home runs, steals 24 bases and slashes .312/.460/.628. The fans voted Trout card # 1 for the 2016 set:

Alex Bregman, Houston Astros: The third baseman and shortstop is one of his team’s best players. He can hit for average and power and should help his team remain a serious contender for years to come.

My vote went to: Boston Red Sox rightfielder Mookie Betts. Betts led the AL in batting average, runs and slugging, won its Most Valuable Player Award and played a key role in the Red Sox fourth World Series Championship of this century.

And the winner is: Ronald Acuna, Jr, of the Atlanta Braves. The fans simply could not ignore his meteoric rise or the major role he played in his team’s improved play. Acuna Jr. thanked the fans who voted for him while speaking to the MLB Network earlier this week and said “It’s an honor to be chosen to be the Topps Card No. 1.”