A cool baseball card insert for each team
Collecting baseball cards has been one of America's great hobbies over the past 100 years or so. Over time, card issuers have come up with very creative and inspiring designs for rare subsets of cards that are randomly inserted into packs. These "inserts" can be rare and coveted, and there's nothing quite like the feeling of tearing open a pack of cards and pulling one of these gems out among the rest.
Here's a look at a great card insert for each team:
American League East
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 2019 Topps
Throwing it back to 1984 in the 35th anniversary year of that iconic set, Topps gives us the old-school feel with one of the best young stars in the game. More >
Orioles: Cal Ripken Jr., 1994 Flair
This insert does the brand name proud with it's flair -- Ripken with a "Hot Glove" in the background, giving the feel of fire inside an authentic glove. More >
Rays: Brandon Lowe, 2021 Topps
If you're familiar with Topps designs over the years, you'll instantly recognize this one from 1986 ... but it has a player on it whose club wasn't around for another dozen years! More >
Red Sox: Pedro Martinez, 2002 Upper Deck
Now this is cool -- Pedro and Nolan Ryan on the same card, with pieces from game-worn jerseys on it? Wow. Just wow. More >
Yankees: Mickey Mantle, 1996 Topps
The year after Mantle passed away, Topps issued 19 card reprints -- one from each year of his legendary career. Talk about rare -- they aren't the originals, but still. More >
AL Central
Indians: Mike Napoli, 2016 Topps NOW
It's a "party at Napoli's." Need we say more? More >
Royals: George Brett, 2017 Topps All-Star insert
Throwing it back to one of the most iconic Topps sets, from 1987. Brett with his classic swing bordered by the classic wood-grain outline. Chef's kiss. More >
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera, 2014 Topps High Tek Clouds Diffractor (autographed)
If you're a Tigers fan -- who are we kidding? If you're a baseball fan -- pulling this card would be one of the most thrilling feelings you could get from opening a pack of baseball cards. More >
Twins: Joe Mauer, 2020 Topps Museum Series Collection -- Autograph 7/50
Only 50 of these in existence -- a Mauer autograph and a piece of a jersey he wore in a game. Tremendous. More >
White Sox: Paul Konerko, 2014 Topps memorabilia insert
Konerko is one of the most beloved White Sox of all time. Pull this card and you get an authentic piece of Konerko history from a game-worn jersey. More >
AL West
Angels: Angels insert card: Mike Trout, 2016 Topps Update Fire
Trout on fire? Feels like we've heard this one before. But you may never have seen a card like this one before. More >
Astros: George Springer, 2017 Allen & Ginter Autograph
Allen & Ginter has always produced some of the most beautiful baseball cards we've ever seen. This one of Springer is autographed, too. More >
Athletics: Sean Murphy, 2020 Panini Chronicles Spectra Autograph/Patch
A jersey insert that is also autographed and is also a rookie card? The trifecta. More >
Mariners: Ken Griffey Jr., 2019 Topps Gold Label Framed Autograph
What a treasure this card is -- "The Kid" both "now and then" along with a signature from the man himself. More >
Rangers: Nolan Ryan, 2015 Topps Archetypes
This makes complete sense because Ryan really was the archetype of the strikeout pitcher -- will anyone ever get to his 5,714 punch-outs? More >
National League East
Braves: Greg Maddux, 2001 Topps Stadium Club
Pieces of jerseys and patches are ubiquitous in the world of card inserts, but mound dirt? That's pretty awesome. More >
Marlins: Dontrelle Willis, Josh Beckett, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Lowell, 2004 Upper Deck Sweet Spot
The 2003 World Series championship team's "fab four," with a piece of a game-used jersey from each of them. More >
Mets: Mike Piazza, 2011 Topps
A piece of game-used lumber from the guy who hit more home runs as a catcher than anyone in baseball history. That's a beautiful thing. More >
Nationals: Juan Soto, 2021 Topps
He's been compared to a young Ted Williams. And here, he's on a card with a classic design from the Splendid Splinter's day. More >
Phillies: Bryce Harper, 2020 Topps
The 2020 Topps collection includes some really great artistic throwbacks, including this one modeling a design from more than a century before Harper made his MLB debut. More >
NL Central
Brewers: Robin Yount, 2020 Panini All-Time Diamond Kings
The Diamond Kings sets have always been so beautiful. An all-time set with an all-time great makes for a great insert. More >
Cardinals: Yadier Molina, 2014 Topps Postseason relic
Yadi will go down as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, and his resume is replete with postseason heroics. How about owning a piece of a postseason game-worn jersey? More >
Cubs: Anthony Rizzo, 2017 Topps Fire
They'll never forget Rizzo on the North Side of Chicago, and for good reason -- he was the unofficial captain of the Cubs team that finally won it all to break a 108-year World Series title drought. This card is, as its brand name suggests, straight fire. More >
Pirates: Roberto Clemente, 2017 Topps Fire No. 72
While we're on the subject, another Topps Fire offering, this one of one of the most legendary players to ever don a Major League uniform, both on the field and off. More >
Reds: Joey Votto, 2013 Topps Proven Mettle
Votto has certainly proven his mettle over his 15-year career, which might just land him in the Hall of Fame. This is really cool, with a coin embedded in the card itself. More >
NL West
D-backs: Steve Finley, 2001 Donruss Elite Die-Cut
Ah, yes -- the die-cut card. These are interesting because they depart from the standard rectangular shape of baseball cards to go for a more unique look. This Finley insert is a great example. More >
Dodgers: Cody Bellinger, 2017 Topps #TBT Record Breakers
This one's got so much going for it -- it's a throwback design, a "record breaker" card (Bellinger set an NL rookie record with 39 homers in 2017) and a rookie card all in one. More >
Giants: Brandon Belt, 2017 Topps Clear Acetate Parallel
Another rather rare type of insert here -- the acetate card. This one's got an autograph, but it didn't come that way -- the fan who submitted this in our survey took care of that part by getting the Giants' slugging first baseman to sign it for him. More >
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr., 2019 Topps Chrome Blue Wave Autograph
If you've got a card of Tatis in the uniform that preceded San Diego's current brown and yellow threads, you know you've got something -- now make it a special insert and you've really got something. More >
Rockies: Nolan Arenado, 2017 Topps Independence Day Patch
It's pretty awesome to have a patch from a game-worn jersey. It's even better when it's from a special uniform worn once a year -- in this case, the Fourth of July. More >