Tatis Jr. takes Topps' No. 1 card for 2021

SAN DIEGO -- Fernando Tatis Jr. has added yet another accolade in his ascent to superstardom.

The electrifying Padres shortstop was announced as Topps' No. 1 card on Thursday, signifying his presence as one of the sport's preeminent stars.

Tatis joins a list of superstars that includes Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., Aaron Judge and Kris Bryant who have earned that honor over the past five seasons.

In Topps' yearly release, Card No. 1 has always signified a supremely important card in the set. Since 2016, Topps has collected a community vote to decide the top spot. Trout is the only player to have won that vote twice, in '16 and '20.

It's fathomable that Tatis could join Trout one day. He's only 22, and has already solidified himself as one of the game's most exciting players.

Here is a list of players who have occupied the No. 1 spot since it was opened up to fan voting in 2016.

2016: Mike Trout
2017: Kris Bryant
2018: Aaron Judge
2019: Ronald Acuña Jr.
2020: Mike Trout
2021: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Tatis was named First-Team All-MLB in 2020, after a season in which he batted .277/.366/.571 with 17 homers and 11 steals across 59 games. On top of that, he added an outstanding glove and generational flair at shortstop.

It’s quite a skill set -- precisely the type of skill set that wins you No. 1 card status at Topps -- and Tatis has made the most of it in his first two years in the big leagues.