Monday, November 22, 2021

2020 Topps Heritage High Numbers Hobby Box

Last winter I grabbed a hobby box of 2020 Topps Heritage High Numbers at the LCS in my hometown.  It was the only time I was able to add any High Numbers.  Like Update, this is supposed to be a set devoted to showing players in new uniforms.

Here are the results:




1.  Andrew Cashner.  And we immediately start things off kind of weird.  Cashner was Boston's big trade deadline pickup in 2019, but he was a free agent after the season.  He did not hook on with another team and has not pitched since 2019.  So yeah, no idea why he is here.

2.  Collin McHugh.  McHugh signed on with the Red Sox late in the offseason, then sat out the entire year recovering from surgery.  He pitched for the Rays in 2021.  This is a zero year card as he never pitched an inning with Boston.  I'm glad he shows up on a card.  Just surprised.

3.  Collin McHugh.  This is the purple refractor.

4.  Alex Verdugo.  This is better.  Verdugo was new to Boston in 2020 and arrived late enough that he was not able to appear in the base set.  This is also a purple refractor.

5.  Mitch Moreland.  Moreland came into the season as the starting first-baseman.  I do not know why he was not in the base set.  Also, Moreland was traded during the season to the Padres, so I really do not know why he is shown with the Red Sox.

6.  Jonathan Lucroy.  Lucroy was kind of the story of Spring Training for awhile, then made it into one game as a late defensive replacement...and that was it.  He never even had an at-bat with Boston.  Like McHugh, I am thrilled he made it onto some cards, but it is kind of odd.

7.  Kevin Pillar.  Pillar, like Moreland, was traded midseason.  Now Pillar was new to the team in 2020, so his appearance here is warranted, though he probably should have been shown with the Rockies.  Again, this is less of an issue.

So, who could have been in the set?  How about: Jose Peraza, Martin Perez, Chris Mazza, Phillips Valdez or Matt Hall?  Not the most interesting names, I know, but they all played much more than Cashner, McHugh and Lucroy for the Red Sox in 2020.

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