Nonsense Newsletter No. 94: MVP Hockey, Rated Rookies, NFLPA and Panini, and even more!
Sponsored by SGC Cards gosgc.com
In this week’s tantalizing edition of the Nonsense Newsletter, John Dudley rates the rookies in this season’s baseball class. I lament about the resurgence of MVP hockey, and, as usual, the Quick Hits section is loaded with some of the coolest information in all of the hobby (and I ain’t just flexing on that, either. It’s the truth!). So, beat the heat today with another cool edition of the Nonsense Newsletter.
Contributor: John Dudley
The 2023 MLB rookie class is great. Collectors get that by now. The best thing about it is how deep the class is. I started listing hitters whose cards I don’t mind pulling and came up with over 25! names. That’s not even including pitchers. The knock on the class was that it is deeper than it is full of superstars, but I think it is time to rethink that as the top of the class all look capable of producing multiple All-Star seasons.
If I’m going to list out all the rookies I like, you can bet I’m going to rank them. I restricted the list to players who have rookie cards in 2023 products. So, unless Topps pulls a fast one with Update, no Elly de la Cruz, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, or any of the dozen or so highly touted call-ups we’ve seen in the last couple of months (2024 should be great too). I’m also forgoing pitchers as predicting the success of young MLB pitchers has turned into way too much of a crap shoot. With that said, here are the 25 guys I’m excited for that you can find in 2023 products.
Contributor: John McTaggart
Football season is literally days away, which is exactly why I’m going to dedicate my time this week to talking about hockey.
There are so many articles, videos and content centered around football and the football hobby right now that I really don’t think I could say anything that hasn’t already been said or written about.Â
So, we’re moving on to hockey and taking a look at a product that is normally reserved for the newest of newbies in the hockey hobby — MVP.
In year’s past, most serious hockey hobby enthusiasts have turned their nose up at this Upper Deck offering, which usually kicks off the newest launches of the season.
This year, however, there is a ramped-up demand for MVP.
Why?
Well, it’s simple — the first Connor Bedard redemptions are somewhere inside this product.
Quick Hits
Hobby News- Panini lost its NFLPA license. That’s the big news, but what this means for the hobby is still unclear. Hopefully, this will bring the great Fanatics/Panini war to a close, but both sides seem to be escalating the conflict. Panini does seem resolute in their ability to release products including releasing Luminance after the contract was terminated. They’ve requested arbitration for the dispute as well. Read more about it here and expect to hear much more about this in the upcoming months.
Vintage- It’s not exactly a single card or an auction or anything of the sorts. However, it’s a moment in baseball history that invokes a memory, a time, and for those who were alive during this era, it’s a nostalgic journey through the baseball season that was 1973. It’s when Hank Aaron was closing in on Babe Ruth’s home run record. Read about it here.
Hobby News- The other earth-shaking hobby news is Shohei Ohtani’s injury. The market always shifts when something happens to the biggest name in the hobby and Ohtani fits the bill. It’s a shame as a healthy Ohtani is undoubtedly great for the hobby. The injury also casts a shadow over his upcoming contract negotiations.Â
Grading News- Baseball was down about 20% with all of the major graders in terms of grading volume in July. Don’t be alarmed though as the baseball numbers ebb and flow with the release of Bowman products. Bowman remains one of the most, if not actually the most, popular product lines for grading and Bowman Chrome should send those numbers right back up.
The Sports Card Nonsense newsletters reflect the opinions of only the authors and contributors. They are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation for purchases or of an investment strategy or to buy or sell any assets.