Baseball Case Hits

Downtowns and Kabooms! Have dominated the basketball and football card world, but rare inserts have had less of a place in the baseball card landscape. That’s changing as Topps has put a major focus on adding and improving case hits to pretty much every baseball product.

I’m using the term case hits in the vernacular. Most “case hits” are a bit rarer. For discussion, when I say 'case hit' here, I mean an insert that one gets one or fewer of per case. Many parallels fit this definition, but I’m going to leave parallels for another day and check out the inserts.

With case hits becoming ubiquitous, collectors are becoming increasingly aware of them, and demand has increased for some of the case hits. At the same time, the fact that there is one (or often more) case hits per product means that there are A LOT of case hits to choose from. Quite a few of them get lost in the shuffle.

Not all case hits are created equal. Some are considered grails even if I think that term is as overused as “the GOAT” is. Others go straight from the pack to the bargain box. With the ever-increasing number of case hits in baseball products, I thought it would be a good idea to get a handle on how each case hit is viewed in the hobby.

My list here is far from all-encompassing. For one, I’ve left off all parallels, so no Gold Minted, Team Logos, or other popular parallels. Second, no game used or autos. Finally, there are so many that it’s hard to keep up.

That’s where you, the reader, come in. If you’ve got a favorite case hit that I’ve left off, let me know in the comments. I’m sure there are a ton. I’m also only including case hits from 2024 and 2025, so no gems from 2004 needed (although I’m sure they are interesting and lovely, so go ahead and share those too).

Top Tier

These are the case hits I expect to see Topps producing, and collectors chasing for years to come.

All Aces/All Kings- Playing card-inspired sets that are absolutely beautiful in person. Pictures don’t do them justice, and they’ve become a quick favorite. Note that the 2023 version were fairly common inserts. Found in Flagship Topps.

Anime- These are quickly becoming some of the biggest case hits in the hobby. The 2024 design pays tribute to 1955 Bowman. The 2025 design is even more popular, which makes sense as I’ve noticed that the case hit designs keep getting better from Topps. These are found in Bowman.

Home Field Advantage- Topps’ answer to Panini’s Downtowns has a better design and is much better executed IMO. The prices remain low as the print run is fairly high despite being case hits. That’s also a bit of a blessing as the lower prices make this the case hit with the most set-builders chasing it. These are found in Flagship (plus a Chrome version in Topps Chrome).

GPK- Cartoons are popular in the hobby. Who knew? These are popular, and I fully expect they will be in 10 years as well. These are found in Bowman.

Stained Glass- These are tobacco card-sized little works of art that have a big audience. They are also one of the longest-running popular case hits. These are found in All & Ginter.

Fairly Popular

These sets are fairly popular, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see them shelved for a bit or collectors losing interest. All of these will be someone’s favorite, though.

Depths of Darkness- The thickest case hit utilizes a shadow-box design to great effect. They just need a bit more traction in the hobby to become must-haves for player collectors. The condition-sensitive nature of these, and the fact that they are harder to produce, make me leery of their long-term spot in the production schedule. Found in Topps Chrome Black

Gallery of Heroes- A larger stained glass set that has some die-hard fans. I’m cheating here as these last appeared in 2022 in Topps Gallery. With the demise of Gallery, these need a home. Stadium Club would be my choice. Found in nowhere currently, but Topps should hook collectors up and add these to Stadium Club.

Gold Storm- These are so rare that the rarity hurts their popularity, as many don’t know they exist. With only 24 copies per player, these do not surface often (only two on eBay currently). Found in Topps Gilded.

Heavy Lumber- Cards that are made of wood are very popular. It’s not my favorite gimmick, but I’m in the clear minority here. Found in Flagship.

Helix- Not quite a Color Blast clone, but it’s certainly in the ballpark. That’s a good ballpark to be in. Found in Topps Chrome.

Hidden Gems- These are a bit different as they appear in multiple Topps products. They are rare enough to qualify. As awareness of these grows, I expect them to gain popularity. Found in a variety of Topps products.

Let’s Go- Everyone’s least-favorite breaker phrase gets its own set that also crosses multiple products. I might not like the phrase, but the cards are pretty. Found in a variety of Topps products.

Planetary Pursuits- Each player gets cards for the sun and each planet of the solar system (and some non-planets), with rarity decreasing the further away from the sun one gets. Collecting full runs is a popular activity. Found in Topps Chrome Cosmic.

Strokes of Gold- I’ve heard them called the French fry cards. I like the design a lot, and think the mocking is lighthearted enough. Found in Bowman’s Best

Super Nova- Just cool space goodness. Found in Topps Chrome Cosmic.

Ultra Violet- This set would have been two categories lower last year. It’s a great example of Topps improving designs and concepts that didn’t quite work the first time around. Found in Topps Chrome

Mid-Tier Case Hits

These aren’t quite as popular, but still have fans. It wouldn’t surprise me to see any of these discontinued or shelved for a bit.

AKA- Celebrates nicknames. It’s cool, but definitely overlooked. Last seen in 2023 for baseball, but has shown up in 2024 UFC. Found in Flagship.

Celebracion- Fun cards that focus on celebratory moments in the game. Found in Topps Chrome

Crystalized- Geodes are cool. Picture a player with the background of a geode, and you get the idea. It’s neat, but it might not have the necessary widespread appeal. Maybe it does. I’m betting on a stellar design the second time around. Found in Bowman.

Etched in Glass- Basically Panini Stained Glass. I prefer the Gallery of Heroes and Stained Glass look to these, and it seems I’m not alone. That’s probably overly harsh. Found in Bowman.

Fiesta- Topps keeps the party going with Fiesta. Found in Topps Finest.

Hit the Lights- I like the idea, but the execution looks amateurish, and collectors haven’t been impressed. Found in Topps Chrome Black.

Major League Minis- There have been a variety of overly large or overly small images used for comedic effect. This is of the overly small variety. Popularity for these types of sets is normally fleeting. Found in Topps Chrome.

Mesmerized- Super rare, but few seem to even know they exist. Found in Flagship.

Nocturnal- A busy design keeps demand for these in check. Found in Topps Chrome black.

Plakata- Close to being in the bottom category. Found in Topps Chrome.

Sizzle- Ditto for sizzle. Someone needs to turn the heat up on these. I dig the design. Found in Topps Chrome.

Stella Nova- Cosmic’s least popular case hit, which makes it likely for cancellation. I kind of like them. Found in Topps Chrome Cosmic.

Bottom Tier

I fully expect these to stop being produced sooner rather than later.

Ascension- While it’s had two solid designs, it just hasn’t gotten a foothold. Fun cards to pick up cheap. Found in Bowman.

Beam Team- It was a big name in basketball years ago, but it’s been a non-starter in the baseball world. Perhaps the return of licensed Topps basketball will change that. I’m not betting on it. Found in Stadium Club.

Crushed- The 2023 cards look muted, and their unpopularity carried over to 2024 despite a much better design. Found in Topps Chrome.

Diamond Dominance- Another set with an improved design that still fell flat. Found in Topps Chrome.

Mega Stars- Three in a row with an improved design, with little interest to show for it. In a crowded market, first impressions are everything. Found in Flagship.

Platinum Performers- Collectors have found this one of the more boring case hits. Consequently, most cards can be had for under $10. Found in Flagship.

Wrap Up

One thing that sticks out to me is that Topps is basically throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks in Flagship and Chrome. I think that they could see benefits if they thin the herd a bit. Some of the mid-tier sets could stand out more with a less crowded field. My hunch is the field will grow more crowded in 2025. Oh well.

What case hits did I forget? Which set was I overly excited about, or too hard on? Let me know in the comments.