The Face of an Atlanta Braves star was more visible than usual on Valentine’s Day
In the sports card collecting world, Valentine’s Day was a huge day for the hobby.
Wednesday, February 14 was the release day for one of the most anticipated sets in the sports card hobby – the launch of Topps 2024 Series One. Every year, the date sets the tone that baseball is close and as pitchers and catchers report for spring training, the tone has shifted.
The face of the biggest set of the year? Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. is on the cover of every pack.
“Behind cover athlete Ronald Acuna Jr., 2024 Topps Series 1 Baseball features one of its more unique designs in recent years,” SI Collects writes. “Highlighted by a neon glow around the border and the team name, the 2024 set won’t be mistaken for any other.”
The set is filled with a ton of rookies with most collectors hoping to see Cincinnati Reds Star Elly De La Cruz in their packs. The top Atlanta Braves rookie in the set is potential starter A.J. Smith-Shawver.
Acuña Jr. will be on plenty of valuable cards as well as other Atlanta Braves. (I pulled a patch card containing a game-worn jersey of Braves centerfielder Michael Harris at my local shop, the CRD Store, on release day.)
Acuña Jr. will aim to continue to be one of the key faces in baseball in 2024. After being voted a unanimous MVP in 2023, he will look to help lead Atlanta by having another historical season.
Atlanta’s spring training began on Wednesday with pitchers and catchers reporting, although several position players were present in camp ahead of their Monday mandatory reporting date.
READ MORE:
Position Players Reporting Early Shows Atlanta’s Hunger for A Different Finish to 2024
The Atlanta Braves welcomed pitchers and catchers to North Port, FL today for the start of spring training.
And, it turns out, quite a few position players as well.
Per multiple reports, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, and newcomer Jarred Kelenic were among the hitters that came to Cool Today Park well in advance of Monday’s reporting date for position players.
And it’s because no one’s satisfied with the status quo.
We’ve heard from Spencer Strider and A.J. Minter about how the goal of the Atlanta Braves is to win a World Series, and anything less than achieving that goal isn’t acceptable.
And multiple position players – including last year’s home run leader in all of baseball (Matt Olson), a two-time Silver Slugger and two-time All Star coming off of three consecutive top seven MVP finishes (Austin Riley), and the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year – demonstrated that point, by showing that they’re doing even more work to ensure a different outcome in 2024.
Harris confirmed as much when he voluntarily spoke to the media.
“We’ve got to keep doing what we’ve been doing and try to fix some little things to give us that extra push.”
That extra push includes extra, voluntarily work, something that opened the eyes of newcomer Kelenic, who was acquired via trade from the Seattle Mariners on the eve of the Winter Meetings.
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