Topps Celebrates 75 Years of Baseball and America

The iconic card company marks its milestone with a list of 75 iconic cards that reflect the sport's growth and diversity.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Topps has released a list of 75 iconic baseball cards that showcase the history and evolution of America's pastime. The list features legendary players like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle, as well as rising stars like Shohei Ohtani, who represents the increasing diversity and global reach of the sport.

Why it matters

Baseball has long been considered America's national pastime, and Topps' 75th anniversary card set reflects the sport's ability to bring people together and capture the country's changing demographics and values. The inclusion of players like Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, who were trailblazers both on and off the field, underscores how baseball has been a vehicle for social progress.

The details

Topps' 75th anniversary card set features 75 of the most iconic baseball cards from the company's history. The cards include legendary players from the past, such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle, as well as current stars like Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, who is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. The set celebrates the sport's rich history and its ability to reflect the changing face of America.

  • Topps released the 75th anniversary card set on Wednesday, February 15, 2026.
  • The company has been producing iconic baseball cards for 75 years, since its founding in 1951.

The players

Shohei Ohtani

A Japanese-born player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and a symbol of the sport's growing diversity and global appeal.

Jackie Robinson

The first African American player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Robinson's historic debut on April 15, 1947, was a pivotal moment in both baseball and civil rights history.

Roberto Clemente

A Pittsburgh Pirates star and one of the greatest players of all time, Clemente was also an outspoken humanitarian and civil rights leader who tragically died in a plane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

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What they’re saying

“Everyone's going to have stories to tell behind all the cards, and it's generational storytelling. I never watched Mickey Mantle play, but my dad grew up in New York. He told me stories of the Yankees and the (Mantle) lore, and that's why I love that 1952 Mantle card. These cards tell great stories, and this project keeps them fresh and fun and exciting.”

— David Leiner, Topps Company President

“Fifty years ago, it would have been unimaginable that the face of Major League Baseball — still America's pastime — would be Asian. Ohtani is a Japanese national — and not an American. But he's in America, and he's Asian. And he's the best.”

— Emil Guillermo, Journalist

What’s next

Topps plans to continue releasing new sets of iconic baseball cards in the coming years, celebrating the sport's history and evolution.

The takeaway

Topps' 75th anniversary card set is a celebration of baseball's enduring role as America's national pastime, reflecting the sport's ability to bring people together and capture the country's changing demographics and values. The inclusion of trailblazing players like Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente underscores how baseball has been a vehicle for social progress, and the prominence of stars like Shohei Ohtani signals the sport's growing global appeal.