By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

For those of you who will be looking for the debut release of Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout in SportsPicks form this month, there’s an added element of surprise.

McFarlane Toys has created a chase figure that includes an MLB-authenticated piece of one of his stolen bases from last season.

Limited to just 200 serial-numbered figures, this figure from the 31st series of MLB figures from the Arizona-based company includes a slice of Trout’s 48th stolen base last season. He hit is 30th home run that same day. Trout won the American League Rookie of the Year award after a campaign that included the first 30-30 Club performance from a rookie in MLB history.

The figures will be randomly mixed into cases with others in the seven-player series that also includes Derek Jeter, Clayton Kershaw, reigning NL Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Felix Hernandez and Andrew McCutchen. Kershaw also will have a game-used element for his chase figure with “real baseball pieces” promised on his, according to the company.

McFarlane has added autographs on the figure bases as chase elements in recent years with players such as Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers, Florida Gators great Tim Tebow, baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and Detroit Tigers star Prince Fielder signing for the company.

If found at retail, the chase figures will cost the same as any other — approximately $15 or less — and the bonuses are visible through the packaging.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Need a checklist or Online Price Guide for past McFarlane figure sets? Click here.

Photos courtesy of Topps

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Prince Fielder is used to the big-boy jokes, but he’s got nothing on this.

Topps unveiled the world’s largest baseball card Tuesday morning in Lakeland, Fla., a 90-by-60 foot version of Fielder’s card in the 2013 set.

The unveiling took place with Fielder on hand along with groups of youth league baseball players to help unveil the card at Peterson Park near the Tigers’ spring training home.

“We are excited to kick off the season and celebrate the launch of our new 2013 Topps baseball Series 1 with Lakeland City Baseball, Prince and baseball fans everywhere,” said Marc Stephens, Topps’ Marketing Manager, in a prepared release.

Fielder was on hand as well.

“It is truly an honor and a thrill for me to be featured not only on the 2013 Topps Series 1 box,” Fielder said in a prepared statement, “but also on the largest baseball card the world has ever seen.”

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Topps offered the latest glimpses into its upcoming surprise product on Monday as it offered additional information about its 2012 Topps Mini baseball set exclusively to Beckett Media.

The product will be issued in pack form with mini versions of all base cards found in the Series 1 and Series 2 (as the case with this year’s factory sets). It also will include autographs and memorabilia cards, too — all in the smaller size a la the 1975 Topps Mini set, which was a test issue only released in Michigan and California.

“This should be a great product,” said Topps’ Mike Jaspersen. “[It's] 1975 all over again.”

This product, which will only be available at ShopTopps.com (the company’s webstore), was teased online there last week. The mini set will be officially unveiled on Aug. 1 at the National Sports Collectors Convention with 10 cards per pack and one autograph or Relic card in every 24-pack box.

For those who looked closely at the mocked wax box, it notes that there are 661 cards in this one. Presuming it’s a direct parallel to the 2012 Topps set, that means Washington Nationals rookie Bryce Harper will be found in the product. He appears on the wrapper along with another notable rookie this season, Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish, along with Matt Kemp, Josh Hamilton, Prince Fielder and Roy Halladay.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

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By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

The Beard, The Angel and a Prince are coming to a toy aisle near you.

McFarlane Toys has unveiled its 30th line of MLB Sports Picks figures and the seven-figure lineup includes two debut figures and some All-Star staples.

Most notable might be injured San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson and his world-famous beard. His figure will feature the pose he does in honor of his father when he closes out games. No word on whether “The Machine” will have any cameos when the figures arrive next month. (Need a Wilson checklist or OPG? click here.)

Albert Pujols will make his Los Angeles Angels figure debut in the series, while Prince Fielder will appear on his first figure as a member of the Detroit Tigers.

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista will be a chase figure in the series (he’ll have a standard figure sold in Canada and online), while Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson and reigning American League MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander will make just his second McFarlane appearance.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds |  Beckett Baseball Editor

If Bowman is the home of the Rookie Card, then Topps Chrome might be the home of the diecut card.

Topps unveiled the basic product information and preview images for2012 Topps Chrome on Wednesday, and there is not one but two new diecut insert sets to chase with autographed versions in tow, too.

Oh, and there will be two autographed cards per box as well as Refractor Hot Boxes to be chase, too — one in every three cases — when it arrives on Aug. 22.

The base set will consist of 220 base cards each with autographed patch variations limited to just 10 copies as well as redemption cards good for uncut sheets. Each card will be found with Refractors and Xfractors as well as Blue, Black, Sepia, Gold, Red and Atomic Refractors, too. Hobby-only 1/1s include Superfractors and printing plates as well.

On the autographed side, the constant in Chrome is the autograph and this year’s autographed Rookie Cards will showcase at least 25 players, each signing directly on the card. Rays rookie Matt Moore and a Seattle Mariners Jesus Montero are the headliners here with the same lineup of Refractors available. The standard Refractors will be limited to 499, while the Atomics will be limited to 10.

But diecuts are not all that’s new with Chrome this year.

A new inclusion here is the Cut From the Same Cloth Autographs set — a double-sided, double-autographed card limited to just five copies apiece. One pairing, for example, will have Buster Posey and Joe Mauer, while another will have Dustin Pedroia and Robinson Cano.

Also new — and also diecut — are the Dynamic Diecuts cards. There will be 50 stars showcased here in this ornate, one-per-box find. Autographed versions of these cards will be limited to 25 or fewer copies.

Also new are dual autos and autographed Chrome buybacks — each limited to just 10 copies. The Buybacks will feature Rookie Cards of players who never had a signed Topps Chrome RC — notables there will include Jose Bautista, Joe Mauer, Robinson Cano, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder among others. The last new inclusion for ink are the Chrome Encounters autos, which are hobby-only and all limited to just 10 copies or less.

Some of the other autographed rookies tentatively lined up for this one include Brett Lawrie, Brad Peacock and Drew Pomeranz, while players on other autograph cards will include Albert Pujols, Lawrie, Michael Pineda, Matt Kemp, Jay Bruce, Mike Trout, Robinson Cano, Jose Bautista, Fielder, Justin Verlander, Ryan Braun, Eric Hosmer, Clayton Kershaw, Paul Goldschmidt and Ubaldo Jimenez to name a few.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

The third time’s the charm — at least in some boxes — for Bowman Platinum.

Topps unveiled the basic product information and preview images for 2012 Bowman Platinum on Thursday, and new this year — the third for the brand — will be redemption cards good for full game-used items from the Arizona Fall League.

As in memorabilia pieces, game-used caps, game-used baseballs, bases and more. In all, there are 53 redemption cards to be found for items — including at least one for Bryce Harper.

Set to arrive on July 25, Platinum will include two Refractor autographs and one autographed Refractor Relic card in every box. As many as 35 prospects will be signing for the product, each with 1/1 printing plates and SuperFractors, while there will also be Atomic Refractors numbered to five and Red, Gold, Blue and Green Refractors numbered to 399 or less. Two of the most notable names here? Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole.

Over on the signed Relics side, the same parallels will exist — but the most-plentiful cards will be limited to just 199 copies. Notables here? Harper and Mike Trout for starters.

For non-prospect sigs, there will be 35 Purely Platinum autos — 1/1s signed in gold ink only found in hobby packs — 10 dual auto cards limited to 50, 10 triple autos limited to 10. Want something even bigger? Try a Hexagraph book card — six autos in tow — or one of 35 Jumbo Patch Relics. The first Hexagraph teased this year? A card with Trevor Bauer, Danny Hultzen, Gerrit Cole, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw sigs — that’s a lot of firepower from the mound.

Continuing something that will debut with 2012 Bowman will be the Bowman Black program — there will be 25 players signing cards to be found here, each limited to 25 copies.  The biggest chase? A 1/1 Harper game-used bat nameplate card from one of his Arizona Fall League gamers.

On the insert card side, there will be a line of Cutting Edge Stars — diecut cards that have autograph and Relic versions to be found as well — for MLB veterans as well as some prospects.

The base set will consist of 100 MLB veterans and rookies, while there also will be a 100-card prospect set printed on Chrome stock to chase.  These cards will be found with parallels — X-Fractors, Greens, Blues, Golds, Reds, Atomic and Supers  for the prospects — and parallels for the standard set comprised of Gold, Emerabls and Ruby cards as was done last year.

Some of the notable signers for this one? Bubba Starling, Dylan Bundy, Justin Verlander, Matt Moore, Brett Lawrie, Michael Pineda, Robinson Cano, Jesus Montero, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Eric Hosmer, Paul Goldschmidt, Felix Hernandez and Ryan Zimmerman to name a few.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

One of the niche favorites of this year is sticking with us for 2012 — and that’s going to suit many a collector.

Topps unveiled the first details and preview images for its 2012 MLB Sticker Collection on Monday, and it’s a 309-sticker offering with some new touches.

With an album featuring a page for every team — and six free stickers — the collection will showcase 245 MLB veterans while also including nine highlight stickers for memorable moments of the 2011 season and 25 team mascots. Also included will be 30 foil stickers with two MLB teams per sheet.

The main set includes veterans and rookies — there are no legends this year. In their place are the mascots where a team has one. Each team will get as many as nine players on stickers with the mascot replacing a player for most teams. The highlights stickers are another new edition for 2012.

Each pack of eight stickers will sell for 99 cents with albums costing $1.99. The collection arrives on March 21.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.