What’s In a Name? 2023 Topps Baseball AKA Gallery
What do you get when you combine a player’s nickname with a collage of stock photos? 2023 Topps Baseball AKA, a new insert set that’s one of the standout inserts in Series 1 Baseball.
The set has just 10 cards but they’re among the toughest in the product outside of scarce parallels. Names include Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Ronald Acuña Jr.
The concept is pretty simple. It starts with the nickname, which are splashed across the front like a billboard (or theatre marquee in the case of Ohtani). Images are added to give the monicker a literal interpretation. Paul “Goldy” Goldschmidt is standing next to a pile of Fort Knox. Javier “El Mago” Baez is a magician pulling a tiger out of a hat. And in case you’re looking for a baseball card to impress your dentist, Francisco “Smile” Lindor celebrates toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Odds on the AKA inserts are tough. In standard hobby packs, they’re 1:2,210. That’s 1:92 boxes. Other odds include 1:221 for hobby jumbo, 1:6,636 blaster packs and 1:990 hanger boxes. They’re essentially the same as another new short print insert, Heavy Lumber, which are printed on wood-style stock.
2023 Topps Baseball AKA Checklist
Here’s a quick look at the players with 2023 Topps Baseball AKA inserts. If you’re looking for a specific card, click on the link to see what’s available on eBay.
AKA-1 Pete Alonso, New York Mets
AKA-2 Javier Baez, Detroit Tigers
AKA-3 Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
AKA-4 Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox
AKA-5 Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
AKA-6 Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
AKA-7 Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
AKA-8 Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
AKA-9 Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
AKA-10 Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
I like them all except for Tatis. It’s just a shoreline.