2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #100-108

 We've reached the 100s in our rundown of my 2020 Topps Final Edition set, ironically in the week where I've finished production on all 330 cards in it. So that's how prepared I am for the rest of this run, as we begin to head into the regular season, as I focus on regular customs and other projects. I made sure this one had a real hero card for #100, plus a few interesting cases to talk about.

Card #100- Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels

Jo Adell was first brought to my attention when I pulled a relic of his out of 2019 Heritage Minor Leagues. I reckon that'd go for a nice amount of money now. Adell may see his stock fall slightly due to his not starting the 2021 season in the majors, but you can't deny how impressive the guy looks for the Angels. He's been touted as the outfielder of the future for years, and will probably be the guy who replaces Justin Upton in the Angels outfield. Last year in 38 games, he hit .161 with 7 RBIs, a poor showing, even for a 21-year-old. Hopefully Maddon is right that some time in the minors will help him blossom a bit, because I'd hate to think this is all we get from the guy.

Card #101- Freddie Freeman ASG, Atlanta Braves

I don't want there to be any doubt here. If the 2020 All Star Game had happened, Freddie Freeman would have been the starting first baseman for the NL. Brandon Belt and Paul Goldschmidt would have votes to combat him, but they wouldn't come anywhere near him. Freeman was league-caliber last year, he was deserving of the MVP, and he hit fire like nobody I've seen in a while. It was also a season that rewarded Freeman for being the rock in the Braves lineup for years, which hopefully he continues to be from here on out.

Card #102- Keegan Akin, Baltimore Orioles

One of two rookie starters brought up towards the end of the season to help out the cause, Keegan Akin was the more traditional choice for sure. In 6 starts, he had a 4.58 ERA with 35 Ks and a high whip, but he still made himself known as a young option for a team that needed some. I'm fully expecting him and Dean Kremer to factor into the rotation this year. 

Card #103- Trevor Cahill, San Francisco Giants

Ever since his legendary 18-8 year in 2010, Trevor Cahill has been a fairly inconsistent pitcher. At his best, he could be a strong, low-rotation hurler, like he was in Oakland in 2018. At his worst, he can be a waste of a trade deadline deal, like he was in 2017 for the Royals. But after a mixed-at-best year in Anaheim, Cahill returned to the bay area to audition for a role in the Giants rotation. He started 6 games but also was used as a relief option, and had a 3.24 ERA in 11 games with 31 strikeouts. Not enough to keep Drew Smyly at bay, but enough to charm his way into a starting role in Pittsburgh out of camp.

Card #104- Josh Van Meter, Arizona Diamondbacks

The former Reds prospect who found himself buried behind a strong infield last year, Van Meter found himself dealt to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Archie Bradley. In Phoenix, Van Meter bat .194, which was, to be fair, 150 points higher than his average in Cincinnati, and had 5 RBIs in 12 games. I'm not sure how he'll factor into the D-Backs' 2021 roster picture, but hopefully his average will come around.

Card #105- Brian Goodwin, Cincinnati Reds

Speaking of the Reds, the other deadline deal they made was to fleece Brian Goodwin from the Angels to provide outfield support, or, more likely, to block Aristedes Aquino from getting any playing time. Unfortunately, the second Goodwin arrived in Cincinnati was also the moment that Shogo Akiyama started hitting, so Goodwin's 20 games of .163 hitting weren't especially needed. He's looking to make the Pirates this spring. Godspeed to him.

Card #106- Dinelson Lamet ASG, San Diego Padres

After a surprising late-season push in 2019, Dinelson Lamet certified himself as one of the deadliest arms in the NL West, with a 2.09 ERA in 12 games and 93 strikeouts. It was a performance that was shortened due to an injury RIGHT BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS, but in a regular 2020, Lamet would have still made the All Star team, and pitched an inning or so of solid stuff for the NL.

Card #107- Code Heuer, Chicago White Sox

The surprisingly impressive White Sox relief canon of Bummer and Fry added a new homegrown arm, this time Codi Heuer, the rookie who proceeded to let all of Chicago know his name in 21 games, with a 1.52 ERA and 25 Ks in that timeframe. Heck, he even got some postseason numbers, even if the A's did beat him up a little. Sure to have a big role in the 2021 postseason effort.

Card #108- D.J. LeMahieu ASG, New York Yankees

Here's a shocker- D.J. LeMahieu would end up a few votes short of the starting second baseman job for the AL. And he'd lose to a fellow AL East infielder as well. That shouldn't diminish LeMahieu's season, where he excelled once again for the Yankees despite a brief injury setting him back a bit. Thanks to a new contract, the Yankees seem to have found their 2nd baseman for the 2020s, and hopefully LeMahieu keeps up the fantastic work.

The next 9 cards are set for Monday. A few standard commons for this set, and one or two very odd sights.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Giants (Part Two)

Continuing the reminiscence of the Giants' 2020 season...the Giants started the season with Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval, and they were both gone before September 27th. Earth-shattering for longtime fans, but necessary.

Pablo Sandoval didn't have much left in the tank in 2020, sad to say. .220 in 33 games, 18 hits and 6 RBIs. And then he's released and Atlanta picks him up.

Austin Slater fared a bit better, I suppose. His season this year was similar to last year's, in that he wasn't relied upon immediately, but once he was he was trusted in killer situations. Slater hit .282 in 32 games, led the team in stolen bases and had 7 RBIs and 5 games. Hopefully he'll be able to start the year in the majors next year.

2021 Prediction: A full year, moving Dickerson to the bench, with 20 homers and some good number of steals. The breakout year is nearly upon us.

Logan Webb was an early standout for the rotation, moved from the bullpen on a whim. Eventually he bottomed to a 5.47 ERA with a 3-4 record and 46 Ks.

2021 Prediction: Predominantly bullpen work.

 And Trevor Cahill had an opposite year, starting the year in the bullpen but making the best of a rotation audition, with a 4.05 ERA and 23 Ks in 6 starts, not bad at all. 

2021 Prediction: Similar split between the bullpen and rotation for whoever picks him up.

I don't exaggerate- when I first saw Darin Ruf's name appear in the stats for the Giants, I did a double take. THAT Darin Ruf? The guy who used to be a killed Philly prospect then got traded for Chase Utley and bottomed out in LA? We speaking the same language here? But yes, it was Darin Ruf making a comeback in SF, hitting .276 with 18 RBIs off the bench, and being a generally great fringe presence despite the occasional outfield error. The fans seem to love him, and it seems fitting that Gabe Kapler has inherited him.

2021 Prediction: Perhaps some of the magic wears off, but I expect a few more big moments from the big guy.

And then there's Joey Bart. The man all of San Francisco were waiting to debut once Posey opted out, the catcher heir apparent whose seat was just being filled by Tyler Heineman and Chadwick Tromp. And once he got to the majors...he was okay. He hit .233 in 33 games yet had more strikeouts than Brandon Belt had in 51. Whatever the Giants fans were expecting to happen evidently won't happen immediately.

2021 Prediction: Once Posey gets back, probably either more time in the majors or backup duty. Whatever it is, hopefully it'll help him be majors-ready when the time comes. 

Coming Tomorrow- The Cleveland Indians made it back to the playoffs, and had the Yankees on the ropes for a second. Here's how they did it.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2018: Athletics

Perhaps the biggest surprise of 2018 was the sudden rise of the Oakland Athletics, a team that everyone had marked for death. Using a micro-payroll, homegrown talent, and very cheap free agents, this A's team clawed their way past an ailing Angels team and an unlucky Mariners team to battle the Yankees for the Wild Card spot. While this didn't exactly work well for them, their playoff appearance during an era of doldrums for Oakland baseball was definitely worth celebrating, especially after the tragic dissolution of their 2013 squad.

Despite said dissolution, one of the charter pitchers from said era, Trevor Cahill, returned to Oakland (along with Brett Anderson). Cahill had a comeback year, giving some solid middle-rotation work, and being a reliable arm when other pitchers opted out due to injury. Cahill's a free agent this year, and I expect him to sign with an AL West rival, perhaps the two that REALLY need pitching help about now.

Chad Pinder was a member of the A's outfield platoon that worked so well this year, and he graduated from the bench to being a starter after Matt Joyce's demotion. Like Mark Canha, he's a nice little young outfielder who's great with hits. He also gives the A's some options for 2019, because they have Pinder, Canha, Stephen Piscotty, Ramon Laureano and...

...Nick Martini, who had a mid-season debut and became an occasional member of the A's offense. He's also pretty impressive, and ended with an average just under .300. I feel like if the A's do some concrete moves with this outfield, Martini may be the one that either gets shafted or traded, but he's still sharp.

Daniel Mengden's presence in the rotation was certainly a throwback, as it harkened back to the days of Rollie Fingers' handlebar mustache. His numbers weren't bad either, though he spent some time on the DL, and his numbers waned after a while. Hopefully a full season will be a step-up for him.

Shawn Kelley's story was certainly an interesting one this year- he was dropped by the Nationals out of the blue, after Dave Martinez read a glare Kelley gave him after an allowed home run as a personal threat. So Kelley goes to Oakland and gets to play for Bob Melvin, which is nice. He also gets some serious time down the stretch, and helps his already-low ERA get even lower.

[Fun fact: this was the only picture available of Kelley on the A's. So thank the gods it was a good one]

Another addition the A's made to their strong bullpen was adding the great Fernando Rodney, who had been pitching well enough in Minneapolis, by fulfilling the rest of his 2 year deal. Rodney, at 41, gave some surprisingly sharp stuff in middle relief, keeping an ERA below 4, and only allowing 9 earned runs in 20 innings. Rodney, in his tenth uniform, and his seventh in four years, continued to be one of the more legendary relievers in the game.

Coming Tomorrow- Even after seeing them up close, I was still underwhelmed by the Toronto Blue Jays, but I can't help but admit that they had some serious talent waiting there.