Within a few seconds of perusing the 2015 Topps baseball card set, one word will likely come to mind: unique.
Featuring a two-tone design complemented by a bevy of graphic elements, it's clear that Topps was going for a modern if not futuristic, look and feel.
And they certainly accomplished that...
As they ripped through packs, collectors encountered a much different design than in recent years.
Over the past decade or so, the 2015 Topps design has held up quite well.
However, the checklist itself hasn't stood the test of time with the same success.
There are plenty of superstars, variations, parallels, inserts, etc., to chase.
But the relatively "weak" rookie card class keeps this set under most casual collectors' radars.
Still, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great cards to find inside.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
2015 Topps #1 Derek Jeter
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40
For twenty seasons, Derek Jeter anchored the middle infield for the New York Yankees as their All-Star shortstop and eventual team captain.
To put it bluntly, Jeter was the Yankees.
So when he wasn't in the lineup on Opening Day in 2015, it essentially marked the beginning of a new era of New York Yankees baseball.
And nobody knew what the future would hold.
After all, with Jeter on the roster, the Yankees made the playoffs in 17 of his first 18 seasons and won seven AL pennants and five world championships.
Would the Yankees be able to continue those winning ways?
As it turned out, they did continue to win.
For the next ten seasons, the Yankees held a winning record every year, though in some cases, it was close.
They won the AL East three times and made the postseason eight times.
But it took them until that tenth season without Jeter in 2024 to reach the World Series again.
So, yes, they were winning.
But it wasn't the kind of winning Yankees fans had grown accustomed to with Jeter in the lineup.
Time will tell if Aaron Judge or someone else will help lead the Yankees back to those kinds of glory days at Yankee Stadium.
Until then, Jeter remains the last great Yankees champion, and Topps chose the perfect image for his final flagship card.
2015 Topps #200 Miguel Cabrera
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
In 2015, Detroit Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera became the 13th player in MLB history to win four batting titles and the first to reach that plateau since Wade Boggs in 1987.
However, Cabrera's batting crown almost didn't fit due to a technicality.
The 32-year-old first baseman missed nearly six weeks in the middle of the '15 campaign with a Grade 3 calf strain.
To be eligible for a batting title, a hitter must average 3.1 plate appearances per contest throughout a 162-game season.
Cabrera needed to make up ground quickly and hit 502 plate appearances to beat out Boston's Xander Bogaerts for his spot among the greats.
He made it with a week left to go.
Cabrera hit the minimum cutoff on September 28th to win the race with a .338 average.
If he had missed the cutoff, Bogaerts would have taken the batting crown at .320.
As it stood, Cabrera added another blurb to his Hall-of-Fame plaque.
He ended the 2015 season with an AL-best .440 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, and 76 RBIs in 429 at-bats.
2015 Topps #207 Bryce Harper
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
The 2015 MLB season showed baseball fans what the Bryce Harper hype was all about.
It wasn't that Harper hadn't proven his talents until then.
Over his first three campaigns, he earned two trips to the All-Star Game and 2012 NL Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
So, Harper was already elite.
But in 2015, he showed the baseball world how high his ceiling could go.
And that ceiling was pretty high...
Harper came about as close as he'll likely get to winning a Triple Crown, leading the NL with 42 home runs while batting .330 and driving in 99 runs.
He also led the NL with 118 runs scored while pacing the Majors in OBP (.460), slugging (.649), OPS (1.109) and an eye-popping 9.7 WAR.
Harper made his third trip to the All-Star Game while picking up his first Silver Slugger and running away with his first MVP.
In short, Harper was a one-man offensive juggernaut in 2015.
Despite all of that production from Harper, though, the Nationals had to scratch and claw their way to an 83-79 record, finishing 7 games behind the Mets in the NL East and out of the playoffs.
Harper was incredible to watch during the regular season.
It just would have been nice to see those fireworks in the postseason, too.
2015 Topps #300 Mike Trout
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
If not for the Los Angeles Angels' fall from 2014 AL West champs to 2015 also-rans, Mike Trout could have back-to-back-to-back MVP awards for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 campaigns.
Trout finished as the runner-up for the 2015 AL MVP honors to Toronto's Josh Donaldson despite leading the Junior Circuit in WAR (9.6 to Donaldson's 7.1), slugging percentage (.590), OPS (.991), and OPS+ (176).
Donaldson usurped Trout in RBIs (an AL-best 123) and runs scored (an MLB-best 122).
But, the success of Donaldson's team pushed him over the top.
With their new free-agent acquisition in the middle of their lineup, the 93-win Blue Jays soared to their first playoff berth and division title since winning the second of back-to-back World Series championships in 1993.
It was the feel-good story of the summer.
This starkly contrasted the third-place Angels, who were held back in a three-way AL West race by a league-average offense and pitching staff.
Donaldson ended up taking the MVP with 23 of 30 first-place votes.
Trout grabbed the other seven.
Who knows how many of those votes would have gone his way if the Angels had gotten out of their own?
2015 Topps #389 Mookie Betts
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
The 2015 MLB season was an unquestionable disappointment for the Boston Red Sox.
Two years after breaking their World Series curse, the 78-win Red Sox were locked in mediocrity thanks to their bottom-feeding pitching staff.
It's a shame, considering how good the offense was.
Boston finished fourth in the Majors in runs scored per game (4.62)and fifth in team batting average (.262).
Their electric leadoff hitter, Mookie Betts, set the table for the lineup's success.
The second-year outfielder earned a handful of MVP votes in 2015, slashing .291/.341/.479 with 18 homers, 42 doubles, eight triples, 21 stolen bases, 92 runs scored, and 77 RBIs in 145 games.
During the team's home opener, he also set social media ablaze, going 2-for-4 with a walk, a three-run bomb, an unreal home run-stealing grab, and two steals in one at-bat.
"It's the Mookie Show," teammate Hanley Ramirez said of the 22-year-old sensation. "He's bringing a lot of energy to our club every day."
2015 Topps #600 Albert Pujols
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
The 2015 offseason was Albert Pujols' calmest so far in Southern California.
Pujols was injured or rehabbing from injury before each of his first three seasons as a Los Angeles Angel.
Finally, heading into year four, the 35-year-old slugger was healthy and in prime position to put up huge numbers.
It didn't start promisingly, though.
Pujols hit barely above .200 with three home runs in April and looked nothing like the perennial MVP candidate he was in St. Louis.
By June, his early-season struggles were forgotten.
Pujols bashed 13 home runs with 1.132 OPS in June to win his first-ever AL Player of the Month award.
After four years outside the Midsummer Classic, the Angels star made his first-ever AL All-Star team.
"He deserves to be there," teammate Mike Trout said. "His bat has been unbelievable."
It would be the only time Pujols made an All-Star team with the Angels.
He ended his renaissance campaign, slashing .244/.307/.480 with 40 home runs, 22 doubles, five stolen bases, 50 walks, 85 runs scored, and 95 RBIs in 157 games.
2015 Topps #15 Joey Votto
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
If you're a fan of using WAR to gauge a player's overall body of work in a given season, then the 2015 campaign was Joey Votto's second-best of his storied career.
Only his 7.9 WAR in 2017 outpaced his 7.7 WAR in 2015.
In 158 games, Votto slashed .314/.459/.541 with 29 home runs, 80 RBIs, 95 runs scored, 171 hits and an MLB-best 143 walks.
Votto also hit the 1.000 OPS mark for the fourth time in his career.
As great as Votto was over the entire season, it was his performance in the second half that really made his numbers pop.
In 85 games before the All-Star break, Votto slashed .277/.392/.484 with 15 homers, 42 RBIs, 42 runs scored and 57 walks.
The production was there, but he wasn't nearly as efficient as he was after the break.
Over the final 73 games of the season, Votto locked in at the plate, slashing an eye-popping .362/.535/.617 with 14 homers, 38 RBIs, 58 runs scored and 86 walks.
The increase in walks alone shows Votto's increased discipline over the second half.
Had he put together a more solid first half, he likely would've added a seventh All-Star nomination to his legacy.
As it were, he'd have to settle for a third-place finish in the MVP race.
Not bad...
2015 Topps #73 Freddie Freeman
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
2015 Topps #100 Clayton Kershaw
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
From 1970 to 2002, MLB pitchers combined for 24 different 300-strikeout seasons.
Those three decades were the peak of starting pitcher power: lots of innings, high speed, and heavy Ks.
In contrast, only ten 300-K campaigns have occurred during the 115 seasons outside that 33-year range.
One of those campaigns belongs to Clayton Kershaw.
Entering the 2015 season as the two-time defending NL Cy Young, the 27-year-old lefty was the rare unicorn who could eat innings with a maximum whiff rate.
Kershaw led all of baseball with 232.2 innings pitched and finished second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.643).
The MLB leader in K/9, Chris Sale, had a marginally better ratio (11.818) yet pitched under 90% of Kershaw's workload (208.2 innings).
Durability and a wicked wipeout arsenal put Kershaw in rarefied air, six strikeouts short of 300 headed into Game #162 of the regular season.
The NL West champs would have likely rested their ace before the NLDS if not for history.
Instead, Kershaw wiped out seven Padres in a short 3.2-inning start to become just the 11th pitcher to hit 300 Ks and the first since 2002.
Finishing third in his bid for back-to-back-to-back Cy Youngs, Kershaw posted a 16-7 record with a 2.13 ERA in an NL-high 33 starts. He led all MLB hurlers in complete games (4) and shutouts (3).
2015 Topps #175 Adrian Beltre
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
Adrian Beltre's 2015 season went from history-making to heartbreaking within six months.
The 36-year-old Texas Rangers third baseman had a campaign worthy of down-ballot MVP consideration, posting a .287/.334/.453 slash line with 18 home runs, 32 doubles, four triples, 83 runs scored, and 83 RBIs.
Beltre also became the 52nd player to hit 400 home runs on May 15th and the first player in 82 years to hit for his third career cycle on August 3rd.
In the season's final week, the future Hall-of-Famer hit .448 with two homers and 13 RBIs to inch the Rangers past the field for the AL West title.
That's where the disappointing stuff came in.
Beltre left Game 1 of an all-time classic ALDS with the Blue Jays due to a back issue.
He didn't return until Game 4.
By that time, Toronto had momentum on their side.
Texas coughed up a 2-0 series lead, losing the deciding Game 5 on Jose Bautista's epic, bat-flip-of-the-century, game-winning home run in the 7th inning.
2015 Topps #275 Buster Posey
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
After three World Series titles in five years, the San Francisco Giants fell back into the pack with an 84-78 record and playoff miss in 2015.
Injuries and a relatively shallow bench spelled the beginning of the end of a Bay Area dynasty.
Buster Posey, though, wasn't going to let go of the team's crown that easily.
The 28-year-old backstop/first baseman had another prime year in 2015, finishing ninth in the league's MVP voting while picking up his third All-Star selection and Silver Slugger.
He was also named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year.
San Francisco's centerpiece slashed .318/.379/.470 with 19 home runs, 28 doubles, 56 walks (against just 52 strikeouts), 74 runs scored, and 95 RBIs in 150 games.
The former MVP provided even more value with his glove.
Posey finished ninth in the National League with 1.8 Defensive WAR and was behind the plate for Chris Heston's no-hitter on June 9th.
He committed only two errors in 108 games behind the dish and none in 42 games at first.
2015 Topps #192 Joc Pederson Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
In the first half of the 2015 season, Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson announced himself as the prohibitive favorite to win NL Rookie-of-the-Year.
The 23-year-old tore the cover off the ball over the first three months, earning All-Star honors with a .911 OPS, 20 home runs, and 38 RBIs through June 30th.
Unfortunately, the season had two halves.
From July 1st through the end of the regular season, Pederson hit a less-than-replacement-level .584 OPS (.170 average) with just six homers and 16 RBIs in 73 games.
Pederson did register four walks in eight NLDS plate appearances, yet didn't register a hit in the Dodgers' five-game loss to the Mets.
"I wasn't able to produce over a whole season, and that's what we're here for," Pederson said.
Pederson ended the campaign with a .210/.346/.417 slash line, 26 home runs, 92 walks, 67 runs scored, 54 RBIs, and 170 strikeouts in 480 at-bats.
2015 Topps #315 Javier Baez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
After hitting just .169 with a .227 OPS in his 52-game MLB debut the year before, top Chicago Cubs prospect Javier Baez entered 2015 Spring Training in an interesting spot.
The organization still viewed him as the future of the franchise.
However, the Cubs decided to option the 22-year-old to Triple-A Iowa a week before Opening Day.
It proved to be a smart move.
Despite missing time due to a finger fracture and a personal loss, Baez hit .324 with a .917 OPS and 13 home runs in 74 minor-league contests.
Chicago promoted Baez back to the big-league squad on September 1st, and he did just fine, slashing .289/.325/.408 with a homer and four RBIs in 28 games.
The strikeouts remained a problem (24 in 80 plate appearances), but a newfound confidence was evident.
Baez's swagger carried over to the Cubs' NLDS clinching wins in Games 3 and 4.
The future MVP runner-up went 4-for-5 with a home run as Chicago downed rival St. Louis three games to one.
He did not fare as well in the team's four-and-out NLCS loss to the Mets, going just 1-for-10 with four strikeouts in four games.
2015 Topps #616 Kris Bryant Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
Kris Bryant's calm, cool demeanor made him the perfect fit for a resurgent Cubs franchise on the precipice of something great.
With the steady hand and low pulse of a ten-year veteran, the rookie third baseman slugged his way to the 2015 NL Rookie-of-the-Year award, becoming the first player ever to win the Baseball America collegiate player, minor-league player, and AL or NL ROTY in three consecutive seasons.
"In high school, I kind of got labeled like I didn't really care about playing just because I was so relaxed out there, but that couldn't be any further from the truth," Bryant said.
A first-time All-Star and 11th-place finisher for NL MVP, Bryant tied for the rookie lead in homers (26) while leading all first-year players in OBP (.369), slugging percentage (.488) and OPS (.858).
He also was one of the best clutch hitters in the game, posting a .292 batting average and .417 OBP with runners in scoring position.
On the back of a revamped roster and Bryant's rookie heroics, the 97-65 Cubs made the postseason for the first time since 2008 and reached the NLCS for the first time since 2003.
Bryant scuffled hard in nine postseason games (6-for-34, .176) but would get his redemption a year later.
2015 Topps #700 Joe Mauer
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
Before suffering a season-ending concussion on August 19th, 2013, Joe Mauer was a .323 career hitter with a .873 OPS and the fifth-most WAR (44.2) by a catcher in MLB history through the age of 30.
Mauer was left with lingering symptoms for months after that.
By the start of 2014, he switched positions to first base out of an abundance of caution and as an acknowledgment of other injury problems.
The Minnesota Twins icon suffered an oblique injury that year and wasn't the same hitter as before.
He was even worse in 2015 with a seemingly clean bill of health.
Mauer registered career highs in games played (158) and plate appearances (666), yet put up career worsts in OBP (.338), strikeouts (112), OPS (.718), and OPS+ (98), the latter marking the only time in 15 years that he was a below-average MLB hitter (avg: 100).
So, what gives?
According to the 32-year-old future Hall-of-Famer, it was less about the miles on his body and more about the lasting, haunting effects of his 2013 concussion.
"There are times I've gone up to the plate, and I just couldn't pick up the ball," Mauer said. "That's part of the frustration because I'm trying to do everything I can to get back."
2015 Topps Baseball Cards In Review
Sometimes, it's a gamble when Topps deviates from a conservative look to create a more vibrant design.
After multiple years of a straightforward design, Topps pushed the envelope a bit in 2015.
The two-tone color scheme offset by supporting graphic elements achieved a modern look without feeling like it was trying too hard.
Some collectors may not have enjoyed it but overall, the majority of hobbyists had positive reactions.
The rookie card class isn't as strong in this set as in other years, especially given that the biggest name, Kris Bryant, has seen his production decline after his incredibly hot start with the Cubs.
Of course, the many different inserts, parallels, variations, autographs and relic cards are as popular as always.
There were also several different subsets in the checklist, including:
- Leaders
- All-Star Rookies
- Award Winners
- 2014 Season Highlights
- 2014 World Series
- Team Cards
- Future Stars
If you ask most collectors in today's hobby, you likely aren't going to find too many who are huge fans of this set.
It's not that it's a bad set or that the design turns away many people.
Instead, the relatively weak rookie class will surely always be the biggest drawback to this set.
Set builders don't care, obviously, as they will find plenty to enjoy in the 700-card checklist.
But for the casual collector, like it or not, rookie cards can pull some heavy favor when it comes to making or breaking a set.