Inspiration can strike in the most unexpected places—even when you’re crammed in a subway car during your daily commute. For Phil Imbriano, a senior designer at Topps, this unexciting backdrop turned into the cradle of creativity that birthed the 2025 Topps Series 1 baseball cards. One mundane day, as the train whizzed through the tunnels of New York City, Imbriano’s gaze was caught by a striking red-and-silver badge nestled in the corner of his train car. The unique combination of sleek lines and elegant curves captured his imagination like a rare Yankees home run snagged in the bleachers. With a quick snap of his phone, he immortalized the image, setting the gears in motion.
By the time he reached the bustling offices of Topps, it wasn’t only his subway card that was working hard. Imbriano, fueled by this fresh burst of inspiration, wasted no time in sketching what would eventually evolve into the 2025 Topps Series 1 baseball cards, whose launch hit the collector’s circuit with much fanfare today.
Imbriano’s approach to design is like a groundskeeper working diligently behind the scenes to ensure the field is at its best – unseen yet invaluable. “I love drawing inspiration from everyday things,” he explains, waving his creative magic wand. “Whether it’s a building, a sign, or just something innocuous that catches my eye, I take pictures and refer back to them later. It’s a fun little treasure hunt in everyday sights.”
The 2025 design is a celebration of aesthetic flair: a pair of bold lines that swoop dynamically up the left side and stretch luxuriously across the top of the card. Some eagle-eyed collectors, with their noses in binders full of past treasures, might even spot a nostalgic nod to the 1982 Topps set – an intuitive leap from the train line to base line in terms of design. However, this nod to the past wasn’t initially on Imbriano’s drafting table. Fond memories of the woodgrain themes celebrated in the 1962 and 1987 editions were his original muses. “The ’82 connection was serendipitous,” he confesses, perhaps with a metaphorical tip of the cap. “But it works, bridging a charming vintage aesthetic with a contemporary twist that feels entirely fresh.”
Throughout a fiercely competitive in-house creative process, Imbriano’s design battled its way to victory. Over twenty initial submissions were whittled down, each undergoing a series of evaluative rounds. This near-Olympian feat of creativity saw his design emerge triumphant, like a home run trot in a tight ninth-inning face-off. Interestingly, elements from discarded designs often find new homes—just like a seasoned player gaining a new contract with a different team—in future series. This year, a small field graphic elegantly marking the player’s position traces its roots back to otherwise unused designs.
From that chance subway encounter to the tactile final card, Imbriano embarked on a design journey involving close to ten different iterations. “So much happens behind the scenes that collectors rarely see,” he reveals. It’s akin to understanding the elaborate choreography underpinning ballet; this visual artistry conceals layers of careful planning and creativity.
Once the digital designs are primed and polished, Topps turns ideas into tangible realities with physical prototypes. Holding printed versions, the team scrutinizes textures and aesthetics, ensuring these cards will charm collectors’ hands. “When we narrow it down to the final five designs, we print them out and enact a mock opening of a pack,” details Clay Luraschi, Topps’ senior vice president of product. This stage involves both a playful and heated debate among team members, who officially rank this as one of their most electrifying annual debates, akin to choosing an MVP from a lineup of potential contenders.
Luraschi reflects on the history and the stakes. “This year marks the 74th edition of Topps baseball cards. From the origins of Sy Berger crafting designs on his kitchen table to today’s sophisticated, tech-driven process, we honor that lineage.” It’s a hefty baton to pass but undeniably thrilling.
Yet, scratching below the surface of the base set reveals an array of exciting additions for 2025:
– Future Stars
– All-Topps Team
– Training Grounds (Spring Training highlights)
– Call to the Hall (Hall of Fame inductees celebrations)
– City Connect Swatch Collection Autographs
– Heavy Lumber Autographs
Returning crowd favorite Signature Tunes offbeat pairing players with their go-to walk-up song artists adds another pinch of musical flair. Meanwhile, First Pitch keeps the spotlight with celebrities from recent ceremonial first pitches.
Dodgers devotees are treated to bonus varieties, including cheeky nods to iconic celebrations like Freddie Freeman’s charismatic “Freddie Dance” – a hip-swaying triumph after every satisfying base touch.
The 35th-anniversary treat is another nostalgic bridge, settling upon 1990’s vivid, bold designs. Yet at the heart of it all remains Imbriano’s entrancing base layout, with its cool nod to retro roots.
“My approach is like designing a film poster,” the designer describes. “Each card is a standalone masterpiece—a mini-poster in a collector’s hand.”
Fans and team alike share this joy, tapping into a collector’s instinct that makes each card an anticipated treasure. “Phil’s design nails it,” Luraschi enthuses. He imagines a future where a card’s year is identifiable at a glance, the hallmark of truly ageless design. For Topps and its throngs of collectors, this latest offering is destined to impress and endure, making waves like it was inspired by much more than just a subway ride.
