How the Debut Patch Goes From Ballpark to Collectible
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Designing a 1/1 Moment
When the Topps designers were tasked with the original creation of the RDPA card, they knew it was important to make a big splash.
“When designing the patch, we wanted to convey something bold and eye-catching that hinted at the player’s ascent to the big leagues,” said Topps Senior Director, Creative, Jeff Zachowski. “In tandem, we had to think about how these patches would make their way from each rookie player’s sleeve and into the hands of collectors in the form of an autographed trading card. We knew we wanted a clean, modern design that felt fully integrated with the patch. The Rookie Debut Patch is the key innovation here, so the design team’s job was to showcase it.”
With the Debut Patch prominently displayed on the front of each card, Zachowski and the Topps design team faced their largest challenge in figuring out how to showcase the authentication hologram on the reverse side of the patch.
“Our solution was a clear plastic window on each card’s back, so collectors can be confident that each patch was worn in that player’s debut game and has been authenticated under the auspices of the MLB Authentication Program,” Zachowski said.
When a player makes his MLB debut, all eyes from Topps’ product development are watching the patch “in action.” The team checks out Getty Images to see available options to use for the player’s photo on the RDPA card. If the Debut Patch is viewable in a photo, that’s a major plus.
From the Park to the Pack
The MLB Authentication Program is witness-based, meaning that authenticators must keep an eye on the items at all times to guarantee authenticity. There are at least two authenticators at every MLB game. Regarding the All-Star Game and postseason, the number of on-site authenticators increases.
When a player makes his MLB debut, his patch is closely watched. When a player has been called up and will make his MLB debut, on-site authenticators are notified.
Hayden Perdue, one of the Texas Rangers‘ on-site authenticators, described how a Debut Patch game works. “We show up a few hours early, and the Debut Patch is presented, and we watch the patch put on the jersey,” said Perdue. “We have full access to the field and dugout to witness the game. Postgame, our focus in the locker room is watching him remove the jersey. That jersey goes directly to a secure area where we remove the Debut Patch; we authenticate that patch, document its use, subsequently seal it, and mail it.”
Following the MLB’s authentication and delivery process, the product team at Fanatics takes over.
“We are alerted that we have them in hand—these are the ones we got in today or this week,” Topps Director of Product Development, Jeremy Fullerton, said. “We keep a running inventory list and consistently track who’s coming up, who has played, and whether we got the patch back. We’re making sure everything is checking in correctly.”
RDPA’s Second Season
Following the 2023 Topps Chrome Update Series debut of the RDPA cards, the Debut Patches have returned. Between June 1, 2023, and the end of the 2023 season and the start of the 2024 season until May 31, 2024, 251 players made their first MLB appearance. All those players ended up with a Rookie Debut Patch Autograph (RDPA) card being released in 2024 Topps Chrome Update Series.
Of those 256 patches, Topps used 91 for the 1-of-1 cards in its 2023 Chrome Update Series product. That included top prospects such as New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Jordan Walker, and Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida.
The list of this year’s RDPA cards is even more star-studded. Included in the 251 players with their RDPA cards are the Jackson 3 (San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill, Milwaukee Brewers’ Jackson Chourio, and Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday), Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes, Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and many more.
Jeremy Fullerton loves this year’s list of RDPA cards.
“I think having the full calendar year gave us the chance to capture all of those,” Fullerton said. “Not to diminish this year’s class, but the players appearing in the ’25 product could be as good. You have Dylan Crews, James Wood, Luisangel Acuña, and now Roki Sasaki—we should be getting him, too. This is just something that will continue to be exciting and the true 1-of-1 of all things baseball.”
Join Fanatics Live for another way to collect all the 2024 Topps Chrome Update Series goodness and enjoy a $25 credit for your first break.
