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Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts Cards and the Best of Alex Pardee's Topps Project 70

On the heels of Project 2020's success, Topps' Project 70 was an ambitious release initially met with great fanfare. Project 70 introduced collectors to the world of card art and a slew of talented artists who remain connected to the sports card hobby. Even after interest waned, several artists left their mark, including one artist who brought his vision of horror to the hobby.

Horacio Ruiz

Topps Project 70 Shohei Ohtani by Alex Pardee #566 (Print Run: 10,398)
Topps Project 70 Shohei Ohtani by Alex Pardee #566 (Print Run: 10,398) / Image Courtesy of eBay

Topps Project 70 introduced the card-collecting world to a slew of talented artists, exposing many collectors to the world of card art for the first time. Artists like Lauren Taylor, Blake Jamieson, Efdot, Andrew Thiele, and one of my favorites, Distortedd, showcased their talents to a new audience.

Other established artists like Chuck Styles, Ermsy, Joshua Vides, and Matt McCormick, among others, put their talents on baseball cards for the first time. One artist in particular took Project 70 by storm, "Brightmares" artist Alex Pardee unleashed his vision of horror on the hobby.

Pardee's style was a mix of absurdist sci-fi horror. From the moment he unveiled an alternate vision of Ronald Acuña Jr., Pardee became a favorite among collectors. Pardee accounted for seven of the ten-highest-selling cards from the nearly 1,000-card set. Below, we'll look at some of his most memorable works of art, many of which have maintained a strong resale value despite high print runs.

1. Ronald Acuña Jr. (Print Run: 14,825)

Project 70 Ronald Acuna Jr.
Pardee's first card in Project 70, Ronald Acuna Jr., had a print run of 14,825. / Image Courtesy of eBay

When Pardee debuted with his Acuña card, it sent a jolt through the hobby. Available to order on Topps.com for only 70 hours, the card generated a print run of 14,825 at $20 per card. Despite the large print run, the card regularly sells for $45 or more on eBay. In many ways, the Acuña card remains the face of Pardee's card art and part of the Project 70 story.

2. Mike Trout (Print Run: 25,182)

Topps Project 70 Mike Trout
Pardee's second release was his most successful. Mike Trout was printed 25,182 times, generating more than $500,000 for Topps from a single card. / Image Courtesy of eBay

After Acuña's card was released, anticipation had really built up. Pardee chose the perfect player to follow up with in Mike Trout, converting the future Hall of Famer into a monster fish. If Acuña is 1a in the Pardee anthology, then Trout is 1b.

3. Fernando Tatis Jr. (Print Run: 22,509)

Topps Project 70 Fernando Tatis Jr.
Image Courtesy of eBay

Tatis was Pardee's ninth release and the second-highest-selling card. It's a testament to Tatis' popularity at the time. The card was released in July 2021 as Tatis was in the midst of a second straight MVP race, which he would eventually finish third. He was suspended the next season for using performance-enhancing drugs.

4. Dave Parker (Print Run: 5,522)

Pardee created a thread on X to explain his creative process in making his Dave Parker card. It is worth reading to get his insight on creating his card based on a real-life image of Parker playing with a hockey mask to protect a fractured jaw and cheekbone.

5. Ken Griffey Jr. (Print Run: 8,371)

Project 70 Ken Griffey Jr.
Image Courtesy of eBay

This is the Candyman version of Ken Griffey Jr. Pardee created a video to explain the alternate universe of "Candyman" Griffey. The Griffey card typically resells for $20-30.

6. Mookie Betts (Print Run: 4,965)

Betts was Pardee's second-to-last release. By this point, Project 70 was winding down. Despite a strong print run of 4,965, it is Pardee's lowest-selling card. As a result, this card goes for $70 or more on eBay.

Topps Project 70 Mookie Betts by Alex Pardee
Image Courtesy of eBay

7. Aaron Judge (Print Run: 7,287)

Aaron Judge by Alex Pardee
Aaron Judge as The Titan. / Image Courtesy of eBay

The video is quite entertaining and adds great folklore to the card.

8. Rickey Henderson (Print Run: 5,867)

From Pardee's X account: "Rickey was my favorite player as a kid and his 1984 Topps card was my favorite card as a kid, but I always wanted to see a card of him running too fast for reality."

Project 70 Rickey Henderson
Image Courtesy of eBay

Topps Project 70's biggest accomplishment was curating a group of talented artists that helped bring a new genre of baseball cards to the masses. Even though the set was overly ambitious, it contains some of the most fun and creative cards ever created. Pardee was a standout among a cast of talented peers.

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Horacio Ruiz
HORACIO RUIZ

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