For the most part, Topps does a great job with insert design, which is exactly why short-printed inserts have become such an important part of collecting in recent years. Inserts like All Kings/Aces, Helix, Bowman Spotlights, Strokes of Gold, Garbage Pail Kids, and yes...Minions SSPs are all among the bigger chases in the hobby right now. Credit where credit is due: we are in the middle of a golden age when it comes to insert design, and it is great.
However, not ALL of the inserts that Topps has been putting out have been winners. In fact, there are a select few which could really use a rework if Fanatics really wants collectors to take the cards themselves seriously.
Here are the current Topps inserts that really need a redesign
Crystallized
So, it does seem strange to include a SSP insert that is generally in high demand on this list at first blush. However, what some may call a "clean" design is just a green-screened action shot of a player with a picture of a geode as the background. That is it. Does anyone ACTUALLY believe that this super-short print looks as good as a base Bowman Sapphire card of the same player? We are guessing not. The concept is sound, and there has to be a way to make these look really cool, but the current design leaves a lot to be desired.
World Series At Night
The World Series At Night inserts almost suffer from the opposite problem in that the design is just too busy. The idea and color scheme are on the right track, but a black-and-white close-up picture with a bunch of lines over it doesn't do the rarity of these inserts justice. They will remain somewhat popular because of their rarity, but a crisper design that perhaps emphasized the World Series more would do a lot of good.
Fanatical
Everyone knows that Fanaticals (which are exclusively in Fanatics-exclusive products) are super short prints, but what else is remotely noteworthy about them? It is a player picture with the word "Fanatical" on it. The end. Now, Topps COULD combine the horizontal layout of Helix inserts, but then use the Fanatics logo in the same way they do with the Bowman logo in Packfactors, and we would be in business.
Stars of MLB
This is a very common retail-only insert, but these do not feel good to pull at all. They often have that cheap foil look that is prevalent in unlicensed products, and they have next to no value unless you hit a parallel. Not every insert should be worth big money, but at least reward people with a cleaner design that doesn't look like someone with "Graphic Design is my passion" in their bio designed it.
8-Bit Ballers
Interesting concept, but more can be done with the 8-bit 2D art here to make these pop more. A relatively common insert, but one that could be a lot more entertaining if more thought was put into them and if Topps decided to really lean into the 8-bit theme.
The "Club" Inserts
So these are weird. 2026 Topps Flagship Football has a pair of inserts in "1000 Yard Club" and "4000 Yard Club" that are easy to understand and that are also incredibly boring. The 1000 Yard Club isn't exclusive enough to warrant an insert line, and the 4000 Yard Club is a QB-only insert line that has six names on the checklist, and none of them is Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. Highlighting some big-time career numbers could be fun, or a focus on specific positions in a more holistic way could be a lot of fun. As things stand, these inserts are just a bland statistical filter.
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