Topps is letting collectors determine who will bat leadoff in the 2016 flagship set.
The company has announced it will hold online balloting for the identity of card #1 beginning Wednesday morning at 9 AM Eastern time. Voting will take place at Topps.com/blog.
Collectors and fans will get to choose from more than 30 players in the first round of voting, and at least one player from each team in Major League Baseball will be represented.
First round voting will conclude on October 4, giving fans 10 days to mark their ballot. The results of that initial balloting will trim the list to just five players.
The Final Five Vote will take place from October 5-11, and the winner will be announced on October 12.
“Being featured on Card No. 1 in the Topps Baseball flagship has been an honor Topps has been able to bestow on baseball players for over 60 years,” said Clay Luraschi, Topps’ Vice President of Product Development. “We have featured stars such as Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Bryce Harper and Derek Jeter. It’s a coveted spot and we wanted our collectors to be involved in that decision.”