Sterlin Thompson Topps Now #317: A Call-Up Card and Its Black /10 Variation

Sterlin Thompson’s walk-off against the Cubs gave me a reason to buy my first Topps Now card. The card, #317, marks his pinch-hit single on June 10, 2026, and it connects a big-league moment with the years I’ve spent watching him play in Albuquerque. I ordered five copies, partly to make the shipping fee feel worthwhile. The package also included a black variation numbered to ten, an unexpected bonus that made the order memorable even though the card design itself left me wanting more.

A familiar player reaches the majors

I’ve held Albuquerque Isotopes season tickets since moving to the city a few years ago. The club is the Triple-A affiliate of the Rockies, and my seats are near the left-field foul pole, in a section of elevated swivel chairs with a bar top along each row. For much of the past two years, Thompson has played left field there.

Before games, I call out a greeting to him, and he’s often waved back. He has also tossed me a ball on many occasions. I’ve met him at season-ticket events and at a couple of the team’s Friday Night Autograph sessions, where my daughter came along. Those small interactions are a big part of why this particular card caught my attention: it records a milestone for a player I’ve watched develop in person.

Thompson’s work in Albuquerque gave fans plenty to follow. The source figures cited for this season put him atop all of Triple-A in on-base percentage at .475. I’ve also watched him reach over the wall to bring back home runs and throw out runners who tested his arm. After his call-up, he appeared in 27 games with the Rockies and had a standout game at Wrigley Field, where he hit two home runs and a double. I’m hoping he earns a regular major-league role after spring training, whether with Colorado or another club. The Rockies have several promising young outfielders, so that spot may be a difficult one to secure.

The card and the mailer

The regular card’s design is serviceable, but it doesn’t do much to distinguish this moment. The front uses a generic look that reminds me of a reworked 2020 base card. On the back, a second large photograph takes the place of a write-up or statistics. For a card commemorating a player’s walk-off hit, I would have preferred some detail about the game or the play. This is my first Topps Now purchase, so I can’t say whether the sparse back is typical across the line or whether other releases get a different layout.

I’d also confused Topps Now with the Living Set for a long time, though they’re separate products. I’m still unsure whether the Living Set is being produced. The distinction matters when comparing cards: this purchase is a single event-focused release, and the package and variation are part of the experience I’m describing here.

My order arrived in a sturdy black sleeve with a rear flap. Inside, five cards were held in a rigid plastic case. The case was a narrow one sized for a small stack, rather than the larger containers I’ve seen in videos of people opening much bigger orders. For a five-card purchase, the presentation kept the cards together and protected them during delivery.

What the packing slip revealed

The order included a packing slip that spelled out the contents in large type. That meant there was no suspense about which variation had been sent: the slip identified a black variation numbered to ten. The card was also visible on top of the case, so I didn’t have to work through the stack to find it.

That detail changed how I think about some opening videos. I’ve watched people flip through piles of Topps Now cards, reacting loudly as they search for a variation. In my package, the paperwork gave the answer before the cards were handled. I can’t say how every order is packed, or whether a variation might sometimes sit elsewhere in a larger stack, but my five-card order offered no mystery to solve.

The /10 variation

The black version is the standout in my order. Its reverse appears identical to the regular card, and the numbering is foil stamped on the front rather than printed on the back. I don’t know how many variations were offered for this release, and I can’t infer demand or a total print quantity from the numbered copy I received. The /10 marking identifies this card’s numbering; it doesn’t tell me how many other versions exist.

All five cards are a welcome reminder of Thompson’s time in Albuquerque and the play that prompted his call-up card. The design doesn’t add much context, but the personal connection carries the release for me. I’ll probably wait for future cards to appear on the secondary market instead of ordering directly. Still, baseball has a way of making me impulsive, and a future card tied to a player I’ve followed closely could change that. For now, I’m glad this one preserves a moment I saw coming for a player I’ve enjoyed cheering on.