2018 BBM 1st Version set

2018 BBM 1st Version Set Summary

Size: 372 cards numbered 1-336, CU01-CU36
Cards Per Team:  28 (team card, manager + 26 players)
Team Card Theme:  Spring Training
Number Of Leader Cards:  N/A
Checklists:  None
Subsets:  Cross Universe (36)
Inserts:  Japonism (12), Gemstone (12), 3D Cross Universe (12)
Memorabilia Cards: Jersey cards for Dennis Sarfate and Yoshihiro Maru (as well as a combination card with both of them).  Each individual jersey card is serially numbered to 200 plus a parallel patch version numbered to 25.  The combination card is numbered to 10 with a patch parallel version numbered to 5.  There are a large number of autograph cards available as well - including ones with multiple autographs
Parallels:  12 regular player cards have a "secret" alternate photo version.  108 regular players cards (9 per team) have facsimile autograph parallels - silver, gold (#'d to 100), holograph (#'d to 50), red (#'d to 25) and green (#'d to 10) - this includes the "secret" versions of the cards as well.  81 of the rookie cards have three numbered parallel versions - "Foilboard" (numbered to 200), "Holo Foilboard" (numbered to 100) and "Lame" (numbered to 50).  There's also a blue foil signature for all 12 first round draft picks that I think are numbered to 21.  The "Cross Universe" cards have three parallel versions - "Gold Foil" (numbered to 100), "Holo Foil" (numbered to 50) and  "1 of 1"..  The Gemstone insert cards also have two parallels - "Holofoil" (numbered to 100) and "Special Holofoil" (numbered to 50).  The Japonism inserts also have two - "Purple" (numbered to 100) and "Pink" (numbered to 50).
Notable Rookies: Kotaro Kiyomiya,  Shosei Nakamura

This is the fourth year in a row that BBM's signature flagship set has followed the same pattern - 324 player (and manager) cards (27 per team), 12 team cards and a 36 card "Cross Something" set that will be continued in the 2nd Version set.  I could make my usual complaints - unimaginative poses for the majority of players and including every non-ikusei rookie causing a deserving player (like Seiya Inoue of Lotte) to not be included in the set - but I'd rather talk about the positives for the set.  Like that fact that it's really gorgeous.  Seriously, BBM put together a nice design and added enough interesting photos (and didn't save all the good ones for the "secret" versions) that the set really shines.

Here's some sample cards.  I think the Daichi Ohsera card has one of the most beautiful photos that BBM's ever used on a card.

#165

#091

#210

#255

#042

#060

#241

I will call them out on one thing though - Norichika Aoki resigned with the Swallows back on February 5th.  BBM's issued their 2018 Swallows team set in late March, at least a week before this set hit the stores.  So why does that set have a card of him playing in a game while his card in this set is from his press conference that announced his return?

#314

The card backs are pretty much the standard BBM 1st Version card backs:

#289 (Yohei Ohshima)

The team checklists show scenes from early training camp.  This is starting to get old as they've done it for three years in a row now but it's still better than doing mascots again (although I expect to see those again with the 2nd Version come August).

#330

I'd don't have much to say about the Cross Universe cards - if you've seen any of the other "Cross" subsets that BBM's done since 2010 than you've pretty much seen these.  I assume there will be 36 more of these in the 2nd Version set.

#CU13

#CU13 (Back)

Ryan did a post on this set yesterday that I heavily relied on to get the details of the parallels and memorabilia cards.  You can see all the cards over at Jambalaya.