The 2014 Topps Baseball card set was the 73rd series produced by Topps and contained several valuable rookie cards and inserts that have grown significantly in value in recent years. released in 2014, the set featured cards of players from all 30 Major League Baseball teams. Like most years, Topps included base cards, parallels, autographs, and short print cards to add complexity and collecting opportunities. While the base cards hold nominal value today, several rookie cards and harder to find inserts have seen remarkable appreciation that has elevated them among the most valuable from the 2014 season.
One of the most coveted rookie cards from the 2014 Topps set is Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig’s card. Puig made an immediate impact after being called up from the minors in 2013, batting .319 with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs in 104 games to finish fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. His raw talent and electrifying play style captured the attention of baseball fans and collectors alike. However, Puig’s rookie card from 2014 Topps is arguably his most iconic due to the flashy photography of him posing with a batting helmet in one hand and bat in the other. In gem mint condition, Puig’s rookie card currently commands upwards of $300, a substantial increase from its initial $4 retail price back in 2014. With the 27-year-old still going strong in the MLB today, his card remains one of the most sought-after from the set.
Another valuable rookie card from the 2014 Topps set belongs to Milwaukee Brewers slugging third baseman Travis Shaw. Shaw broke out in 2015 with a .270 batting average and 30 home runs in his first full season, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. While Shaw didn’t debut until 2014, his first major league card appears in the 2014 Topps set due to production timelines. High-grade examples of his rookie card in a PSA 10 gem mint slab now sell for over $150. At just 28 years old, Shaw remains a middle-of-the-order force for Milwaukee and his affordable rookie card stands out as a solid long-term investment for Brewers PC collectors.
In addition to standout rookie cards, the elusive 1/1 parallel insert cards from 2014 Topps are highly valuable today. These exclusive parallel cards are randomly inserted at an infinitesimally rare rate, with only one of each card printed in the entire production run. Two such examples command massive sums today. The Mike Trout 1/1 card features an action photo of the superstar outfielder and has sold for north of $10,000. Even more astoundingly, the rare Clayton Kershaw 1/1 parallel reached $20,000 in a recent auction sale. Both Trout and Kershaw remain perennial MVP candidates years later, driving collector demand for their extremely limited parallel inserts from 2014 Topps.
The 2014 Topps set also holds immense value for autograph cards signed by today’s biggest stars. Cards with autographs or signatures of young superstars like Kris Bryant, Corey Seager, and Carlos Correa have increased significantly since their release. Even base autographs without photographs fetch sums well above initial retail prices. For example, a Kris Bryant autograph card from 2014 Topps recently sold for $900 despite featuring only his signature on a blank blue bordered card. Clearly, collectors are betting on these young talents to cement legendary careers, making their earliest signed cards prized possessions.
Another lucrative card type from the 2014 Topps set are the short printed veterans. Topps randomly inserted notoriously scarce cards of established MLB veterans like Derek Jeter, Clayton Kershaw, and Mike Trout into hobby boxes. Numbered to only 10 copies or less, these elusive short prints command astronomical values today. A PSA 10 graded Derek Jeter short print (#’/10) topped $3,000 at auction last year. Even base short prints of perennial All-Stars sell for hundreds due to their extreme rarity within the set. Savvy collectors who locate these needle-in-a-haystack cards can make a windfall with the right card and grade.
While the 2014 Topps base set holds little current value, savvy collectors who recognized the future potential of rookie cards, parallel inserts, autographs and short prints have been generously rewarded. Breakout rookies like Travis Shaw and Yasiel Puig lead the vintage crop with affordable cardboard keeping pace with their production on the field. Meanwhile, parallels of Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw have exploded along with their superstardom. And the first signed cards of future Hall of Famers like Bryant, Seager and Correa are ticking towards generational collection status. For astute collectors who understood these cards long-term, the 2014 Topps set remains a lucrative vintage investment nearly a decade later.
