The 2020 Topps Baseball card set saw massive increases in prices and demand compared to previous years. Fueled by the pandemic and people rediscovering their love of collecting, the 2020 Topps cards exploded in popularity and many cards skyrocketed in secondary market value.
Let’s take a deeper look at some of the top rookies, stars, and parallels from the 2020 Topps Baseball set and analyze their current secondary market prices on sites like eBay.
One of the biggest rookie sensations of 2020 was Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres. Tatis had a breakout season that saw him finish third in NL MVP voting. Not surprisingly, his rookie cards from 2020 Topps are some of the most sought after and expensive on the secondary market. Tatis’ base rookie card can be found for $100-150 raw, while a PSA 10 gem mint version will fetch $800-1000. His Topps Chrome rookie parallel is even hotter, with raw copies at $250-300 and a PSA 10 going for an eye-popping $2500-3000. Tatis also has rare parallels like the Topps Chrome Orange Refractor /50 that sell for $1500-2000 raw. Clearly, Tatis’ rookie cards established him as one of the premier young stars in baseball and a hot commodity for collectors.
Another rookie sensation from 2020 was Seattle Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis. Lewis won AL Rookie of the Year and had a breakout season at the plate. His base 2020 Topps rookie card sells for $50-75 raw, while a PSA 10 graded copy can be had for $300-400. Lewis also has desirable rookie parallels like the Topps Chrome Blue Refractor /150 that sells for $250-350 raw. Like Tatis, Lewis established himself as a young star and his rookie cards captured strong collector demand as a result.
Of the veteran stars, one of the most popular 2020 Topps cards was that of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. Betts had a dominant first season with the Dodgers after being acquired from Boston. His base Topps card goes for $15-25, while a PSA 10 sells in the $75-100 range. Betts also has popular parallels like the Topps Chrome Rainbow Foil /25 that commands $250-350 raw. Another hot Dodger was rookie sensation Gavin Lux. Lux’s base rookie sells for $15-25 raw but a PSA 10 goes for $150-200 showing strong long term potential.
Mike Trout remains one of the most desirable stars in the hobby, so not surprisingly his 2020 Topps cards hold value as well. Trout’s base Topps card sells for $10-15 raw but a PSA 10 can be had for $50-75. Trout also has several valuable parallels from 2020 Topps like the Topps Chrome Refractor /150 at $75-100 raw. Trout remains the standard bearer for collectors and any of his cards from the past decade command a premium.
The pandemic also created a surge of interest in rare and short printed parallels for the 2020 Topps set. Cards like the Topps Chrome Yellow Refractor /10 sold for $500-700 raw while a 1/1 Gold Refractor card fetched $2000-3000. The Topps Chrome Red Refractor /5 parallel also saw raw copies sell for $1000-1500. These ultra short printed refractors became highly sought after chase cards for collectors.
The 2020 Topps Baseball release saw unprecedented demand, scarcity, and secondary market pricing fueled by the pandemic and breakout rookie classes. Stars like Tatis Jr. and rookies like Lewis established themselves and their rookie cards as must-owns. Veterans Trout and Betts also retained strong collector interest. With the popularity of the hobby at unprecedented highs, the 2020 Topps set established itself as one of the most valuable modern issues and prices are likely to remain strong long term. The pandemic collecting boom truly drove the 2020 Topps release to new heights in terms of collector passion and secondary market performance.
