The 2021 Topps Baseball complete base set consists of 132 cards that span all 30 MLB teams. While there are no true super short printed cards in the base set like in years past, there are some notable rookie cards and parallels that hold more value than others. Let’s take a look at some of the best cards collectors should target from the 2021 Topps Baseball complete set.
Perhaps the most sought after card in the 2021 Topps base set is the Wander Franco rookie card. As the top prospect in baseball, Franco dominated in his brief MLB debut late in the 2021 season with the Tampa Bay Rays. His rookie card (#331) can fetch $50-$100 even in the common base variant. Franco also has several valuable parallel versions like the rainbow foil (#331), green foil (#125), and gold foil (#70). These parallels that number less than the base often sell for $200 or more in graded gem mint condition.
Another highly desired rookie card is Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic (#332). After being considered one of the top prospects in the minors, Kelenic struggled in his initial MLB action but is still expected to develop into an All-Star. His base rookie commands $30-50 while parallel versions like the rainbow (#332), green (#126), and gold (#71) are worth $100+ graded.
San Diego Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams (#333) had one of the quickest ascents through the minors and made his MLB debut late in 2021. His star potential makes his base rookie a $20-30 card, with the rainbow (#333), green (#127), and gold (#72) parallels valued much higher for serious Padres PC collectors.
Rookies Spencer Torkelson (#334) of the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (#335) also have nice cards as top prospects that made their MLB debuts late last season. While neither cracked the everyday lineup yet, their longterm upside keeps their cards in the $15-25 range for the base and $50-100 for premium parallels depending on grade.
Red Sox star Rafael Devers has one of the more aesthetically pleasing cards as the subject of the flagship “Hitting Stars” card (#57). These popular inserts featuring the games elite hitters can fetch $15-25 graded. His rainbow parallel (#57) and gem mint gold parallel (#74) are amongst the most valuable and desirable Red Sox cards in the set, valued over $100 each.
Mike Trout collectors never have to search hard to find one of the best cards. His flagship “All-Time Greats” insert card (#1) is one of the icons of the set. While common, the rainbow parallel (#1) takes on added scarcity being limited to only /50 printed. Either version grades a gem can sell for $50-100 longterm. Fellow superstar Mookie Betts (#6) also has an iconic “All-Time Greats” card with value parallels.
Other star players that catch the eyes of collectors include Ronald Acuña Jr. (#25), Juan Soto (#28), Fernando Tatis Jr. (#31), and Shohei Ohtani (#33) on their respective main base cards. Their parallels like golds and greens sell robustly whenever pulled in pristine mint condition.
The “Topps Now” insert set takes a spotlight with cards featuring big moments from the 2021 season. Brandon Crawford’s cycle card (#TN5) or Tyler Matzek’s NLCS-clinching performance (#TN21) are ones that stand out in collectors’ minds from recent playoff runs. These low printed parallels also carry value.
In the value department, autograph and memorabilia cards are highly sought after insert sets. Freddie Freeman’s (#174) and Juan Soto’s (#176) autographed cards have sold for over $150 each graded flawless. Numbered parallel autographs of top prospects like Frankie Tovar (#123) and Evan Carter (#140) hold future potential as well. On the relic front, game used uniforms, bats, balls etc of stars raise the excitement.
While the base set is rather affordable to complete with most cards under $5, it’s the valuable rookie cards, superstar inserts, and low numbered hits that create the excitement in hunting the 2021 Topps Baseball release. Collectors will always look for the cards of today’s budding talents as well as icons of the past within the flagship hobby brand’s release each year. The 2021 Topps complete set offers plenty of quality cardboard for players both established and emerging, making it amongst the premier releases for any baseball collectors.
