The 2022 Donruss Optic baseball card set was released in July andcontains a variety of highly coveted rookie cards and parallels that havealready shown themselves to be amongst the most valuable modern cards onthe hobby market. While still relatively new, several 2022 Optic cardshave already eclipsed the $1000 mark and continue climbing as interest inthe release remains high. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the topvalue cards from this exciting new set.

Perhaps the most sought after rookie in the entire 2022 Optic release isthe Julio Rodríguez Automated Autograph (AAUTO) parallel. As theemerging superstar for the Seattle Mariners who has taken baseball bystorm in his first full season, Rodríguez’s rookie cards have exploded invalue across multiple brands and parallels. His AAUTO /25 parallel fromOptic leads the way, with PSA 10 Gem Mint examples already achievingprices upwards of $5,000. In PSA 9 Near Mint-Mint condition, RodríguezAAUTO’s have still sold for over $3,000, underlining how coveted thisparallel has become for Mariners and baseball card investors alike. WithRodríguez’s dominance both at the plate and in the field looking set tocontinue for years to come, there is little sign of his cards decliningearly in what looks to be a Hall of Fame caliber career still in itsinfancy.

Another enormous riser in the set has been the Bobby Witt Jr. AAUTOparallel. The star rookie second baseman for the Kansas City Royals haslived up to immense expectations in his first MLB campaign, batting over.260 with 20 home runs at the time of writing. His AAUTO /25 from Optichas followed a similar trajectory to Julio’s, with a PSA 10 examplechanging hands for $4,500 back in August. Even PSA 9 copies have reachedworth north of $3,000 due to the immense potential and production fromWitt in what scouts had long predicted would be a star-making rookieseason for the touted prospect. With massive power and elite defensiveprowess, Witt Jr. looks every bit the perennial All-Star and it’s cardsare responding in kind through lofty valuations.

While the AAUTO parallels rightly top the value food chain for Opticrookies, the prized Pink Wave parallel has also begun to create buzz forcertain rookie superstars. Pulling pink at just /50 copies, Pink Wavesoften command enormous mid-tier valuations thanks to their rarity andpopularity among rainbow collectors. A prime example is Adley Rutschman’sPink Wave, which fetched just under $1,000 in PSA 10 condition back inAugust with his breakout season for the Orioles inspiring newfounddemand. Even cards of breakout two-way weapon Shohei Ohtani haveseen/50 Pink Waves trade hands north of $700 with his continued otherworldlyproduction keeping collectors hungry for more of his cards. As rookiesturn into household names, expect certain Pink Waves to ascend intopremium vintage status over the long term.

For the true whales of Optic, nothing compares to the ultra-rare BlackWave parallel, with examples in a /10 edition. Cards that fits thiscriteria have understandably achieved theset’s highest prices to date,led by the $4,300 sale of a Bobby Witt Jr. Black Wave copy in Augustgraded PSA 10. That particular parallel/number combination is amongstthe rarest in the industry, making it a true blue chip modern investmentfor serious collectors. Even in PSA 9 condition, that same Witt Jr. BlackWave fetched over $3,000, outlining how premium parallel rarity and ahuge breakout rookie season have combined to form one of this year’s mostelite offerings. Whenever a Black Wave of an impact rookie surfaces, youcan expect six figure selling prices down the line if history is anythingto go by, cementing them as true modern heterographs.

While the aforementioned absolute cream of the crop parallels naturallycommand top dollar, regular base Optic rookies of stars continueascending at an impressive clip as well. For example, a PSA 10 JulioRodríguez base rookie sold for a staggering $1,600 back in June amid histear, signaling the card had well and truly arrived in premium territoryalready. Even PSA 9 copies have crossed $1,000, highlighting theastronomical prices his cardboard has achieved in such a short timeframe.Bobby Witt Jr. and Adley Rutschman show similar gains, with their PSA 10regular base rookies achieving over $600 and $450 respectively, numbersthat seemed unfathomable pre-season. As players establish themselves inthe Majors, expect Optic rookie valuations to only increase further assupply dwindles overtime.

Donruss Optic also played host to several impact veterans before a spateof high profile retirements. Cards of living legends like Albert Pujols,Miguel Cabrera and Yadier Molina featured, with premium parallelsascending as nostalgia increased in their farewell seasons. An OpticBlaster Box Parallel of Pujols sold in June for $375, underscoring hisenduring popularity among collectors even two decades into his storiedcareer. Elsewhere, a Molina Pink Wave /50 changed hands for $270 inSeptember as Cardinals’ fans bid farewell, while a Cabrera Gold Wave /10achieved $600, all prices that seemed unfathomable for base cards fromthe trio’s earlier primes. With retirement comes retrospectiveappreciation, elevating already valuable vintage stars to a whole newpremium tier.

As release hype fades and true assessment takes hold, Donruss Optic 2022rookies and parallels seem destined for long term investmentpotential.Fueled by burgeoning young stars, impact veterans and razor thinparallel pulls, the set merged performance, scarcity and nostalgia toreinforce itself as an instant classic. While prices may fluctuate inthe short term, top rookie cards are only gaining steam as campaignsprogress. Coupled with the enduring nostalgia collectors have for1980s/90sDonruss designs, this release appears built to appreciate overtime. Asthe 2022 season fades into memory, certain Optic cards may ultimatelyprove themselves the true nucleus modern collections for years to come.Only time will tell which parallel or rookie emerges as a true 1/1 prizedheterograph, but the foundations are already being laid for this set tocement its place in the hobby hall of fame before its first birthday haspassed.