The 2022 Panini Absolute Baseball set is one of the most anticipated releases of the year for baseball card collectors. As the latest installment in Panini’s highly popular Absolute line, the set features memorabilia cards, autograph cards, and parallels of star players from across Major League Baseball. With its oversized size, intricate designs, and opportunities to pull rare hits, 2022 Panini Absolute has generated huge buzz leading up to its release in late summer 2022.
Panini Absolute sets have become beloved for their luxurious look and feel since the brand started producing them in 2011. The full-bleed photographs that dominate each card give the impression of holding a piece of artwork in your hands. For 2022, Panini has taken things to an even higher level with intricate rainbow color-burst patterns behind each image. The cards also feature extremely thick cardstock with premium vibrant colors and textures. At a massive 3.5 inches by 5 inches in size, each 2022 Absolute card commands attention on the collector’s shelf or in a binder page.
While the base cards alone would be worth adding to any collection, it’s the insert hits that really drive collector demand for Absolute. The 2022 release includes a wealth of relic, autograph, and 1/1 parallel opportunities for today’s biggest MLB stars. Some of the specialty insert sets collectors will be hunting include:
Absolute Memorabilia: Multi-swatch relic cards featuring game-used material from jerseys and bats. Parallel versions include Orange /99, Green /49, and Gold /10.
Absolute Rookies: On-card rookie autographs of up-and-coming young talents like Bobby Witt Jr, Adley Rutschman, and Spencer Torkelson.
Absolute Achievements: Autographed patch cards highlighting key moments in players’ careers, often with small pieces of jersey from when the achievement occurred.
Absolute Royalty: Extremely rare 1/1 patch autographs featuring multiple swatches and signatures of legends and Hall of Famers.
Absolute Monsters: 1/1 carved wooden bats featuring the autograph of some of baseball’s most feared sluggers.
With so many high-end, scarce memorabilia cards up for grabs through packs and boxes of 2022 Absolute, breaking the product is a thrill for collectors both young and experienced. The additional allure of finding especially low-numbered serialed parallels like Gold (/10), Rainbow Foil (/5), and Ultra Rare (/1) versions of the base cards and inserts keeps the excitement running high with each new card reveal.
Of course, one of the biggest selling points for any modern baseball card release is the talent featured on the checklist. In 2022 Panini Absolute, collectors can look for stars from across MLB on the base cards and specialty inserts. Headliners include household names like Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr, Ronald Acuña Jr and Juan Soto. But Absolute also highlights more under-the-radar talents who could break out this season such as Seiya Suzuki, Hunter Greene, and C.J. Abrams. International players see plenty of representation as well through cards of Wander Franco, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Albert Pujols.
Getting boxes and packs of 2022 Panini Absolute Baseball into the hands of both casual fans and serious collectors has been quite a production feat. With ongoing COVID-related delays and supply chain issues still hampering printer timetables, shipping dates got pushed back later into the year than usual. Finally releasing in late August/early September, those who pre-ordered display cases, half cases, hobby boxes, and blasters are eagerly awaiting their deliveries and breaks. Once it arrives, the luxurious cards and endless hits inside are sure to make it one of the most talked about releases for baseball card investors and enthusiasts. With impeccable photography, craftsmanship, and star power throughout, 2022 Absolute looks poised to stand out as one of Panini’s crowning achievements in their decade-plus run with the coveted brand. Collectors worldwide can’t wait to showcase these works of art in their collections for years to come.
