The 2022 Panini baseball card season featured several young stars and veterans that captured collectors’ attention. While rookie cards tended to generate the most hype, vintage players from the sport’s golden eras continued appreciating in secondary market value. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most valuable and coveted 2022 Panini baseball cards on the collector market today.
Shohei Ohtani – Level 2 Autograph (PANINI): Arguably the biggest star in baseball today, Shohei Ohtani’s autographed rookie cards from 2017 Topps continue rising each year. Panini secured the rights to produce MLB player cards in 2021 and their Level 2 Autograph parallels became highly sought after by collectors. Featuring a swatch of memorabilia autographed by Ohtani, PSA 10 Gem Mint examples of this rare parallel recently sold for over $4,000. Ohtani’s popularity and two-way dominance make this one of the top Japanese player cards ever printed.
Juan Soto – Refractor Chrome (DONRUSS): At just 23 years old, Juan Soto has already established himself as one of the game’s most feared hitters. His 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect rookie refractor parallel remains a bellwether in the high-end card market, consistently trading hands for $2,000-$3,000 in top condition. Panini struck gold by securing the rights to Soto for their 2022 Donruss set and produced an ultra-short printed Refractor Chrome parallel numberered /25. PSA 10 copies have sold online for upwards of $8,000, showing Soto mania is at an all-time high.
Mike Trout – Printing Plates (DONRUSS): Widely regarded as the best all-around player of his generation, Mike Trout cards hold value as well as any in the hobby. His 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospect Parallel rookie remains the holy grail at seven figures. Panini printed only two Printing Plate parallel cards for their 2022 Donruss set featuring Trout on the front. Numbered 1/1 and auctioned individually, each plate generated over $15,000 for the collector who hit the lottery. At just 31 years old, Trout’s career achievements to date make these the most valuable modern Trout cards around.
Ronald Acuña Jr. – Autographed Patch (DONRUSS): Prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2021, Ronald Acuña Jr. was stamping himself as the best all-around player of the 2020s. His 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autograph rookie card frequently trades hands north of $3,000 PSA 10. Panini honored Acuña’s talent by creating ulta-short printed autograph patch cards for 2022 Donruss. Numbered to just 5 copies, PSA 10 examples of Acuña’s dual-material auto sold for $6,000 each, a testament to his marketability when healthy.
Ken Griffey Jr. – 1989 Upper Deck RC (UPPER DECK): The best-selling sports card of all-time, Ken Griffey Jr’s rookie card from the pioneering 1989 Upper Deck set remains iconic three decades later. Widely regarded as the card that launched the modern sports card boom, PSA 10 “Mint” copies trade for north of $10,000 each when available. What makes a Griffey Jr. card from Panini 2022 so special? Well Panini recreated the legendary Griffey RC design as an “Encore” parallel, using original artwork and production techniques. Numbered to only 10 copies, one recently sold for a staggering $25,000.
Sandy Koufax – 1964 Topps #130 (TOPPS): A true legend of the game, Sandy Koufax’s dominance on the mound in the 1960s makes his vintage rookie and star cards highly valuable in the collector marketplace. Widely considered the best left-handed pitcher ever, Koufax’s 1964 Topps flagship rookie remained a steady riser in recent years. Panini paid tribute by reprinting the classic design as an homage parallel for their 2022 Topps set. Numbered to an extremely limited 3 copies, two recently sold online for ~$15,000 each, appealing to both vintage collectors and modern card investors.
Honus Wagner – 1909-1911 T206 (T206): The most iconic and valuable trading card of all-time, Honus Wagner’s legendary tobacco era card from around 1909-1911 remains the undisputed king in the hobby. Just 60 or so high-grade specimens are known to exist, with the current record sale of a PSA NM-MT 8 sitting around $6.6 million. As an homage to the hobby’s origins, Panini produced an incredibly rare parallel recreating the Wagner design from that pioneering T206 set. Numbered 1/1, this one-of-a-kind insert printed as a promo sold privately for a confirmed $100,000.
While rookie cards will always be a driver of interest in the modern market, Panini showed in 2022 that celebrating the history and legends of the game can generate huge collector excitement too. Recreating iconic vintage designs at ultra-low print runs clearly resonated with high-end investors looking to diversify their portfolios beyond just the newest stars. Savvy collectors realized strong value potential in these rare Panini parallel cards paying homage to unforgettable moments from baseball’s storied past.
