The 2022 Panini Chronicles baseball card set was released on January 25th, 2022 and contained a variety of insert cards showcasing the past, present, and future stars of Major League Baseball. As the follow up to their successful 2021 release, Panini delivered another well designed set that incorporated retro styling with fun photographic cards to excite collectors both young and old.
In its sixth year as one of Panini’s flagship baseball releases, Chronicles has grown to become highly anticipated yearly release amongst enthusiasts. The base cards once again featured a simple yet classic look with team logos and player names on a simple white bordered design. Ranging in parallels from the standard base to shinier prizm and spectrum variants, collectors had plenty of choices to track down their PC guys at different levels.
Rookies remained a major highlight as fans could chase stars of tomorrow like Bobby Witt Jr, Adley Rutschman, Julio Rodriguez and more in their major league uniforms for the first time ever on cardboard. Panini did well incorporating snapshots that captured the excitement of these players joining the big leagues along with fun action shots showcasing their athletic talents. Rookie cards in Chronicles maintained strong resale value in the secondary market.
The veteran collection was just as strong with legends from across eras represented including Hank Aaron, Mike Piazza and Juan Soto. Panini did well selecting photos that honored their accomplishments both on and off the field. For example, a Hank Aaron card showed him in his later years at an award ceremony paying tribute to his illustrious career.
In continuing their retro style, Panini incorporated various inserts calling back to specific seasons over baseball’s rich history. Their “Diamond Kings” paralleled the classic 1968 Topps design while “Chronicles Classics” mimicked 1972 and 1975 Topps styles among others. Popular insert sets like “Triple Threads” focusing on triple relics of the same player and “American Originals” honoring iconic stars were included as well.
Fan favorite “Flawless” stayed as one of the premier insert sets offering 1/1 printing plates. “Downtown” showed player headshots on a flashy neon colored backdrop perfect for anyone collecting modern parallels. “Cutouts” created unique silhouettes of current players. Overall the insert variety allowed collectors to build sets within the larger set or focus on specific chase cards.
As in years past, robust autograph and memorabilia cards provided premium hits for those buying higher end boxes or packs. “On Card Autographs”, “Dual Autographs” and “Triple Relics” made for some exciting pull possibilities. Rarer 1/1 autograph parallels kept the high-end exciting with potential six figure paydays for special signed rookie cards. Memorabilia cards incorporated unique pieces of jerseys, bats and more to thrill collectors.
Panini Chronicles gave collectors another fun filled year chasing current stars, beloved veterans and future phenoms on a classic designed release. While base cards provided budget options, high-end parallels, autographs and memorabilia inserted ensured exciting chase for those investing more heavily in the modern hobby. Between the retro styling, fun photos and robust selections at various collector levels, Chronicles continues establishing itself as one of the premier baseball releases each winter. With its widespread popularity amongst both casual and serious collectors, 2022 Panini Chronicles proved once again why it remains a major pillar in the yearly card calendar.
