Panini Prizm is one of the hobby’s most popular and valuable modern trading card sets. Releasing its first baseball edition in 2019, Panini Prizm has since become a highly anticipated yearly release. The 2022 edition was no exception, featuring the sport’s top young stars and notable rookies. As the shining rookies and stars of the current MLB season have started to emerge and memories of the 2022 season take hold, the value of cards from this set have begun to see fluctuations. Let’s take a deeper look at what specific 2022 Panini Prizm Baseball cards are holding strong values and which ones may have room for growth.
One of the biggest storylines in baseball during the 2022 season was Seattle Mariners rookie and likely AL Rookie of the Year sensation Julio Rodriguez. His hype and incredible debut campaign have translated heavily in the collectibles market. Rodriguez’s prizm rookie cards have consistently traded in the $100-300 range for PSA 10 examples on the secondary market. As he cemented himself as a true superstar and franchise cornerstone, interest and values have only gone up. His prizm Auto and prizm rookie non-auto remain two of the most in-demand cards from the entire set. Expect his cards to continue appreciating as Rodriguez’s career takes off.
Another standout rookie class included Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, and Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II. All three had sensational debut seasons that lined up with playoff pushes from their respective teams. While not quite at Julio Rodriguez levels of hobby buzz just yet, their prizm rookie cards have held solid values. PSA 10 examples of Pena’s prizm rookie auto and Rutschman’s prizm wave rookie auto regularly sell in the $75-150 range. Harris’ prizm rookie auto seems to be a smidge below in the $50-100 range but with continued success should rise. This troika looks primed to potentially break out even further as future stars.
Two veterans who had monster 2022 campaigns and lead their teams to deep postseason runs were Phillies slugger Bryce Harper and Astros ace Justin Verlander. Harper put together an NL MVP caliber season to power Philadelphia to their first World Series since 2009. His prizm silver prizm and prizm purple ice refractors have trended above other parallels in the $50-100 range due to strong demand from Phillies collectors celebrating this season. Verlander returned from injury to throw like a Cy Young winner and lead Houston back to the World Series. Both his prizm silver prizm and prizm blue ice parallels have held steady $75-150 values reflective of his elite revival season and championship hardware prospects.
While rookies and recent breakouts dominate top of mind, seasoned superstars still carry plenty of Panini Prizm weight as well. Cards of reigning back-to-back NL MVPs Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani regularly move in the $100-300 range depending on parallel for PSA 10s. The same goes for two-way phenom and AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge, whose prizm silver prizms and prizm purple ice refractors have held strong appeal from Yankees collectors. Ultra premium inserts like their prizm Sapphire, prizm Black, and prizm White refractors have also cracked four-figure prices already. Established stars with recent hardware and championship pedigrees will likely remain blue-chip investments.
Two intriguing long term holds from the 2022 Panini Prizm set are Seattle rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez’s prizm Silver Prizm parallel and Baltimore farmhand Gunnar Henderson’s prizm Silver Prizm. While Rodriguez has blown up as expected, the silver prizm parallel remains tougher to track down at high grades due to lower printing numbers than the base rookie. It presents itself as a rare, investment grade card that could soar exponentially higher as his career takes off. Henderson made a massive splash after a midseason callup and looks like a future perennial all-star. His silvers carry more affordable prices now but with his pedigree and talent, also profile as a big riser long term.
While rookies and their prizms tend to suck up the hype fresh off the print runs, it’s worth keeping an eye on value fluctuations for veterans as well. Hitters like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Mookie Betts could see spikes dependent on free agency movements or championship validations. Pitchers like deGrom, Scherzer, and Verlander similarly impact based on playoff performances or awards. Even veterans on contending teams with dedicated collector bases like Harper could remain steady or appreciate further. The 2022 MLB playoffs and offseason are sure to shuffle some of these veteran values before all is said and done.
As a whole, the 2022 Panini Prizm Baseball set profiled a number of players who had breakout performances that should translate long term in the collectibles market. Rookies Rodriguez, Pena, Rutschman and Harris seem poised to be the biggest risers, but value shouldn’t be slept on for stars like Harper, Judge and Verlander either in the short term. Rare parallels and investment pieces like Rodriguez Silver Prizm provide ample long term upside too. While hobby trends and results can fluctuate wildly year to year, 2022 Panini Prizm looks positioned to age quite well and remain a flagship modern baseball set for years to come. Savvy collectors would do well to hold prospects from this historic rookie class and champions of this past MLB season.
