The 2022 Topps Baseball card release saw many highly sought after rookie cards emerge as some of the most valuable in the current market. With star rookies like Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Adley Rutschman having breakout rookie seasons, their rookie cards have skyrocketed in price. Below we take an in-depth look at some of the 2022 Topps cards that are currently commanding the highest values on the secondary market as collectors eagerly acquire these modern stars.
Perhaps the hottest rookie card in the entire 2022 Topps Baseball set is that of Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez. The 21-year old Rodriguez had a phenomenal rookie campaign that saw him named an All-Star and win the Gold Glove Award in the American League. This breakout season has sent his 2022 Topps Baseball White Border Base Card skyrocketing in value. Fresh PSA 10 examples of this card were selling in the $300-$500 range in early 2023, but some key late season performances have vaulted ungraded copies over $1000 with PSA 10’s bringing in excess of $2000. The Pink Refractor parallel of this card is even more coveted, with PSA 10’s reaching as high as $3500 due to the strict one per case rarity of these pink refractors. The market clearly sees Rodriguez as a future superstar and is acting accordingly by making his Topps rookie staples the premier investments from the 2022 series.
Not too far behind Julio Rodriguez in hype and value is Kansas City Royals star prospect Bobby Witt Jr. After a solid debut season establishing himself as the everyday third baseman, Witt’s cards have taken off. The base White Border rookie from 2022 Topps is approaching the $300-400 range for PSA 10’s and around $150-225 raw. Parallels like the Green Shimmer and Gold Refractors are much scarcer and in higher demand, with PSA 10 examples selling over $1000. The prized 1/1 Superfractor parallel that features Witt Jr. hitting a home run is arguably the single most valuable card from this entire release. Only one exists, and it would likely take a bidding war of epic proportions with serious cryptocurrency money or deep pocket collectors to pry it away from its current owner. Witt Jr. seems poised for stardom, so his flagship Topps rookies should retain and increase value moving forward.
Another rookie who made huge strides in 2022 was Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, the top pick from the 2019 draft. After a call up in late April, Rutschman quickly established himself as the O’s new franchise cornerstone backstop. This success is reflected in strong prices for his 2022 Topps Base card, with PSA 10’s reaching up to $250 and raw copies demanding $75-150 depending on condition. Scarcer colors like the Pink Ice, Green Ice, and Gold parallels multiply this price significantly. The true diamond in the rough though is tracking down the ultra-rare Blue Ice Parallel, limited to just 3 copies produced. Reports list at least one of these achieving a private sale north of $15,000, highlighting how connoisseurs are willing to spend top dollar to acquire the upper echelon Rutschman Topps cards.
Rounding out some other notable prospects and young stars garnering major 2022 Topps card values includes Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby. The dominant rookie hurler’s base has risen north of $100 PSA 10 recently. Texas Rangers shortstop prospect Josh Jung is another well followed name whose ToppsChrome Update Yellow Refractor autograph fetched over $2,500. For Dodgers fans, catching phenom Diego Cartaya’s ToppsChrome Update Green Refractor auto jumped to $1200 PSA 10 steadily. On the veteran front, Aaron Judge’s monster 62 home run 2022 season shot his ToppsUpdate Green Shimmer parallel into the $700-1000 range for a PSA 10. Buzz is building around a 1/1 Superfractor auto parallel from this set that could bring an astronomical figure from a deep pocketed collector.
In summarizing the 2022 Topps Baseball release, it’s clear that performance on the field has translated directly into increased card values for many of the standout rookies and young stars whose dominance was on full display this past season. Prospect hounds are willing to pay a premium to acquire these fledgling talents in their flagship Topps rookie card form before they reach full stardom. Collectors of stars like Judge and Ohtani have driven up their parallel and auto prices substantially. Overall, Topps Baseball remains the vintage of choice for modern investment cards given the brand’s dominance, and the 2022 release shined by providing collectors with investment-worthy rookies that look poised to appreciate even further over the long term.