The highly anticipated 2022 Topps Series 2 Baseball trading cards were released in early July continuing Topps tradition of providing collectors with fresh new cards midway through the MLB season. Series 2 delivers over 400 cards including base rookie and All-Star cards showcasing the games brightest young stars as well as veterans. With rip cards now discontinued, the release focuses on trading card packs and boxes available at local card shops and mass retailers.
Like previous Series 2 issues, this version serves as an update to the original 2022 Topps Baseball release from earlier in the year. New rookie sensations that made their MLB debuts after the first series are featured such as Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe, the #3 overall pick in 2021. Jobe’s card marks his official rookie card debut. Fellow rookie standouts like Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman who both made their first MLB appearances in 2022 are prominently featured.
Veteran superstars occupying headlines this season like Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado are spotlighted through special Image Variation parallel cards showing alternative poses. Arenado’s early season hot streak earned him an All-Star card while Ohtani continues to dazzle voters with his two-way dominance as both a pitcher and hitter. Rookies Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves and fellow flamethrower Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds are also granted special Image Variation parallels acknowledging their early breakout rookie campaigns.
Gold Foil bordered cards remain in limited numbers highlighting select players. San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. received one in this series after missing much of the previous year injured. The #2 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, Tampa Bay Rays pitching phenomenon Jabari Blash was awarded a prestigious Gold card as one of the game’s brightest young talents yet to make his MLB debut. Superstar Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels continues to be one of the faces of the brand, receiving a flashy Gold parallel as a perennial MVP candidate.
In a shift from past Topps Series 2 issues, no Fan Favorite or Stadium Club insert sets were included. Specialty parallels injected excitement in their place. The popular 1986-style Retro parallels returned with over 50 cards featuring a radical 1980’s throwback design paired with today’s players. Additional parallel designs like Independence Day, Negro Leagues Tribute, and Turn Ahead the Clock futuristic uniforms injected creativity. A rare Black Gold parallel limited to only 15 cards nationwide added a tremendous chase for collectors.
The star-studded rookie class of 2021 was spotlighted through an auto and memorabilia insert set titled Topps Prime Nine. Featuring crafted jersey swatches and on-card autographs of players like Jarred Kelenic, Bryson Stott, and Bobby Witt Jr., the insert set payed homage to baseball’s brightest young stars in their rookie seasons. For fans of legends past and present, a separate Legends parallel set paired iconic veterans and active HOFers with today’s elite in 50 unique image pairings like Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina with current Cardinals stars.
International players remained a strong focus as always with Topps. Top prospect Robert Puason of Nicaragua had his official MLB rookie card appearance while Olympic gold medalist and Japanese league MVP Yoshio Itoi received a special Independence Day parallel highlighting his international stardom. Cuban prospects making their MLB debuts this season like Diamondbacks infielder Alek Thomas and Marlins outfielder Jerar Encarnacion had their first Topps cards. The league’s growing international community was well represented through these inclusions.
As with most modern Topps releases, retail boxes and blaster packs contained a mixture of base cards and various inserts. Hobby boxes aimed at more serious collectors provided the best odds at rare parallels and autograph or memorabilia cards through 24 packs containing 6 cards each. Additional hobby-exclusive inserts like Topps Chrome and Finest parallels injected high-end retro styling and refractors. For the set’s true super collector chases, 1-of-1 Black Gold printing plates spotlighted the utmost rarest parallel available of any single given player.
The 2022 Topps Series 2 Baseball set provided a robust midseason baseball card release worth the hype for collectors. Fresh base rookie cards of MLB debutants and inserts honoring both legends of yesterday and stars of tomorrow made for an enticing summer card collection to enjoy. With highly coveted parallels, sought-after memorabilia cards of top prospects and veterans alike, and iconic retro designs, the release captured the excitement of the current MLB season while preserving the heritage of America’s pastime. Whether casually collecting or seriously investing, Topps Series 2 once again delivered for all levels of baseball card aficionados.
