The 2022 Topps Baseball Card set marks the 65th year of Topps producing baseball cards. As one of the biggest sports card brands in the world, Topps unveiled its highly anticipated 2022 baseball card release on January 21st, 2022. This latest set contains a massive checklist of over 700 different standard and insert cards across 22 total series or “updates” that are released periodically throughout the baseball season. In addition to the base set, Topps also released an Inception, Photo Shoot, and Archives parallel set as part of the 2022 release.
Some of the major highlights of the 2022 Topps Baseball Card set include:
700+ total cards across 22 series or updates released between January and August 2022. Each series contains between 30-50 cards.
Rookie cards for top MLB prospects like Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Spencer Torkelson, and more. These rookies are among the most sought after new cards.
Veterans, stars, and Hall of Famers from both the American League and National League. Big names include Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr., Mike Trout, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Clayton Kershaw and more.
Authentic on-card autographs, memorabilia cards, and 1/1 rare parallels from stars both past and present inserted throughout the various series and sets.
Retired player “Goodbye” cards acknowledging Hall of Famers or other legends who recently left the game. 2022 featured a Derek Jeter card.
Team set builders allowing collectors to compile a full roster of cards for their favorite MLB franchises.
Variations, short prints, photo variations, and other parallel cards inserted at different rarities to add collecting challenge.
Insert sets paying tribute to milestones, award winners, franchise anniversaries, and historical players/moments.
Special parallels available in the Inception, Photo Shoot, and Archives sets with serial numbered variations of base cards.
As the official MLB licensee, Topps produces cards for all 30 major league ballclubs along with current minor league affiliates. Various levels of rarity make each year’s Topps baseball release one of the most sought after and valuable modern card sets produced. Here’s a deeper look at some elements that make the 2022 Topps release so exciting:
Rookies
One of the biggest draws each year are the rookie cards for MLB’s up and coming young stars. Topps features first-year cards for rookies who made their MLB debut in 2022 or late 2021. Big names like Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (#1 prospect), Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (#2), and Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (#3) led the way. Other notable rookies included Reds pitcher Hunter Greene and Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter. The market pays top dollar for these first-year cards of future stars as collectors compete to obtain them early.
Veteran Stars
Along with rookies, collectors pursue cards showing the game’s current superstars and franchise players. Shohei Ohtani’s dual-threat ability to pitch and hit made him one of the most in-demand veterans in the set. Fellow AL MVPs Mike Trout and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge along with young stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto commanded strong collector interest as well. Icons still active like Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, and Yadier Molina featured strongly too. National League stars like Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Juan Soto filled out the positional checklist.
Insert Sets
In addition to the base rookie and star cards, Topps inserts multiple parallel and insert sets throughout their series to add collecting diversity. Popular 2022 inserts included “MLB Authentic” memorabilia cards, “Artifact” relic cards, and “Legendary” autograph cards. Set checklists highlighted milestones, All-Stars, award winners, and historical players/moments as well. Topps also issued special “Gold Label” parallels signed by players. These premium cards fetch high prices due to their scarcity and desirability.
Rarities and Parallels
Extracting additional value, Topps incorporates myriad parallel and short printed variations into their releases. Ranging from distinct foil patterns to serially numbered versions, these parallel cards insert at different rarity tiers. The most coveted include rare 1/1 prints, low-numbered refractors, and experimental “Inception” parallel designs. Topps also added super short prints and photo variations to increase the chase. Finding these rare parallel pulls adds collecting excitement and boosts resale potential significantly in the secondary market.
Secondary Market Performance
As the popularity of modern sports cards continues growing rapidly, the secondary market values for flagship Topps releases like 2022 respond very favorably. Within just months of its opening series release in January, the entire 2022 Topps checklist trended upwards sharply. Key rookie cards rocketed in demand, with top names like Witt Jr., Rodriguez and Torkelson steadily gaining 10x return on initial retail box costs. Top stars maintained steady premiums over base prices as well. This trajectory indicates the 2022 Topps baseball release maintains strong long term collectability and investment potential as a flagship modern set. Years later, complete base sets still trade hands for thousands due to the official MLB license and quality production standards upheld by Topps each year.
In summarizing the 65-year tradition, Topps continues delivering the sports card industry’s most coveted annual baseball release. With a massive checklist spanning all 30 teams plus insert sets and myriad valuable parallels, the 2022 edition maintains the standard Topps set as a cornerstone for any modern collection. Between the retail and hobby markets, collectors and investors remain highly engaged with each new series to stay on top of the ever-changing secondary pricing trends. Years down the line, a complete 2022 Topps baseball set will undoubtedly retain significance as a prized piece of any collection chronicling the stories and careers of today’s MLB stars.
