The 2022 Topps Chrome baseball card set was released in late August and contains several highly sought after rookie cards and parallels of star players that have already gained significant value. As a premium product with a chrome photo variation on the standard Topps base cards, Topps Chrome annually features some of the most valuable modern cards on the hobby market.
One of the biggest movers out of the 2022 Topps Chrome set has been the prized rookie card of Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez. Considered the top prospect in baseball entering this season, Rodriguez did not disappoint in his debut campaign, slashing .284/.345/.509 with 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases. This helped him earn an AL Rookie of the Year award and cemented his status as a true five-tool star. Rodriguez’s base rookie card from Topps Chrome quickly rose above the $100 mark and some of the more scarce parallels like the black border /50 purple refractor /10 and gold refractor /5 parallels have reached the thousands of dollars already. Long term, Rodriguez has superstar potential that should drive his rookie cards to be among the most valuable from this entire release.
Another rookie on the rise is Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II, who had an excellent debut season helping lead the Braves back to the postseason. Harris hit .297 with 19 home runs and 20 stolen bases in only 127 games played. His Topps Chrome base rookie is currently in the $50-75 range but some of the parallel versions like the gold /5 and black border /50 are well above $200-300 already. With Harris likely to be a big part of the Braves future plans, his cards could climb even higher if he continues developing into an all-around star player.
Rookies Spencer Strider and Michael Kopech also have valuable rookie cards in the 2022 Topps Chrome set. Strider emerged as a breakout rookie starter for the World Series champion Braves, posting a 2.67 ERA with 202 strikeouts in 131.2 innings pitched. His base rookie is around $30-40 while some parallels are above $100. Kopech transitioned to the White Sox rotation full-time and was excellent, going 5-9 with a 3.58 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 128 innings. His base rookie trades in the $15-20 range currently. Both pitchers have ace potential that could drive their rookie values up significantly over the coming years.
Veteran star cards are also highly sought after in Topps Chrome each year. One of the biggest risers has been New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who shattered the American League single season home run record with 62 in 2022. His base card has climbed above $50 already and parallels like the black border /50, gold refractor /5 and 1/1 printing plates are valued in the thousands. Fellow AL MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani also has cards on the rise after another outstanding two-way season for the Angels. His base is around $30 while parallels can reach $200-300.
Rookies Oneil Cruz, Bobby Witt Jr. and Adley Rutschman also have rookie cards finding new value after strong debut seasons. Cruz showed off immense power for the Pirates and his base is around $15 with parallels up to $75-100. Witt became the everyday third baseman for the Royals and his base is $10-15 with parallels above $50. Rutschman was named AL Rookie of the Year after an excellent offensive campaign for the Orioles and his base is $10-12 with parallels reaching $50-75. All three players have the talent to potentially become franchise cornerstones, keeping long term interest high in their rookie cards.
Parallels and serial numbered cards provide some of the biggest opportunities for value growth in Topps Chrome. The black border /50 parallels of stars like Judge, Ohtani and rookie standouts Rodriguez, Harris, Strider and Cruz have already climbed well above the $100-200 range in many cases. Extremely low numbered refractors and printing plates have seen the most dramatic early jumps, with examples like a Julio Rodriguez gold refractor /5 selling for over $2,000 and his 1/1 printing plate reaching north of $10,000 based on recent eBay sales. As the seasons progress and these young stars develop, those ultra rare serial numbered cards could appreciate exponentially from their early prices.
In addition, Topps Chrome also features some of the most visually striking and collectible parallel designs in the entire hobby each year. Refractors, negatives, blacks and colorized parallels attract collectors looking to build high end rainbow sets of their favorite players. Sets like a full color refractor rainbow of a star rookie could potentially become six figure collections down the line. The vintage styled “Chrome Update” parallel inserts have also developed a strong following in recent years.
While it remains early in the product cycle, the 2022 Topps Chrome baseball set is shaping up to house some true blue chip modern investments. Rookie sensations like Rodriguez and Harris along with veterans like Judge and Ohtani leading the way, sustained success on the field should drive strong long term appreciation for the prized chrome photo variations of these stars. Savvy collectors taking advantage of the early prices on the hottest rookies and parallels now could reap sizeable rewards holding for 5-10 years as these young careers develop. 2022 Topps Chrome is poised to become one of the set’s most collectible and valuable issues when looking back years from now.
