2023 looks to be another exciting year for Topps Baseball insert cards. Insert cards have become hugely popular amongst collectors in recent years as they offer compelling parallel and short printed variations of star players outside of the base checklist. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top insert sets collectors can expect to find in 2023 Topps Series 1, Series 2, and Update baseball packs.
Galaxy – One of Topps’ flagship vintage-styled inserts returns for a new year. The Galaxy parallels feature silver signatures on a black retro graphical background. Past years have featured short prints and serial numbered parallels like /10 to drive collector demand. Spectra and Spectrum are also popular Topps Galaxy parallels showcasing holographic foil with serialized numbering. 1985 and 1967 design tribute variations are common as well. Expect big names like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Ronald Acuña Jr. to headline the checklist.
Rainblows – Topps’ highly sought after refractors make a splash again in the Rainbow Foil parallels in 2023. The Rainbow parallels are broken down into colors from Red to Green, with the rare Gold short prints pulling a hefty premium. Getting a full 6-color Rainbow set is a challenge. Players may include Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Mookie Betts in this one. Autograph and memorabilia Rainblow variants are also anticipated for die-hard collectors.
Star Wars – The collaboration between Topps and Star Wars will surely captivate collectors young and old in 2023. Base, parallel, and character insert cards have been massively popular depicting Topps players in Star Wars scenes and costumes. Expect new planetary backdrops and characters to feature this year along with low serial numbered parallels. Cameos from Luke, Han, Leia, and Darth Vader are standard while shorter printed images from Obi-Wan, Chewbacca and more may surface. Players like Bryce Harper, Pete Alonso, and Gerrit Cole usually lead the set.
Galaxy of Stars – Depicting MLB stars in intergalactic scenes within the same vintage graphical motif as Galaxy is the popular Galaxy of Stars set. Short prints and parallel variations on card fronts of legendary players from years past and current superstars alike make for a fun insert chase. Topps does a great job mixing eras with Cards like Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente, Mike Trout and more commonly featured. Look for tougher autographed and memorabilia parallels as well this year.
Artifacts – Topps has turned up the memorabilia insert game exponentially in recent years. The Artifacts subset highlights authentic pieces of equipment, uniforms and more from today’s top talent. Serial numbered parallels range from /99 all the way down to ulta short prints and 1/1 exclusives. Everything from jersey swatches and bat pieces to signature patches and dugout material can be found. Cards of Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Shohei Ohtani regularly see monster values in the collecting community.
Tatis Jr. Masters – Ever since emerging as a generational superstar, Fernando Tatis Jr. has been a sought after featured player for Topps inserts. The popular Masters parallel cards highlight Tatis with other legends of the game likenesses and autographs embedded directly onto the card front. Past years have seen Tatis paired up with stars like Mays, Mantle, Griffey Jr., and more. These are tough pulls that Tatis super fans scour the hobby for.
Fernando Mania is sure to continue strong for 2023 Topps after Tatis returns to play following injury. Topps generally sneakily inserts a few other current young stars like Acuña, Guerrero Jr., Alcantara and more into the Masters checklist as secondary featured players as well. Numbered parallels and tougher hits make this an exciting long term collector’s chase each new release.
Topps Now – Topps keeps on top of the latest MLB news and milestones throughout the season with its popular Topps Now program. Digital and physical card issues allow Topps to rapidly commemorate big performances, records, debuts, and more from the past month of action. While not always found in packs, these on-demand releases remain a vital part of completing Topps’ yearly offering. Popular Topps Now subjects in the past have included Albert Pujols’ 700th home run, Shohei Ohtani’s dominance, and rookie of the year standouts. As the ever changing MLB landscape brings new stories, Topps Now will be there to capture the moments.
While there are always new insert sets on the horizon, collectors can bet fan favorites like Gallery of Stars, Topps Living Set, League Leaders, and 3D will make returns featuring new player checklists and parallel variations to hunt. Serial number patches, rare ink, coveted autographs, and one of ones across all the inserts are what really get serious Topps collectors chasing in 2023. With baseball’s rising young talent joining already established megastars, Topps Baseball cards remain must-haves for keeping up with the game both on and off the diamond. The hobby’s appetite for flashy parallels and hit chase collectibles shows no signs of slowing.
