The 2023 Topps Big League Baseball card set is one of the most anticipated releases each year. As one of the flagship brands in the industry, Topps always delivers exciting rookies, stars, and parallels to collect. This year’s 792 card base set offers collectors a wide array of current and former players to add to their collections. With several highly sought after short prints, autographed cards, and more, there are plenty of chase cards that have the potential to become extremely valuable in the long run. Here are some of the best and most desirable cards collectors will be trying to track down from the 2023 Topps Big League set.
One of the top rookies and likely most valuable cards from Series 1 is the Bobby Witt Jr. rainbow foil parallel. Witt Jr. had a phenomenal rookie season with the Kansas City Royals, establishing himself as one of the brightest young stars in the game. His base card is already in high demand, but the limited rainbow parallel will be extremely hard to find. With his talent and star power, this card could gain a lot of value over time. Another hugely popular rookie is the Julio Rodriguez showcase parallel from Series 1. Rodriguez burst onto the scene with the Seattle Mariners and had one of the best rookie campaigns in recent memory. His showcase card, with its eye-catching design, is sure to be a centerpiece for collectors.
Two highly sought after short prints from Series 1 are the rainbow foil parallels of superstar Mike Trout and budding two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Both Trout and Ohtani are perennial MVP candidates who continue putting up otherworldly stats year after year. Their base cards are always in high demand but the short printed rainbow versions take it to another level. These are absolute must-haves for any serious collector. Another hugely popular SP is likely to be the Julio Rodriguez showcase short print variation. With Rodriguez being such a breakout star, any scarce parallel of his rookie card will be a huge chase.
Series 2 is delivering some exciting new chase cards as well. Perhaps the biggest rookie card to watch out for is the Druw Jones showcase parallel. As the son of former MLB star Andruw Jones, there is already a ton of hype around Druw as one of the top prospects. His showcase card out of Series 2 will be a highly sought trophy piece. Another exciting new addition is the Jasson Dominguez rainbow foil parallel. Dominguez is considered one of the best international prospects of the last decade and collectors have been waiting for his official rookie card. His limited parallel will be a huge hit. The Adley Rutschman showcase short print also promises to be a popular and valuable card. Rutschman had a breakout season and looks like a future star, making his scarce SP very enticing.
On the veteran side, the Aaron Judge showcase parallel is poised to be one of the most sought after Series 2 cards. After smashing the AL home run record, Judge is the biggest name in baseball right now. His regular base card is already in high demand, but the low print showcase version will be a true prize. The Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani showcase SPs from Series 2 are also sure to generate plenty of buzz. As always, any rare parallel of the game’s two best players will hold significant long term value. The Mookie Betts rainbow foil is another star power card that is positioned to become a highly valuable chase.
When it comes to autographed and memorabilia cards, Topps really saved some of the best for the high-end products. The Aaron Judge Topps Tek auto from Transcendent is already being heralded as the holy grail card of the set. With Judge’s record-breaking season fresh in collectors’ minds, any on-card auto of him from Topps’ premiere brand will demand an enormous premium. The Bobby Witt Jr. Topps’ Best auto from Transcendent is another massive new hit that will excite the hobby. Other autos likely to gain steam include Julio Rodriguez from Topps Chrome, Druw Jones from Finest Signatures, and Shohei Ohtani from Topps Chrome Update.
In terms of memorabilia cards, the Mike Trout game-used jersey relic from Transcendent is poised to take the collecting world by storm. Any meaningful piece of Trout’s uniform is sure to hold value. The Aaron Judge home run ball relic from Finest Moments also has potential to become one of the year’s most iconic cards. Other exciting patches, bats, and autographs to target include Bobby Witt Jr. from Finest, Julio Rodriguez from Topps Chrome, and Shohei Ohtani from Topps Chrome Update.
With so many new stars, short prints, and high-end hits, the 2023 Topps Big League Baseball series are delivering some true centerpiece cards for collections. Rookies like Witt Jr., Rodriguez, and Jones will excite the hobby for years to come. Meanwhile, superstars like Trout, Ohtani, Judge, and Betts continue to produce must-have cards. For collectors, the chase is on to track down the biggest and best cards from the flagship Topps releases. Many of these rookies and parallels have the chance to gain tremendous value if the players live up to their potential long term. It should be another fun year chasing and collecting from the highly anticipated 2023 Topps Big League Baseball set.