The 2023 Topps Series 1 Baseball Card set is one of the most anticipated releases each year in the hobby. As the flagship set from Topps, Series 1 kicks off the new season and features the latest photos of players from all 30 MLB teams. This year’s Series 1 release date was February 15, 2023 and included a wide variety of inserts, parallels, and rookie cards for fans to collect.
One of the most popular aspects of Series 1 each year is the rookie cards that are included. The 2023 set featured several top prospects who made their MLB debuts in 2022, including Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals and Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves. Other notable rookies included in Series 1 were Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles, Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners, and Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians. These rookie cards tend to be some of the most sought after and can gain significant value if a player has an early breakout season.
In addition to base rookie cards, Topps also included several special rookie inserts in Series 1. The “Paper Prospects” insert set featured 10 top rookies with a retro design on glossy stock. “Top Prospects” parallels on blue bordered cards also highlighted some of the biggest names. International rookies like Jonatan Clase from the Minnesota Twins and Dominican prospect Ronaldo Hernandez from the Tampa Bay Rays added to the rookie card offerings in the set as well.
Veteran star players also received special treatment in 2023 Topps Series 1. Two of the biggest names in the game, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and Mike Trout also of the Angels, had autographed memorabilia cards in the base set. Other top players like Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Juan Soto who was traded from the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres midseason had popular base and insert cards as well.
Parallels were another big part of the 2023 Series 1 release. In addition to the standard base cards, Topps included parallels on various colored borders such as gold, silver, black, red, blue, and camo designs. Numbered parallels like the gold foil “Superfractors” featuring special designs were limited to only 10 copies each. Rainbow foil variations, 3D cards, and even disco parallel designs added more variety for collectors to chase after across the base set.
Topps also incorporated several fun insert sets for fans to collect in 2023 Series 1. Retro designs paid homage to previous decades of Topps cards. “Stars of the 30s” and “Stars of the 40s” inserts featured iconic players from the early days of baseball in unique throwback styles. Fantasy baseball enthusiasts enjoyed inserts like “Fantasy Stars” with stats-inspired artwork. Other inserts like “Diamond Greats” honored legends of the game in modern photo styles on higher end parallel cards.
In terms of checklist specifics, the 2023 Topps Series 1 base set included a total of 387 cards after accounting for variations. The paper set had a retail release of 132 cards and jumbo packs contained 102 cards with duplicates. Hobby boxes of Series 1 included an assortment of the base cards, inserts, and parallels across 18 packs with 8 cards each. As with previous years, Series 1 kicked off the Topps flagship set run that will continue with Series 2, Update, High Numbers, and other specialty releases throughout the 2023 season.
The 2023 Topps Series 1 Baseball Card set delivered another exciting first look at the upcoming MLB season for collectors. With its strong rookie selection, fun inserts, and numerous parallel variations, the release gave fans plenty to hunt for at retail stores, hobby shops, and through online resellers. As players like Witt, Strider, Rutschman and others begin their careers, their Series 1 rookie cards are poised to take on greater significance and value over the coming years as well. Whether collecting for enjoyment or investment, Topps Series 1 once again set the stage for an exciting year of baseball card releases.
