The 2023 Topps Update baseball card set is one of the most highly anticipated card releases each year among collectors. After months of waiting following the release of the flagship Topps Series 1 and Series 2 sets in spring, collectors get their first chance to add new rookie cards and updated player photos to their collections with the annual Update release in the late summer or early fall.
This year, the official release date for 2023 Topps Update baseball cards is Friday, September 9th. As with previous years, the cards will be available for purchase through traditional retail outlets like Walmart, Target, hobby shops and online retailers starting on that date. For serious collectors, the first chance to get their hands on packs or boxes of the new Update cards may come a few days prior through early release events held by Topps and major card distributors.
What makes the Topps Update set so exciting each year is that it provides collectors the opportunity to add rookie cards and debut appearances for players who made their MLB debuts after Series 1 and Series 2 were produced and distributed earlier in the season. This means the Update set typically includes the first Topps cards for many of the top rookie prospects who were called up to the big leagues throughout the current MLB season.
Some of the biggest rookie card chase cards anticipated to debut in 2023 Topps Update include Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II and Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena. All four players made their MLB debuts in 2022 and went on to have outstanding rookie campaigns, establishing themselves as future stars. Landing their first Topps rookie cards in the Update set will make those highly sought after by collectors.
In addition to rookie debuts, the Topps Update set provides updated player photos and stats from the current season to replace the ones found on base cards from Series 1 and Series 2 that were produced prior to the season beginning. This ensures collectors have the most up-to-date representations of how players currently look and have performed through the 2022 campaign.
Major players who could receive new and improved Update cards based on breakout seasons include Atlanta’s Austin Riley, Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, Seattle’s Eugenio Suarez and Miami’s Sandy Alcantara based on their impressive campaigns so far in 2022. Updated stats, milestones and photo variations make cards of star performers from the current season popular chase items as well.
Beyond rookie debuts and updated player cards, Topps also includes a subset of popular insert sets found in Series 1 and Series 2 as part of the Update release each year. Traditionally these have included Topps Chrome, Photo Variations, Authentic Signatures and Topps Fire among others. The inclusion of these inserts with a whole new crop of players adds to the excitement of trying to pull popular parallels, autographs or one-of-one cards from packs of the Update set.
As the final flagship release of the year, Topps Update also provides collectors a last chance at completing their 2022 Topps baseball sets before turning attention to 2023 products. With the regular season wrapping up in October, the Update release serves as a nice bookend to the annual card collecting cycle as the offseason begins.
While the official release date is September 9th, serious collectors will be on high alert in the weeks leading up to it for any early release events or potential leaks of cards online. As one of the most anticipated card releases each year, the 2023 Topps Update release is sure to spark a frenzy of excitement and hunting for the hottest new rookie cards and player updates throughout the collector community. Whether collecting for investment, enjoyment or to document another great MLB season, the annual tradition of the Topps Update provides a fun exclamation point for many baseball card fans as summer winds down and the postseason begins.
