The 2022 Topps Baseball Card Series 2 Checklist was released on June 1, 2022 and features current Major League Baseball players from the 2022 season. Unlike Series 1 which was released earlier in the year and focused more on rookie cards and base cards, Series 2 digs deeper into veteran players and includes more insert cards, parallels, autographed cards and more. Let’s take a closer look at some of the highlights of what to expect to find in 2022 Topps Baseball Series 2 hobby boxes and packs.
The base card design remains similar to Series 1 with clean white borders and player photos on a solid color background. Base cards are still the most common insert in the set and make up the majority of the checklist. Some top veteran players featured in the base card inserts include Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts and more. Parallels of the base cards can be found in various colors including Gold, Orange, Purple, Mint, Black and others.
Rookie cards remain an important part of any Topps baseball set and Series 2 sees the debut of many touted prospects who made their MLB debuts earlier in 2022 or were called up during the season. Names to watch for include Bobby Witt Jr., Adley Rutschman, Spencer Strider, C.J. Abrams and more. Their rookie cards are always in high demand from collectors.
In addition to the standard base cards, Topps packs and boxes also include a wide range of popular insert sets paying homage to different MLB legends, players, events and more. Some of the top inserts included in Series 2 are:
Hall of Fame Autographs – Top veterans and legends featured with on-card autographs, including Mike Piazza, Greg Maddux, Jim Thome and more.
All-Time Fan Favorite Autographs – Similar to Hall of Fame but includes current stars too like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Wander Franco.
Sp Autographs – Additional autograph cards of top active players and prospects.
1969 Tribute insert – Celebrating the 50th anniversary of that amazing season.
Legends in the Making – Rookie cards of current young stars like Ronald Acuña Jr.
Veteran Performers – Honoring great seasons from veteran players like Max Scherzer.
Stadium Club (film in baseball cards) – Striking photography-focused subset.
1969 Highlights – Key moments revisited from that iconic season.
History of the Game Moments – Depicting unforgettable historical MLB events.
Turn Back The Clock – Photoshopped cards making players look like they’re from a different era.
Black & White Parallels – Select veteran cards in a retro black and white design.
There are also traditional insert sets like Topps Chrome, Finest and Archives which feature inserts with foil, embroidery and retro designs. Autographs and memorabilia cards can feature swatches, patches or signed items for the biggest MLB stars. Popular short prints and die-cuts are included as well which collectors eagerly hunt for.
Finally, Topps packs also contain coveted parallel and refractors of the base cards and inserts. These include Gold Foil, Green Shimmer, Rainbow Foil, Blue Parallel, Red Parallel and more which provide an extra level of rarity and visual appeal beyond the base cards. Collectors enjoy the thrill of the hunt trying to pull these scarce parallel cards.
The 2022 Topps Baseball Card Series 2 provides a fun and expansive checklist for collectors with its abundant rookie cards, veteran stars, compelling inserts, autographs and a wide array of rare parallels to help grow any MLB card collection. With its variety, history honoring designs and appeal to both modern and vintage collectors, Series 2 is a highly anticipated part of the annual Topps baseball cycle and remains an integral part of the hobby. Its release each summer helps ramp up anticipation and excitement heading into the heated final months of the MLB pennant races.
