The 2023 Topps Series 2 baseball card set is one of the most anticipated releases of the year from the legendary trading card company Topps. Following the initial Series 1 release in March/April, Series 2 hits shelves in late June/early July and gives fans a second chance at collecting the current season’s rookie cards and star players while also adding new photography and parallel inserts.
Some of the top rookies featured in Series 2 include catcher Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles, outfielder Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners, and pitcher Grayson Rodriguez also of the O’s. All three had breakout rookie campaigns in 2022 and are poised for stardom making their base Series 2 rookies highly sought after. Additional top prospects that may debut rookies include Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals and catcher Daniel Susac of the Oakland A’s.
Veteran stars highlighted on the base cards will include reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals, AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander after his dominant season with the Houston Astros, and young talents like Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves and Juan Soto after his midseason trade to the San Diego Padres. International stars like Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays will also be featured.
Parallels and inserts are where Topps Series 2 really adds to the collector experience. Rainbow foil, sepia, and photo variations offer different looks at the base cards. New for 2023, Topps is adding a green parallel that is sure to be a hotly pursued limited parallel set. Autograph and memorabilia cards will include 1/1 rare hits of the game’s biggest names. Topps Chrome, the high-end refractors edition, will also debut new cards in Series 2 blasters and hobby boxes.
Topps Allen & Ginter will make its return with a baseball spin featuring historical figures mixed with current players. The retro design pays homage to the original cigarette card era. Topps Heritage highlights vintage-style cards focusing on a specific franchise each year and offers a true throwback experience for collectors. Topps Transcendent aims for the high-end with rare 1/1 cards that push design and craftsmanship to the limit.
In terms of product, Series 2 is released in the standard wax packs, blasters, and hobby boxes that collectors are used to from Series 1. New this year is the addition of jumbo boxes containing 30 packs instead of the usual 24. These larger format boxes offer the best shot at hitting big autographs or parallels without having to purchase multiple regular hobby boxes. Retail chains like Walmart, Target and hobby shops will all carry Series 2 from the initial release date.
On the secondary market, Series 2 rookies and stars typically carry lower prices than their Series 1 counterparts in the first few months after release since more packs are opened. Key rookie cards of future stars can gain value rapidly as the season progresses if those players have breakout campaigns. Parallels and short-printed inserts from the set also provide opportunities for astute collectors to find chase cards that appreciates over time. With the continued growth of the sport and collector base, Series 2 cards represent an affordable entry point for building long-term holdings or filling out team/player collections.
Whether collecting for enjoyment, investment or a bit of both, the 2023 Topps Series 2 release promises to deliver another fun and compelling set for baseball card fans. With a new crop of rookies entering the scene and veterans like Ohtani, Acuna and Soto entering their primes, this series captures another chapter in the current generation of MLB stars. Between the base cards, inserts and parallel chase, Topps Series 2 as always provides a solid mid-season update to the flagship baseball card year.
