The 2023 Topps Series 1 baseball card release offers collectors a chance to find cards of some of the game’s biggest stars. While most packs will contain lower dollar cards, there are always a handful each year that command big money due to scarcity, star power, or insert cards featuring special parallels. With the never-ending rise of the sports card market, the highest value 2023 Topps cards have the potential to appreciate greatly over time.
One name that is almost guaranteed to have multiple “hit” cards is Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves. Coming off an injury-plagued 2021 season, Acuña reminded the baseball world of his 5-tool talents by slashing .280/.364/.596 with 18 home runs in his comeback campaign. He will likely be one of the faces of the league for years to come, making his rookies and parallels prime long-term investments. Look for his autograph, jersey relic, and short printed parallels to kick off his 2023 cards at the top of value rankings.
Two players on rookie deals who broke out in a big way in 2022 are Cardinals slugger Nolan Gorman and Mariners sensation Julio Rodriguez. Both young stars now have All-Star caliber skills and should be foundation players for their respective franchises going forward. Their usual array of numbered, autographed, and memorabilia cards from Series 1 are sure to find avid collectors willing to pay up. Gorman and Rodriguez rookie card values could easily eclipse $100 raw if they keep developing their obvious 5-tool talents.
Staying on the West Coast, emerging Giants shortstop Marco Luciano is a dynamic talent who has boosted his prospect stock after dominating at High-A and Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2022. His rare parallels like Printing Plates, 1/1s, and Booklet cards will draw a bidding war if pulled. Luciano’s autographed and memorabilia RCs could challenge Gorman and Rodriguez for tops in value out of Series 1.
Power arms have long tantalized collectors, and there are a couple 2023 breakouts primed to have investments spike after Topps drops. Cardinals flamethrower Andre Pallante stunned with a 2.17 ERA as a rookie and looks locked into St. Louis’ rotation. Similarly, Dane Dunning took off after a midseason trade to the Astros – the former White Sox hurler finished with a 2.73 ERA over 16 starts in Houston creamsicle. Both righties have ace potential and their lowest numbered parallels likely will demand four figures even in raw form.
A few veteran superstars have increased their stature in 2022 and collectibles will gain accordingly. Mookie Betts continues to prove his otherworldly skill set playing behind shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. His 1/1 cards and low serial autographs could catch six figures – Betts remains in his prime and is a lock Hall of Famer in the making. Meanwhile, Judge thundered his way into the record books with 62 home runs, dominating the Yankee single season stat. The AL MVP’s Series 1 inserts and swatches have no true ceiling in a frenzied collecting environment surrounding the titanic slugger.
There are always a few surprise rookie finds that could emerge from Series 1 as hot new prospects. Pitcher Emmanuel Rodriguez threw his name in the hat for biggest breakout with a dominant showing in the Arizona Fall League. His stock is on the rise and collection could grow substantially. Similarly, touted Angels prospect Logan O’Hoppe put his talents on full display with a power surge in Double-A – the catcher has star qualities and his cards may catch values similar to fellow up-and-comer Luciano.
While retail boxes offer mostly affordable parallels, the true high-end 2023 Topps cards will take big money. With salaries and card values rising in lockstep, today’s game changers like Acuña, Betts and Judge stand to have inserts and 1/1s rival the historic prices of legends. Young flames Gorman, Rodriguez and Pallante seem destined to join their ranks if topping their breakouts. For savvy investors, tracking prospects on the rise like Luciano, O’Hoppe and Rodriguez offers opportunity to get in early. Ultimately, the 25,000+ different cards Topps produces means there is value for collectors at every budget.
