The 2022 Topps Baseball complete set included cards numbered 1-399 and featured some exciting rookies and veteran stars. As one of the flagship baseball card releases each year from Topps, the 2022 set had many collectors eagerly opening packs and boxes hunting for the top rookie cards and short printed parallels.
One of the most sought after rookie cards in the set was Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe. As the number 3 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Jobe had a lot of hype heading into his first professional season. His base rookie card is the standard issue for all rookies in the set, but collectors were on the hunt for parallel and autographed versions that would hold more value long term. Jobe’s paper rookie parallel, numbered to only 99 copies, quickly became one of the set’s most expensive cards on the secondary market.
Another highly sought after rookie was Seattle Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock. The number 6 overall pick from the 2020 draft, Hancock had an impressive first full season in the Mariners system in 2022. Like Jobe, Hancock’s paper rookie parallel numbered to 99 was extremely scarce. But collectors were also trying to track down the even rarer rainbow foil parallel, which was limited to only 10 copies. Finding either of Hancock’s short printed parallels was a real treasure for any collector completing the set.
On the position player side, catcher Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles continued to generate excitement as one of baseball’s top prospects. After making his major league debut in 2022, Rutschman’s base rookie card became a staple in many collector’s sets. But the true chase cards were the various parallels, including the gold foil /50, rainbow foil /10, and 1/1 printing plate autograph. Finding any of Rutschman’s short printed rookie cards was an incredible feat, and they quickly sold for thousands on the secondary market.
In addition to the exciting rookie class, the 2022 Topps set also featured many of baseball’s top veteran stars. Cards of two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani always seem to be highly sought after by collectors. But one of the true chase cards from the set was Ohtani’s rare black border parallel, limited to an astonishingly low print run of only 5 copies. Reports indicated just one of these ultra rare Ohtani parallels had been pulled so far.
Another huge star with valuable cards was New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. After smashing an American League record 62 home runs in 2022, collectors were eager to find Judge’s base card as well as any parallel versions. The gold foil /50 parallel was one of the set’s most popular veteran star cards. But the true prize was Judge’s 1/1 printing plate autograph, which quickly became the set’s most valuable single card on the resale market.
The 2022 Topps set also featured a popular ‘Stars of the Game’ insert set focusing on some of the league’s biggest names. Short prints like the Josh Donaldson /99 parallel or the Nolan Arenado /10 rainbow were highly sought after. And the true 1/1 printing plate autographs of Mookie Betts or Bryce Harper inserts became holy grail cards for serious collectors.
In addition to rookies and stars, the flagship Topps release always includes popular team and league leader inserts. Cards honoring the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves were hot commodities for collectors. And parallel versions of league leader cards, like the /99 ERA leader paper of Sandy Alcantara, added to the fun of the chase.
The 2022 Topps Baseball complete base set offered something for every type of collector, from casual fans to serious investors. While the standard base cards can be found with relative ease, it’s the short printed parallels and 1/1 hits that drive excitement and add true value. With rookies like Jobe and Hancock plus stars like Ohtani and Judge, the set had all the ingredients for an highly successful modern flagship release. For collectors who put in the work to track down the true chase cards, the 2022 Topps set delivered some incredible treasures and long term keepers.
