The Chicago Cubs had an interesting 2022 season as the team continued its rebuild after trading away many star players in recent years. While the on-field results were disappointing with a 74-88 record and fourth place finish in the NL Central, there were still some notable performances that made Cubs baseball cards from 2022 a hot commodity for collectors.
One of the biggest Cubs stars who had a strong season and saw his baseball cards sell well was outfielder Ian Happ. In his sixth MLB season all with the Cubs, Happ hit a career-high 25 home runs and had 72 RBI while batting .271. He established himself as one of the top offensive players on the rebuilding Cubs and a potential long-term piece of the next competitive Cubs team. Happ’s rookie cards from 2017 gained value and collectors sought out his 2022 cards, especially autograph and memorabilia cards, as a quality investment in one of the franchise’s young cornerstone players.
Another Cubs player who had a breakout season and became a favorite of collectors was second baseman Nick Madrigal. After being traded to Chicago from the White Sox in July 2021, Madrigal finally stayed healthy for nearly the entire 2022 season after previous injury issues. He hit .290 with 2 home runs, 22 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 109 games while showing elite bat-to-ball skills from the top of the Cubs order. Madrigal’s 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect card gained value as one of the top prospect cards from that year’s draft class. His 2022 Topps Chrome Update autograph card also became a hot new pickup as collectors bet on Madrigal cementing himself as the Cubs’ long-term solution at second base.
While the big league team struggled, the Cubs farm system produced some top prospects who saw huge jumps in their baseball card values. Shortstop Ed Howard was selected 15th overall by Chicago in the 2020 draft and had a breakout 2022 campaign by hitting .281 with 13 home runs, 65 RBI, and 20 stolen bases between High-A and Double-A. Howard’s 2021 Bowman Chrome Prospect card skyrocketed in secondary market value as he established himself as potentially the best position player in the Cubs system. Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong also had a strong first full season after being acquired in the Javy Baez trade in 2021, hitting .304 in High-A. His 2020 Bowman Chrome 1st Edition Refractor card from when he was a Mets prospect gained value with Crow-Armstrong looking like a future Cubs centerfielder.
On the pitching side, Cubs fans were excited about 2022 first round draft pick Cade Horton out of the University of Oklahoma. The right-handed starter dominated in his pro debut by posting a 1.83 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 30 innings between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Myrtle Beach. Horton’s 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospect card became one of the hottest new Cubs cards on the market as a prized piece of the franchise’s future rotation. Fellow pitching prospect DJ Herz had a breakout season by striking out 151 batters with a 2.49 ERA in 135 innings between High-A and Double-A. His 2021 Bowman Chrome Prospect autograph card gained value with Herz establishing himself as one of the closest pitching prospects to the majors.
While the major league Cubs had their struggles in 2022, the future remains bright with a farm system that produced exciting prospects. Baseball cards from Ian Happ, Nick Madrigal, Ed Howard, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cade Horton, and DJ Herz were some of the most sought after Cubs cards on the secondary market as collectors bet on these young players becoming cornerstones of competitive Cubs teams to come in the later 2020s. With so much young talent in the system and more high draft picks on the way, Cubs fans have plenty to look forward to even during rebuilding seasons.
