The 2016 Topps Baseball card release featured many highly sought after rookie cards and special parallels that have gained significant value in the years since. While rookie cards for players like Corey Seager, Michael Fulmer, and Nomar Mazara generated a lot of hype at the time, some of the biggest risers have come from surprisingly low numbered parallel versions of star players. Let’s take a look at some of the most expensive and valuable 2016 Topps Baseball cards on the secondary market today.
One of the top cards from the set is the Mike Trout prizm refractor parallel. Trout has established himself as one of the best players of this generation and his rare refractors command a huge premium. The Trout prizm refractor has a print run estimated around 10-15 copies. High grade PSA 10 examples recently sold for over $10,000, making it one of the priciest non-auto/patch Trout cards in existence. Another Trout parallel that has exploded in value is the 2016 Topps Finest Laser refractors. With an serially numbered print run to just 5 copies, PSA 10 Laser refractors have traded hands for $15,000+. Trout’s dominance on the field directly correlates to extraordinary demand for his low numbered parallels.
Rookie cards that year for future stars like Corey Seager, Yoan Moncada, and Andrew Benintendi have also increased dramatically. A PSA 10 Seager rookie is now around $800-1000 in Gem Mint condition. His chrome and negative refractor parallels can fetch over $2000 graded flawlessly. Moncada mania took hold after a huge contract from the Red Sox and his rookies have risen above $500 PSA 10. Benintendi also enjoyed success right away and his Topps Chrome refractors have reached $400-500. Emerging sluggers like Gary Sanchez and Nomar Mazara also produced exciting rookie seasons. Their Topps Chrome and negative refractors in PSA 10 can be found in the $300-500 range now.
Pitching prospect cards generated hype as well. Michael Fulmer won AL Rookie of the Year following a standout season for the Tigers. His Topps Chrome rookie refractor PSA 10’s have climbed above $1000. Yankees flamethrower Clint Frazier attracted plenty of interest before debuting in the majors. His 1/1 Topps Heritage mini auto patch card sold for over $3500. Dodgers hurler Julio Urias, White Sox arm Carson Fulmer, and Giants starter Tyler Beede all had 1/1 serial numbered relic patch autos that traded around $1000-1500 each. Cards for future aces Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, and Alex Reyes garnered bids above $500 as well due to their elite prospect pedigree.
Parallels and serial numbered short prints provide another avenue for high end collecting. The Kyle Schwarber Finest Green parallel /99 is very tough to acquire and worth $400-500 in pristine condition. A PSA 10 Dansby Swanson Topps Chrome Negative Refractor /50 recently changed hands privately for over $1200. Corey Seager’s Topps Update Green Velocity /99 parallel hit $900. Ketel Marte and Nomar Mazara each had highly coveted Topps Chrome Sepia parallel refractor autos /25 that traded near $2000. Even common players like Justin Upton, Josh Donaldson, and Corey Kluber have increased demand because their /5 or /10 parallels are exponentially rarer than typical cards.
As the years pass, nostalgia continues to fuel demand for classic designs like Topps Finest, Topps Chrome, Topps Update, and Topps Heritage. The rise of new collectors through online communities and social media platforms brings fresh eyes to sets from just a few seasons ago. For savvy investors, spots remain to be found acquiring gem graded low numbered parallels and rookie cards of rising MLB stars at reasonable prices. Patience and market monitoring could yield significant returns, as evidenced by the explosion in values discussed for certain 2016 Topps Baseball cards. It remains one of the more compelling and rewarding sets to collect from both an historical and financial perspective.
