Opening 2022 Baseball Card Boxes, Packs, and Hangers
For baseball card collectors, one of the most exciting aspects of the hobby is opening fresh product and seeing what rookies, stars, and hidden gems may be found inside. The 2022 season saw several new baseball card releases hit the market from the major brands like Topps, Panini, Leaf, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just starting out, cracking packs is half the fun. Here’s a guide to safely and enjoyably opening some of the major 2022 baseball card releases.
Topps Series 1 is generally considered the flagship baseball card set of each new year. The 2022 Topps Series 1 release had several exciting rookie classes to chase, headlined by Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez and Detroit Tigers slugger Spencer Torkelson. The base card design featured a clean and simple team logo centered design. These packs contain 12 cards each, including several commons and a few chances at hitting the big rookies or stars. Topps packs are sealed with a thin foil wrap – carefully slide your finger underneath to break the adhesive bond without damaging the cards inside.
Panini Prizm is one of the premium baseball card brands and their 2022 releases were highly anticipated. Panini products contain fewer base cards in exchange for higher odds at pulling parallels, autographs, and memorabilia cards. Their MLB Prizm packs contain just 4 cards but boast flashy refractor designs and several lucrative rookie classes. These packs have a thick polywrap seal – gently peel up an edge with your nail and proceed slowly to avoid tears. Inside are team logo design base cards alongside colorful parallels and hits that can fetch high prices.
Topps Chrome Update brought another look at the strong 2022 rookie classes midway through the season. These packs mirror the design style of Series 1 but feature “refractor-style” foil finishes on the fronts. The retro cardboard packs have a firm wrap – carefully slice open with scissors near the edges rather than yanking. Chances at top rookies like Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena or Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene in special refractor varieties added appeal.
Topps Finest featured upscale renditions of the key rookies in a luxury presentation. Along with high-gloss front photos, these packs contained additional autograph or memorabilia cards inserted randomly. The sealed wax packs have a thin foil covering – pierce an opening with the tip of your fingernail and peel back gently. Finding a swatch or signature of a young star inside took the excitement up a notch.
For fans of specific teams or players, Topps Stadium Club delivered handsome photo-centric cards in a retro style. Packs contained 10 cards each featuring team-matched fronts in a silver foil design. The sealed wax packs had a tougher plastic wrap to penetrate – twist and fold an edge inward to unfold the covering without tears. Completing memorable Stadium Club team sets provided player collector satisfaction.
Several non-Topps releases gained traction as well. Leaf Metal Universe featured dazzling 3D lenticular cards that appeared to float off the surface. Pulling a prized rookie in the holographic style was a real thrill. Meanwhile, Allen & Ginter introduced wood baseball cards that doubled as unique collectibles. These more novelty-focused products had protective clam-shell plastic casings requiring care to pry open cleanly.
Whether splurging on a hobby box of Topps or ripping value hanger packs, the 2022 season overflowed with outstanding rookie classes across several sports card brands. By exercising gentle patience when breachings seals and carefully sliding cards from packs, collectors of all experience levels maximized chances at finding stars of tomorrow amid the anticipation and excitement of the open. With new players still establishing themselves in the big leagues, 2022 products could end up being some of the most historically significant collector releases in the hobby for decades to come.
