Topps baseball cards are as much a part of American culture as hot dogs and apple pie. For over 70 years, Topps has produced iconic baseball cards that have not only documented the sport’s history but sparked the imagination of collectors both young and old. Their 2022 baseball card release continues this tradition with another exciting set featuring today’s biggest stars.
Some key things to know about Topps 2022 baseball cards:
Flagship Set – As always, Topps’ flagship complete base set leads off their 2022 offerings. The standard set contains 198 total cards, including 180 player cards and 18 manager/coach cards. Notable rookies in the set include Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals and Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers. Top prospects like Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners also get their first Topps cards. The designs are classic Topps style with clean white borders around player photos.
Parallels and Inserts – Topps boosts collector interest by including parallel and insert card variations in their core flagship set. Look for popular parallels like Chrome, Toppstown (pop art design), and Rainbow Foil. Key insert sets in 2022 include Topps Now Future Stars highlighting top prospects, Legendary Luminaries spotlighting retired stars, and a 70 Years tribute set commemorating Topps’ diamond anniversary.
Heritage High Numbers – A fan favorite spin-off of the Heritage set, High Numbers delivers the vintage aesthetic in the form of rookie and prospect cards of players with uniform numbers 71 and above. Highlights among the 110 cards include Julio Rodriguez, Spencer Steer, and Brennan Davis. The well-received retro design never gets old.
Allen & Ginter – Another beloved tradition, the A&G set uses box loads of unusual trading card inserts as its draw. This year’s ~200 card release focuses on baseball but includes inserts spotlighting music, movies, nature, science and more. Top rookies get cards alongside inserts like ’80s Animation, National Parks, and Tropical Splendor.
Stadium Club – Stadium Club returns in 2022 with updated modern photography looks across 160 total cards. Key rookie cards of Witt Jr., Torkelson and more are found here, along with popular inserts like Triple Threads (game used relics). Parallel variations like Gold Foil and Negative add collector value too.
Topps Chrome – As the hobby’s premier autograph/relic product, Topps Chrome dazzles with flashy refractor parallels alongside coveted game used memorabilia cards. Top prospects, rookies and stars comprise the ~150 card base roster which provides hits like autographs, jersey cards and more.
Bowman/Bowman Draft -While not strictly a Major League release, Topps Bowman sets are critical in focusing the hobby on up-and-coming players. The annual Bowman Draft Class highlights draft picks from 2021. Meanwhile, Bowman packs prospects together with MLB vets across two parallel sets. Rodriguez, Hancock, and Leiter grace cards in these exciting sets.
Topps Project 70 – Commemorating Topps’ 70th anniversary, Project 70 offers a high-end 170 card set encompassing the best from Heritage, A&G, Diamond Kings and more. Exclusive parallel photo variations add premium flair befitting the anniversary. This is one of the crown jewels in the 2022 Topps offerings.
While flagship Topps cards remain the hobby’s backbone, special parallel sets like Topps Fire and big hit products like Triple Threads, Tier One and Finest continue evolving the brand. Topps’ goal has always been capturing the excitement of baseball through images on cardboard. Judging by early collector reaction, their 2022 releases will delight fans both young and old for yet another year to come. After 70+ years in the game, Topps baseball cards show no signs of slowing down.
