The 2022 Donruss baseball set was released on February 10, 2022 and contains cards of players from the 2021 Major League Baseball season. While not as high-profile as sets from Topps or Bowman, Donruss baseball cards hold value for collectors due to the brand’s history in the hobby and their focus on on-card autographs and parallels.
Some key things that drive the value of cards in the 2022 Donruss set include star rookies, top performers from 2021, short printed parallels, and relic or autographed cards. Rookie cards of expected future stars like Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and C.J. Abrams tend to command the highest prices. Standout 2021 campaigns from players like Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bryce Harper also boost the value of their base rookies and parallels.
Parallels in the 2022 Donruss set include popular limited editions like Gold (/50), Diamond (/10), and Platinum (/1) which are rarer than the standard base cards. These short printed parallels sell for premium prices, often many times more than the base version. Autograph and memorabilia cards are also highly sought after, with on-card autographed parallels being the most valuable individual cards in the set and regularly reaching prices of $100 or more, with the top rookies signing for even higher amounts.
Some of the biggest risers in the early going have been rookie cards of Houston Astros’ shortstop Jeremy Peña. After winning World Series MVP honors in just his first full MLB season, even his base rookie jumped up to around $10-15 shortly after the championship, compared to just a few dollars for most of his rookie season. Relics and autographs of Peña have seen exponential growth. Cards of Atlanta Braves’ breakout star Michael Harris II have also climbed due to his outstanding rookie campaign and strong playoffs.
Veteran stars with a compelling 2021 continue to hold strong value as well. Ohtani in particular seems to retain interest as a true two-way star, with his base flagship Donruss rookie staying relatively stable around $50 while autographed and memorabilia cards easily climb above $100 still. Guerrero Jr. has settled as a consistent elite slugger which maintains demand. Other veterans like Trea Turner, Shane Bieber, and Brandon Woodruff carry value reflective of their impressive recent play.
Base rookies of top prospects like Rodriguez, Witt Jr. and Abrams have stabilized some after initial hype but remain above average at $10-15 so far. As these players make their MLB debuts and begin to perform, their cards have ample room to rise higher if they live up to expectations. Less heralded but successful rookies from 2022 like Seiya Suzuki and Nick Lodolo could see cards appreciate over the long term with continued success.
While individual cards at the true high-end will lose value over time to natural fluctuations, the 2022 Donruss set provides a variety of cost ranges for collectors and maintains relevance as one of the important flagship baseball releases each year. Demand continues for star rookies, short printed parallels, autographed memorabilia and performances of elite existing and rising MLB players. With many top prospects and veterans still in the early days of their careers, the 2022 Donruss set portends sustained collecting interest and value opportunities into the future.
