The 2022 baseball season was another successful one for the St. Louis Cardinals franchise. Under veteran manager Oliver Marmol, the Redbirds went 93-69 and clinched a playoff spot with a National League Central division title. While the team fell short of a World Series championship, there were many outstanding individual performances that baseball card collectors celebrated.
Top rookies Brendan Donovan and Andre Pallante had breakout seasons that made their 2022 rookie cards highly sought after. Donovan, a versatile utility player, hit .281 with an .806 OPS in his first full MLB season. Pallante emerged as a reliable starting pitcher or long reliever, going 7-5 with a 3.24 ERA in 57 innings pitched. Their Topps Chrome Update rookie refractors and Topps Finest rookie parallels became hot commodities on the secondary market.
Veteran stars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado continued their all-star caliber play. Goldschmidt led the NL with a .317 batting average and hit 35 home runs, cementing his status as a perennial MVP candidate. His autographed Topps Finest patch cards and Topps Chrome Update refractor parallels were highly coveted by collectors. Arenado smacked 30 home runs of his own while playing Gold Glove defense at third base. His Topps Fire autographs and Topps Chrome Update negative refractors maintained strong collector demand.
Pitchers Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas anchored the Cardinals rotation all season long. The ageless Wainwright went 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts at age 41. His longevity and success have made his older cards from the 2000s and 2010s very valuable for vintage collectors. Mikolas bounced back from an injury-plagued 2021 with a 12-13 record and 3.57 ERA. His Topps Fire autographs and Topps Chrome Update negative refractors were popular pickups.
Reliever Ryan Helsley emerged as the Cardinals’ shutdown closer, notching a career-high 18 saves with a sparkling 1.25 ERA. The flame-throwing righty saw his rookie cards from 2021 jump in value, while his 2022 Topps Finest autographs and Topps Chrome Update negative refractors became must-have cards. Young outfielders Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar also had breakout seasons at the plate that increased interest in their 2021 rookie cards and 2022 prospect cards.
Veteran catcher Yadier Molina played his final MLB season in 2022 at age 40. In his 19-year Cardinals career, Molina established himself as perhaps the greatest defensive catcher in baseball history and a beloved franchise icon. Collectors eagerly snapped up his Topps Finest 1/1 printing plates, Topps Fire autographs from his final season, and Topps Chrome Update negative refractors to commemorate his legendary tenure in St. Louis. Molina’s retirement has also driven renewed collector interest in his older rookie cards from the early 2000s.
While the Cardinals fell short of a World Series title, their 2022 season under Marmol brought renewed optimism that the team could remain competitive for years to come behind their talented young core. The performances of stars like Goldschmidt, Arenado and newcomers Donovan and Pallante excited collectors and led to strong early demand for their 2022 cards on the secondary market. Veterans Wainwright, Molina and Mikolas also saw collector enthusiasm for documenting their careers. As the offseason progresses, 2022 Cardinals cards will remain a focus of hobby enthusiasts tracking this storied franchise.
