When it comes to the 2022 Topps baseball cards that are worth money, there are several standout rookie cards and autograph cards to pay attention to. Topps baseball cards are always some of the top selling modern cards on the secondary market. With rookie phenoms like Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. making their MLB debuts in 2022, their rookie cards are bound to increase in value significantly over time. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the 2022 Topps cards that have the potential to be worth good money down the road.
One of the top cards from the 2022 Topps Series 1 release is the Julio Rodriguez rookie card. Julio Rodriguez had a sensational rookie campaign for the Seattle Mariners and looks to be a future superstar. His base rookie card in Series 1 quickly rose above $100 and could easily climb into the $200-300 range or higher within a few years once he establishes himself as an elite player. Any autographed or memorabilia cards of Rodriguez’s rookie year would be worth even more substantial money long term. The Bobby Witt Jr. rookie card from Series 1 is also another card to hold onto, as he showed superstar potential in his first season with the Kansas City Royals. Expect his base rookie to increase to $100+ over the coming years as well.
Moving beyond those flagship rookie cards, let’s look at some other top 2022 Topps cards with significant long term upside. Autograph cards of young stars like Rodriguez, Witt, Adley Rutschman, and Jeremy Peña are cards that will only increase in value as those players succeed. The ’52 Topps style ‘Franchise Four’ parallel cards featuring Acuña Jr., Soto, Tatis Jr. and Vlad Jr. on the same card in /69 parallels are also quite desirable for high-end collectors. Autographed ‘rainbow foil’ parallel cards of stars in low serial numbers, especially /5 or lower, could fetch thousands down the road. Top prospect autographs like Elijah Green and Druw Jones also have potential for future gains depending on how their careers play out.
When it comes to vintage-style cards, the ‘Topps Gold Label’ parallel cards that emulate classic 1950s and 1960s designs have become highly sought after. Gold Label variants of stars in low print runs like /69 or less will hold significant collector demand. The ‘Sally League’ cards paying homage to the 1929 inaugural design featuring current MLB players could also gain collector interest as they become scarce over time. For team collectors, Complete Team Sets, Stadium Club Team Cards, and rare team-centric parallel cards are items to hold long term. And any rareFactory Set chase cards like Gold Background Variations have a history of increasing in resale price.
Of course, the flagships like Topps Chrome, Heritage, Opening Day and Topps Archives also feature many cards that can gain value. The hottest rookies and stars in low numbered parallels, 1/1 printing plates, or rare error cards from flagship sets are always tops on buyer want lists. Autograph cards from special parallels and high-end products like Topps Tribute are positioned very well for future appreciation as well. And of course, investment grade Mint Condition 10 Gem Gem Mint graded cards are likely see the highest rates of return compared to raw ungraded equivalents.
While it’s impossible to predict the next true superstars and exact cards that will explode in years to come, focusing on the highest quality versions of rookie cards for players like Rodriguez, Witt and others who show franchise talent is a wise strategy. Autograph cards of any future Hall of Famers are always a safer bet than base cards to hold long term. And collecting the most sought after parallel cards, short prints, and one-of-ones from Topps’ annual baseball releases is ideal for achieving the highest potential financial returns down the road. With patience and diligence cherry picking investments from the 2022 Topps releases, savvy collectors can hope to build a portfolio of cards ready to gain substantial value in the secondary market of the future.
