The 2022 season brought many exciting new baseball card releases from the major manufacturers. Whether collectors sought the latest rookie phenoms, parallel and special insert chase cards, autographs or memorabilia cards, or simply enjoyed building sets from the flagship base issues, there was no shortage of options across various price points. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most notable baseball card sets from 2022:
Topps Series 1: As always, Topps Series 1 kicked off the new baseball card year in late February/early March. The base set featured 375 cards focusing on the 2021 season. Notable rookies included AL ROY Steven Kwan and NL ROY Michael Harris II. Parallels included Rainbow Foil, Photographic, Sepia, and Negative. Special insert sets highlighted Topps’ 70th anniversary, All-Time Fan Favorites, and Defining Moments highlighting historic home runs. Autograph and memorabilia cards featured current stars like Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. Overall, Series 1 maintained Topps’ status as the sport’s premier issuer while celebrating the past, present and future of the game.
Topps Chrome: Released in late May/early June, Topps Chrome is one of the crown jewels of the annual hobby calendar. Featuring the same base cards and insert sets as Series 1 but with ‘Chrome’ parallels and refractors, it’s a must-have for players collectors. The bright, flashy refractors in various parallels and colors that ‘pop’ under a light make Chrome cards highly coveted. RCs of stars like Bobby Witt Jr. further increased demand. Autographs, patches, and 1/1 plates round out the premium end. At its mid-summer release point, Chrome fueled the height of the regular season collecting frenzy.
Bowman Baseball: The long-awaited debut of prospects and this year’s draft class arrived with Bowman in late April/early May. Alongside flashy Chrome parallels, prospect-focused inserts like Prospect Elite and First Bowman Paper highlighted the game’s future stars – many of whom would make their MLB debuts later that season. Notable rookie cards included Oneil Cruz, Adrian Del Castillo, and Marcelo Mayer. Memorabilia cards, autographs, and 1/1 Prospect Autograph Parallels provided premium chase options. As always, Bowman Baseball served up a first look at who collectors will be chasing for years to come.
Topps Allen & Ginter: A spring/summer classic, A&G hit shelves in late June/early July with its quirky baseball and non-sports theme. The innovative design lent itself to finding fun parallels like Ginter Web, Box Bottoms, or Inkworks. Players showcased their passions through Studio Portraits and Players Club inserts. Rookie cards of breakouts like Michael Harris II generated buzz. Other inserts like Film Vaults highlighted cinema. Autograph cards spanned celebrities from Andrew McCutchen to President Obama. Evolving each year with its melting pot of entertainment, A&G was full of surprises.
Topps Update Series: Released toward the end of summer in late August/early September, Topps Update Series caught collectors up on the season via updated stats and new traded players. Beyond additions to base sets, special parallels like Rainbow Foil and Retrospect kept the chase interesting. Prominent rookie debuts such as Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Sixto Sánchez generated excitement upon their first Topps issues. Autographs and Relics of breakout stars provided late-season premium chase cards. For completeness and postseason playoff runs, Update Series was a core annual release.
Topps Finest: As the year drew to a close in October/November, Topps Finest delivered its renowned flashy refractor parallel design. Featuring the same base set and inserts as Series 1 & Update along with striking Purple, Orange, Green, and Gold refractors, Finest was a fan favorite. Prospect Hits refractors highlighted stars of tomorrow. Autographed parallels and 1/1 plates of Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and more capped collection-building. With postseason awards nearing, Finest fueled year-end checklist completion and parallel collecting. Overall it was a beautiful, high-end way to wrap up the yearly cycle.
Topps Grand Slam: Released under Topps’ special releases umbrella with no published print run details, Grand Slam stood out with its patriotic star-spangled border design during Independence Day season in July. Featuring flag-themed parallels and a base set highlighting top performers from the first half, it was a unique bonus set beyond the flagship issues. Low print run autograph and memorabilia cards provided a fierce secondary market scramble to complete. Grand Slam’s relatively brief release window made it an exciting flash-in-the-pan offering.
Those were some of the major baseball card releases of 2022 from Topps that kept collectors engaged throughout the season and beyond. Of course, other companies like Panini, Leaf, Upper Deck, and more also contributed coveted sets, inserts, parallels, and hits that fed the ever-growing demands of the modern hobby. Whether seeking a budget friendly release or high-end treasures, 2022 offered something for every baseball card collector’s taste and collecting goals – making for an unforgettable year on-shelf and in the secondary market. With young stars emerging and a new class of rookies on the horizon, anticipation is already high for what exciting new cardboard 2023 may bring.
