The 2022 Topps Prizm baseball card set has generated significant hype and excitement in the hobby leading up to its release. There are a few key factors that point to this set potentially containing some valuable rookie cards and short print parallel cards that could hold long term value:
Topps Prizm has become one of the premier modern baseball card brands since its inception in 2018. Each year, Prizm features shiny refractors, neon parallels, and photo variations that give the cards a very flashy and aesthetically pleasing look. From an artistic and design standpoint, Prizm cards are considered some of the best looking cards on the modern market. This appeal to collectors helps drive strong demand.
In addition to the flashy design, Prizm also garners hype due to its association with the NBA Prizm brand. NBA Prizm cards have seen meteoric rises in value over the past decade, with some 1 of 1 parallel cards selling for millions of dollars. While baseball cards will never reach NBA levels, the “Prizm” name alone creates buzz and excitement that few other modern brands can match. Even casual collectors and investors want to own cards with the popular Prizm brand name.
Perhaps most importantly for the prospects of high value cards, the 2022 Prizm set features rookie cards of some of the most prized prospects in recent baseball memory. Shortstops like Jackson Holliday, Druw Jones, and Termarr Johnson were all top 5 overall picks in the 2022 MLB Draft and are considered “can’t-miss” future stars. Other top prospects like Elijah Green, Brock Porter, and Dylan Lesko also have their rookie cards in this set. If even one of these blue-chip prospects develops into a superstar, their Prizm rookie cards could skyrocket in value like past stars like Ronald Acuna Jr, Fernando Tatis Jr, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In addition to the headliner rookies, every set usually has a few breakout performers that rise up prospect rankings throughout their debut season. Players like Spencer Strider, Michael Harris, and Adley Rutschman all had successful rookie campaigns in 2022 after being relatively under-the-radar prospects prior. Their rookie cards significantly increased in value. The 2022 Prizm set gives collectors exposure to a whole class of prospects that could yield the next hidden gems.
Looking at sales data from past years helps provide an idea of what types of 2022 Prizm cards might gain serious value over the long run. Top rookie refractors and parallels of graduated superstars consistently sell in the thousands of dollars even years after the player debuted. For example, an Acuna Jr. /10 orange refractor pulled a $3,100 price tag earlier this year. Colorful parallels and serial numbered versions of impact rookies like Wander Franco and Bobby Witt Jr. also command 4 figure prices. It’s reasonable to think that if a couple players from the 2022 class achieve stardom, their rare Prizm rookies could fetch similar prices years down the line.
Short print parallel cards that are aggressively inserted also present opportunity. Ultra rare refractor, disco, and rainbow foil parallels number in the single digits and low double digits. While these cards may only be valued in the hundreds today, long term holding of a truly unique parallel like a /5 or /10 card of a future Hall of Famer could yield phenomenal returns. The scarcity adds tremendous long term potential.
While there is obviously risk that the hyped rookies may fail to pan out, history shows that even busts usually have cards retain $10-50 value due to the branding prestige of Prizm. And with literally dozens of top prospects in any given class, simple math says there will almost definitely be at least a few breakout stars whosePrizm rookies smash preconceptions.The combination of the flashy Prizm design, talent pool, and proven track record of increasing values each year indicates the 2022 Topps Prizm baseball set has all the ingredients to produce future high value gems for savvy collectors. Rated prospect lists and minor league stats may change, but owning coveted rookie cards of a diverse selection of top names in this set creates as good a chance as any for potentially uncovering valuable future key pieces to a collection.
While investment carries risk and past performance does not guarantee future results, the trend of Prizm and key prospects increasing in value gives collectorsconfidence that with proper long term storage and holding, the 2022 Topps Prizm baseball release has strong chances to yield cards that could appreciate significantly over the next 5-10+ years. Collectors would be wise to pick their spots on favored prospects, popular parallels, and look for financially responsible deals on desired cards to keep and hold in hope that patience yields profit down the road as these young standout talents develop at the MLB level.
