Topps has been the leading baseball card manufacturer for decades, producing highly coveted and collectible cards year after year. Their 2022 series continued their tradition of excellence with several exciting sets released throughout the season.
The main flagship Topps series is always the first major release of the year. For 2022, Topps unveiled their Series 1 set in late February/early March. As always, it featured the latest photos of every MLB player and rookie on opening day rosters. Some of the top rookie cards included in Series 1 were Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, and Tigers catcher Spencer Torkelson. Veterans like Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto graced the cover and many highlight cards as well. The design style kept things clean and classic with a mainly white border and team logo screens in the background of photos. As the first set out, Series 1 cards are a must-have for any collection and provide the rookie cornerstones for the year.
A couple months later in May, Topps released their Series 2 packets and boxes. This set is notable for featuring players who did not make opening day rosters but debuted later in the season through promotions or injuries. Top prospects like Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore and Rangers shortstop Josh Smith received their first Topps cards here. The retro border design switched to color screens inspired by classic Topps designs of the past. Parallels and short prints added to the entertainment of variety in this release. Series 2 helps flesh out team rosters and gives fans a glimpse at future stars breaking into the majors.
Topps Tradition was the next major set that came out in June/July. As the name implies, this carved a nostalgic niche highlighting iconic players and moments from baseball’s storied past. Legendary shots of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Nolan Ryan mingled with classic uniforms and stadiums no longer around. Parallel inserts paid tribute to famous home run milestones, perfect games, and postseason heroics. While not technically part of the flagship series sequence, Topps Tradition was a big hit with collectors looking to commemorate baseball history every summer.
With the two series and tradition set behind them halfway through the year, Topps rolled out the highly anticipated Series 2 in late July/August. This marking point release brought another wave of prospect cards like Dodgers pitcher and top overall pick Druw Jones alongside new major league player photos in bright green borders. Superfractor parallels offered the biggest chase. The design shifted focus to action shots capturing split-second drama on the diamond. Series 2 regularly produces some of the most coveted rookie cards and parallels that can gain huge value with breakout player performances down the stretch.
In September, Topps wrapped up their major 2022 releases with Finest. Long regarded as the premium offering each season, Finest dazzled with glossy foil treatments, autographs, short prints, and thick stock card surfaces. The sleek futuristic design dressed up headshots with holographic team logos and floating shapes. Rated prospects like Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and Giants outfielder Luis Matos got their first high-end Topps rookies here. Finest provides a glitzy exclamation point on the yearly card marathon and hints at the next generation of stars.
Throughout the season, Topps also supplemented their flagship series with smaller niche sets catered towards certain player tiers, inserts, or variations. Gallery delved into unique photography. Topps Living focused on diverse players making impacts on and off the field. Heritage dug into retro uniforms and designs through the decades. Allen & Ginter experimented with zany non-sports parallels. Update packed cards for new players throughout the summer. Topps clearly put great effort into variety for all types of collectors with these auxiliary releases.
Now that the 2022 MLB season has wrapped and the World Series is in the books, Topps offers one final chance to complete collections with their year-end Stadium Club release. Highlighting intricate action shots taken from unique angles inside ballparks, Stadium Club provides exquisite memories from this past season to enjoy for years to come. Top rookies and stars shine in full glossy prints surrounded by sections of vibrant stadium panoramas. It makes for a brilliant grand finale to one of Topps’ most expansive card years yet spanning entertainment from spring training to the fall classic.
Whether chasing star veterans, future Hall of Famers, or tomorrow’s icons just starting out, Topps offered collectors numerous innovative ways to appreciate today’s players and relive baseball’s rich history throughout 2022. Their flagship series, specialty sets, inserts, and parallels catered to all types of fan interests. After 75 continuous years in the business, Topps proves they still understand what makes the hobby tick better than anyone else. Their dominant presence in the collecting world will surely continue strong for many seasons ahead.
