As we head into the new year, collectors are always eager to find out which vintage and modern baseball cards will be highly sought after in the upcoming season. With another exciting year of the sport ahead of us, here are some of the top baseball cards collectors will be chasing in 2023 based on factors like player performance, nostalgia, and card scarcity.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle (ROOKIE) – The Mantle rookie is regarded as the holy grail of sports cards and considered the most valuable baseball card in existence. In pristine gem mint condition it has sold for over $5 million, making it truly unmatched. Even low-grade examples routinely sell for six figures due to the mystique surrounding Mantle’s rookie campaign and status as a New York Yankees icon. After 70 years, it remains the definitive key card for collectors.

1969 Topps Nolan Ryan – Ryan established himself as one of the game’s most dominant pitchers ever during his 27-year career, but collectors hold a special admiration for his early Topps issues that capture “The Ryan Express” in an Angels uniform. The 1969 is arguably his best and most iconic card, with its vibrant colors and action photo showing Ryan mid-windup. High grades are scarce and nine-figure auctions have occurred, ensuring this one stays highly coveted.

1987 Topps Griffey Jr. (ROOKIE) – Known simply as “the Griffey”, this rookie of one of baseball’s most electrifying players from the late 80s/90s era is a true modern-day blockbuster. Like Mantle before him, Junior’s infectious smile and talents made him a superstar on and off the field. Pristine copies in the seven-figure range prove this beauty isn’t slowing down in demand.

1909 T206 Honus Wagner – Quite possibly the most legendary card of all-time, estimated to exist in only 50-200 copies worldwide. Stories of its subject’s refusal to be featured and the card’s abrupt pull from production helped immortalize Wagner’s career and create a mystique surrounding this fragile piece of cardboard. With only a handful confirmed to have a price tag lower than seven figures, collectors only dream of owning a piece of this unmatched rarity.

2013 Topps Update Mike Trout (ROOKIE) – While not nearly as old as the above choices, Trout’s elite talents have led many to dub him the best player of his generation. His rookie cards, including those from Topps Update and Bowman Chrome, set modern record prices that prove his popularity isn’t slowing. As Trout continues chasing Cooperstown with the Angels, interest in his rookie cards will remain as hot as a Southern California summer.

1990 Topps Ken Griffey Jr. UPDATE – Many collectors consider this 1990 Topps Traded #T79 of Griffey as a rookie card even though it was technically from his sophomore season. Its iconic image showing Griffey leaping makes this a true classic. With mint versions still under $1,000 for now, it provides an attainable yet iconic option for developing collections.

1998 Bowman’s Best Refractors Chipper Jones, Sammy Sosa, Kerry Wood – This flagship product captured these young stars in their early primes during baseball’s steroid era heyday. Parallel refractors were scarce at the time which adds modern rarity to already-exciting nostalgia subjects. Copies in top condition remain quite valuable 17 years later.

2003 Topps Big League Baseball Ichiro Suzuki #BL-6 – A true one-of-a-kind parallel issue capturing Ichiro during one of his most dominant seasons of all-time. Its vivid red foil adds flashy pop to one of the game’s most revered international stars. Only 25 copies are reported to exist, making this a true “big trophy” for well-funded collections.

2006 Topps Update Mike Trout ROOKIE Autograph #TU-106 – While Trout’s 2012 rookie cards set records, collectors adore this tougher-to-find autographed sophomore issue from ’06 which predates the hype around the superstar. Low pop reports and more difficult authentication risks add novelty for advanced collectors.

1952 Topps All-American Girls Patsy Miranda #87 – A true oddball issue celebrating women in sports during the early ’50s. While not depicting baseball players, its historical significance, retro artwork, and scarce reported population make it a fun target for eclectic collections and investors. Its value has grown alongside mainstreaming of women’s athletics in recent decades.

1970 Kellogg’s Johnny Bench #34 – Kellogg’s 3D baseball cards from the late ’60s/early ’70s saw limited production and distribution compared to mainstream brands like Topps. This Bench issue is especially iconic for the cereal brand and remains quite tough to acquire in pristine condition today owing to the fragile 3D construction.

Those are some of the most sought-after baseball cards we expect to be in high demand among collectors in 2023. With such a long and storied history of the cardboard collectible, there are certainly many other noteworthy vintage and modern issues that could emerge or continue to gain attention from the hobby. The collectibles market remains unpredictable, but these perennial classics are sure to retain strong interest from those chasing baseball memorabilia next year.