The 2022 Topps baseball card season provided collectors with another exciting year of chase cards, rookie sensations, and vintage designs. With licensed products from Bowman, Archives, Allen & Ginter, and the flagship Topps series, 2022 saw rookies like Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Adley Rutschman take the baseball card world by storm.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most noteworthy and valuable Topps baseball cards released in 2022:
Bowman 1st Chrome Refractors – No rookie class in recent memory has had as much hype as the 2021 draft class, headlined by Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar, and Jack Leiter. TheirChrome refractors from Bowman 1st were extremely scarce hobby parallels that brought incredible prices. Lawlar and Mayer refractors consistently topped $1,000 each.
Julio Rodriguez Chrome Refractors – The Mariners’ rookie sensation became the talk of baseball in 2022 and his Bowman Chrome refractors were similarly electric. Selling for over $500 each on release, J-Rod’s refractors remained among the highest valued rookie cards all year long.
Bobby Witt Jr. Refractors – Ranked as baseball’s top prospect entering 2022, Witt lived up to the hype with the Royals. His Bowman Chrome and Paper refractors moved quickly at $300-400 per card after breakthrough debut seasons.
Adley Rutschman Refractors – As the top pick from the 2019 MLB Draft and regarded as the best catching prospect of all-time, Rutschman’s initial cards were highly sought after. His prized Chrome and Paper refractors traded hands for $200-300 a piece.
Spencer Strider Refractors – Arguably the most surprising top rookie of 2022 was Braves flamethrower Spencer Strider. His Bowman Chrome and Paper refractors skyrocketed to over $150 each after an electric breakout season in Atlanta’s rotation.
Julio Rodriguez Base RCs – While J-Rod’s refractors demanded premium prices, even his basic Topps Chrome and Paper base rookie cards moved for $50-75 each through the 2022 season due to his immense popularity. They remain solid long-term investments.
Jack Leiter Base RCs – The second overall pick in 2021 lived up to the hype by reaching the majors in 2022 with Texas. Despite playing-time concerns, Leiter’s Topps Chrome and Paper base RCs found new stewards for $30-50 each this year.
Topps Fire Blaze – Introduced in 2022, Topps Fire inserts featured dazzling foil techniques and image blending. With only one card per hobby box, the Fire Blaze parallels numbered to /79 were virtual guaranteed hits fetching at least $100 each across Acuna, deGrom, Soto rookies and more.
Topps Heritage High Numbers 1st Edition Parallels – The nostalgia-driven Topps Heritage set is always a collector favorite, and its scarce 1st Edition parallels found in High Numbers attracted huge attention in 2022. RCs and stars like Mantle, Mays, and Ruth High Numbers 1st Editions surpassed $300 each.
Topps Museum Collection – As arguably the most premium mainstream release of the year, Topps Museum’s exquisite retro design and rare acetate parallels drew massive sums. Ruth and Mickey Mantle RCs climbed above the $1,000 mark with ease, as did vintage stars like Aaron and Clemente.
Topps Sterling /25 – Inserted one per case, Topps Sterling parallels numbered to just 25 copies embody the highest-end hobby product each year. Pujols, Jeter, Ohtani, deGrom parallels settled in the $400-500 range in a hot vintage market.
Golden Moments Printing Plates 1/1 – As true one-of-one specimens, Printing Plates are the cream of the crop for collectors. 2022 saw several high-dollar Golden Moments plates exchange hands headlined by a Trout plate that reportedly sold for $50,000.
Topps Finest refractors – Known for sharp photography and spectra refractors, Topps Finest rookies like Rodriguez, Pena and Witt found ready buyers this year. Their high-gloss 1-of-1s set collectors back over $1,000 each.
SP Authentic Autographs – Always a destination for autograph cards, SP Authentic featured some of the top rookie signings and memorabilia cards of 2022. Rookie autographs of Witt, Leiter, Pena, Strider sold in the $100-200 range.
Topps Update Chrome International Prospects – With scouting becoming more globalized, international prospects emerged as a hot new category in 2022. Update Chrome cards of Dario Lopez, Roderick Arias attracted early buyers north of $70-100 per card after breakouts in the minors.
While stars of today and legendaries of yesteryear will remain blue-chip investments, the past year proved the depth of interest in MLB’s next generation. Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and a stacked 2021 draft class illustrated how quick prospects can become beloved hobby staples. With a growing fanbase and more collectors than ever, 2023 is primed to take baseball cards to new heights.
