The 2023 Panini Donruss baseball set is one of the most highly anticipated releases each year from the major sports card manufacturers. While Panini Donruss sets in recent years have not contained the same star power rookies or short printed parallels as some of their competitors, savvy collectors know that long-term, some of the key rookie cards and rare variants can gain significant value with time. With the 2023 set now hitting the market, here’s a look at some of the cards that have the potential to be extremely valuable in the years to come.
One of the top rookies in the 2023 class is Cardinals’ catcher Dillon Paulson. Considered a future star behind the plate with big power potential, Paulson’s base rookie card is a hot commodity right out of the pack. While he may not reach the hype of previous top prospects like Wander Franco, collectors see Paulson as a franchise cornerstone and are scooping up his rookies in anticipation of his debut. Numbered to only /199 copies, his Green Shimmer parallel autograph card will be one of the scarcest Paulson rookies available. With a shiny green foil and on-card autograph, these can fetch $500-600 raw currently but have the chance to appreciate significantly if Paulson lives up to the hype.
Another rookie to watch is Reds’ shortstop Elly De La Cruz. While not as hyped as Paulson coming into the season, De La Cruz lit up the Arizona Fall League in 2022 with his prodigious power and athleticism in the field. His base rookie is attainable now in the $50-75 range but parallels like the Orange Ice /50 and Red Ice /10 number are already north of $300-400 each. The true gem, though, is his 1/1 Gold Ice autograph card which was hit early on and promptly slabs a PSA 10 Gem Mint. With a population of just one, this ultra-rare rookie auto of a potential future superstar could realistically be worth $5,000+ long term.
Staying in the NL Central, Brewers’ flamethrower Ethan Small made his MLB debut in 2022 and showed why he was such a highly-regarded pitching prospect. While injuries limited his workload, when healthy he flashed plus velocity with his fastball and a solid slider-changeup mix. His base rookie is hovering around the $20 mark but parallels like the Purple Ice /199 and Red Ice /10 number could appreciate nicely if Small establishes himself as a rotation piece in Milwaukee. One to target is his Green Ice auto /50, which has already climbed north of $150 in PSA 10 condition with his potential still untapped.
Shifting to some veterans, superstar shortstop Trea Turner signed a massive 11-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies last offseason. After winning a World Series ring with the Dodgers, Turner is now the face of the Phillies franchise and a perennial MVP candidate. His base Diamond Kings parallel from Donruss is only numbered to /50 copies and already fetches $150+ raw. The true blue-chip card, though, is his 1/1 Gold Diamond Kings auto which was certified PSA/DNA GEM MINT 10. At a population of one, this ultra-exclusive on-card auto of a modern superstar could realistically push $5,000 long term as Turner continues producing at an elite level.
Another veteran with a chance to gain long-term value is Angels’ two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. After back-to-back AL MVP awards, Ohtani has cemented himself as the best and most unique player in baseball today. While his base cards are plentiful, parallels like the Orange Ice /50 and Red Ice /10 number are already in the $75-150 range raw for his impressive dual-threat skillset. The true blue-chip is his 1/1 Gold Ice auto, which has already changed hands for over $2,000 in a PSA 10 slab. As one of the rarest Ohtani cards on the market, this one-of-a-kind auto of a true generational talent could appreciate significantly if he continues defying expectations.
No overview of valuable 2023 Donruss cards would be complete without mentioning top prospects like Dodgers’ catcher Diego Cartaya and Mariners’ outfielder Julio Rodriguez. While their base rookies hold value, it’s the short printed parallels that have true long-term potential. Cartaya’s Orange Ice /50 and Red Ice /10 auto parallels have already cleared $200-300 raw with his massive offensive upside. Rodriguez, after a stellar rookie campaign, has seen his Green Ice /199 and Red Ice /10 auto parallels jump up near $150-250 each as well. The true blue-chips are their respective Gold Ice 1/1 autographs, with Cartaya’s already changing hands for $3,000+ in a PSA 10 while Rodriguez’s could push $5,000 long term as a true one-of-a-kind rookie auto for a budding star and franchise cornerstone.
While the 2023 Donruss baseball set lacks some of the true star power rookies of years past, savvy collectors know there are still valuable cards to be had – especially in the short printed parallels and 1/1 autos of top prospects, budding stars, and veteran superstars. For collectors willing to hold long term, cards like Dillon Paulson, Elly De La Cruz, Ethan Small, Trea Turner, Shohei Ohtani, Diego Cartaya, and Julio Rodriguez parallels have the potential to gain significant value as these players’ careers progress and accomplishments accumulate. With scarcity and on-card autographs in their favor, the right 2023 Donruss parallels could end up being extremely valuable investments for patient collectors in the years to come.
