The 2022 Topps Major League Baseball card collection brought many highly sought after rookie cards and parallels to the hobby. With the popularity of star rookies like Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Adley Rutschman coming into the league, their Topps rookies cards were hot commodities. Veterans like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani also had some rare parallel and autograph variations that achieved high prices. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the rarest 2022 Topps baseball cards that collectors searched high and low to find.
One of the most valuable rookie cards from the 2022 Topps set is Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez. His base rookie card is #177 and became one of the most pulled rookie cards early in the year. Several rare parallels made his card much harder to find. The Ultra Rare Red Refractor parallel /50 was one of the big hits. Graded examples of this refractor rookie sold for well over $1,000. Another scarce parallel is the Gold Refractor /2021, which was limited to the year of issue. Low population Gold rookie cards of J-Rod also exceeded $1,000.
Like Rodriguez, Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had mainstream popularity and hype around his rookie season. His base Topps card is #178. Rare finds included his Silver Pack Refractor parallel /299 and Gold Refractor parallel /2021. The true Willie Mays-style redemption of Witt’s rookie cards was the 1-of-1 Superfractor. This singular parallel card is the ultimate rarity for any Topps issue and set collectors scrambling to locate Witt’s. Unsurprisingly, an ungraded example sold for over $10,000 when it surfaced months after release.
One of the set’s most popular veterans is two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Angels. While his base card is attainable as #44, parallel options proved elusive. His Ultra Rare Red Refractor /50 consistently rates as one of his rarest modern issues aside from autographs. Low population Gold Refractor /2021 editions also brought over $1,000 each. Another scarce Ohtani was the Platinum Anniversary parallel, limited to 70 copies to commemorate Topps’ 70th anniversary. High grades of this refractor sold north of $1,500.
Nationals outfielder Juan Soto, still just 23 years old, continued producing at an MVP level. As one of the game’s brightest young stars, demand was high for any Soto parallels. Outside of his base card #68, the super short print Silver Pack Refractor /75 became a intense target. Only a handful are known to exist. An ungraded example recently sold for just under $2,000 on the secondary market. Soto’s Gold Refractor /2021 was also limited and rarely offered. Any Soto parallel from flagship Topps carries a premium due to his established superstar status.
One of the most accomplished veterans is Angels star Mike Trout. Even a decade into his career, Trout collectors seek out any scarce parallel they can find. The 2022 Topps issue gave them some new finds. Trout’s base card is #43 as always. Serial numbered parallels included his Green Shimmer /99 and Orange Refractor /50. It was the ultra-low population Platinum Anniversary parallel /70 that commanded the highest prices, hitting over $1,400 PSA Gem Mint. No Trout collection is complete without at least one example of these exclusive, hard-to-find insert parallels from the set.
Some of the most exciting discoveries from 2022 Topps came via autograph and memorabilia cards. One example is Orioles catcher/first baseman Adley Rutschman, the top pick in the 2019 draft. His base rookie is #176. But his Topps Autograph Blue Refractor /199 pulled huge money raw and graded, accounting for arguably the single most valuable Rutschman card on the market last year. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, still in his prime at 30 years old, boasted a rare Topps Autograph Gold Refractor /70 serial numbered parallel that found a new home around $2,000 graded.
Two of the set’s biggest rookie ticket autographs were Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena and Marlins righty Max Meyer. Pena’s World Series heroics made his Topps Autograph Red Refractor /25 one of the toughest pulls all year. Meyer followed up his lost 2021 season with promise in 2022 that carried over to collectors. His equally sparse Topps Autograph Orange Refractor /50 became a seven-figure card upon submission to PSA after an impressive debut. These star talents brought untold value to any lucky case breakers who uncovered their infinitesimal printed autograph parallels.
While 2021 Topps baseball cards are readily available still online and through resellers, there remains a huge market for the rarest parallel and hit cards from the 2022 release. Fan favorites like Trout, Judge, Ohtani and rookie stars Rodriguez and Witt produced pulls that collectors scrambled over each other to obtain. Autograph cards for prospects and MLB talents both established a new bar for modern issue rarity. The 2022 Topps set delighted collectors with scarce numbered inserts, parallels and on-card autos that provided genuine chase hits and long-term value for dedicated players and investors in the hobby.
