Topps Chrome is one of the most anticipated baseball card releases each year from sports card giant Topps. The shiny chrome design has become synonymous with high-end rookies, prospects, and stars of the game. The 2022 edition was no different, housing several highly valuable rookie cards that could appreciate significantly with strong on-field performance.
One of the most expensive cards available for sale now is the Julio Rodriguez Topps Chrome Prizm Green Refractor rookie card numbered to /99. Rodriguez had a phenomenal debut season for the Mariners in 2022, battling for the AL Rookie of the Year award. His tools and upside have him poised as a future superstar. The Prizm Green refractor captures that hype and prestige in chrome form. Examples in mint condition have already crested six figures on the secondary market. Expected to continually climb if Rodriguez continues developing into the perennial All-Star many project.
Another hyped rookie that delivered was Seattle Mariners shortstop Noelvi Marte. While he spent most of 2022 in the minors, Marte is considered one of the top prospects in baseball. The prized position player has five-tool potential and gaudy minor league stats. Topps Chrome afforded collectors an early opportunity to invest in Marte. Of particular interest are the Prizm Refractors numbered to /199 or lower, which have entered four-figure territory for pristine copies. Marte is likely MLB bound in 2023 and poised for stardom, making his rookie cards a strong long-term hobby investment.
Perhaps the single most valuable card in the entire 2022 Topps Chrome set belongs to San Diego Padres superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Due to an injury plagued 2022 season after an 80-game PED suspension, Tatis saw drastically reduced card production compared to previous years. This has made his flagship chrome rookie all the more difficult to acquire. The Prizm Refractor #/199 parallel specifically holds immense collector demand due to the prestigious parallel designation coupled with Tatis’ established superstardom. Graded mint version regularly eclipse $10,000 USD and could appreciate significantly if Tatis bounces back to his 2019-2020 MVP caliber levels of production moving forward.
Two of the greatest prospects in all of baseball also debuted in Topps Chrome – Druw Jones from the Atlanta Braves and Jackson Holliday from the Baltimore Orioles. As the sons of former MLB All-Stars Andruw Jones and Matt Holliday, both Jones and Holliday entered professional baseball with immense expectations and hype. Their chrome rookie cards capture that excitement for collectors seeking to buy into top tier prospects. Of note are the Jones Prizm Refractor /199 and Holliday Prizm Refractor Silver Prizm /75, which have reached $1,000 in top condition already despite neither player accruing a minor or major league at-bat. If either reaches their full upside, these cards could mushroom exponentially in value.
Staying in the realm of prospects, Twins ss/2b Emmanuel Rodriguez produced one of the more intriguing rookie cards in the set. Rodriguez entered 2022 as a modestly regarded international free agent signing, but exploded onto the scene by hitting .323 with 19 home runs between low-A and high-A ball. Now considered a blue-chip prospect, his Topps Chrome Prizm Refractor /199 has jumped up accordingly – readily trading hands for $400-500 in top-grade. Rodriguez has an exciting chance to continue building on his breakout season and climb prospect rankings, potentially fueling further growth of this already valuable rookie card.
While prospects and rookies often command the most attention, superstar veterans can still hold immense value in Topps Chrome as well – especially if injury led to minimized production. One example is Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. After elbow issues wiped out his 2022 pitching season early, Shohei rookie cards from his MVP 2021 campaign skyrocketed in demand. Collectors understandably want to maintain exposure to his rare two-way talents. The Ohtani Topps Chrome Prizm Refractor /199 parallel in particular has cracked $1,000 as a result, highlighting his indispensable place within the hobby.
Throughout its illustrious history, Topps Chrome has housed some of the hobby’s most iconic and valuable rookie cards. The 2022 edition continued that tradition with breakouts like Rodriguez, established talents in Tatis Jr. and Ohtani, and blue-chip prospects Jones and Holliday. Strong performances moving forward could see examples from this set appreciate exponentially. For savvy collectors, Topps Chrome serves as an annually ideal opportunity to plant long-term seeds on tomorrow’s baseball stars today in shimmering chrome card form.
