The 2022 Panini Donruss baseball offering had another strong year of rookie cards and parallels that are rapidly gaining value in the current hot trading card market. While the current crop of rookie phenoms like Toronto’s Vlad Guerrero Jr. continue rising in the 2019-2021 sets, this year’s crop offers a new batch of exciting young talents to chase. Several key rookies and rare inserts from the 2022 Panini Donruss set are proving to be quite valuable already and poised to rise even more in the coming years if these players live up to their potential.
Perhaps the most sought-after rookie in the entire 2022 release is Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez. Considered a future superstar in the making and early favorite for American League Rookie of the Year honors, Rodriguez’s base rookie card #116 is a hot commodity. The standard base cards have already risen above the $30-$40 range on the secondary market mere months after release. His prizm and optic parallels fetch much higher premiums already in the $100+ range. His ultra-rare 1/1 autograph parallels from Diamond Kings, Flux, and Court Kings inserts regularly sell for thousands on auction sites. Rodriguez looks like a cornerstone player for the upstart Mariners and his cards are sure to keep ascending if he continues his breakout success.
Another position player rookie flying up collector’s radars is Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña. Replacing fan favorite Carlos Correa at shortstop, Peña has played beyond all expectations and helped lead the Astros back to the World Series in 2022. His outstanding defense and emerging bat make him a franchise cornerstone. While not quite as expensive as Julio R’s base rookie, Peña’s #115 card still maintains a $20+ price tag currently. His prizm, optic, and Genesis parallels fetch $50+ as collectors bet on his continued rise. Autograph cards and low numbered parallels could be true long term gems if Peña solidifies himself as a perennial all-star.
On the pitching side, Miami Marlins righty Max Meyer is drawing rave reviews despite an injury plagued 2022 stint in the minors and majors. Considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, collectors are eager to snatch up Meyer’s base rookie card #113 for around $15 currently. His Optic and Green Prizm parallels in the $30-$50 range already show strong early believer demand. Meyer has true ace upside if he can stay healthy, making his rainbow of parallels and autographed cards tantalizing long shots. Further dominance as soon as 2023 could blast his cards into stratosphere alongside fellow young aces.
Beyond the top rookies, collectors are scouring 2022 Donruss for other emerging young talents as well as rare parallels and inserts. Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Miguel Vargas is starting to gather buzz with his productive September MLB debut. His base is a reasonable $8 but prizm parallels are $25+. Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene has electric stuff but struggled as a rookie – his cards remain quite affordable but his long term upside makes for enticing gambles. Series 2 breakouts like Boston’s Brayan Bello and San Diego’s MacKenzie Gore are gathering interest as well if they break through.
On the parallel and insert front, several key subsets are proving alluring to collectors. The Flux parallel designs remain a fan favorite insert set featuring gorgeous refractors. 1/1 Flux autos can reach $500-1000 already. Genesis parallels feature intricate designs and number to only 99 copies – these $50+ parallels of top rookies are sure to appreciate. The Pink Diamond parallel /25s and Green /10s of top prospects command $100+ premiums. And ultra-short printed Court Kings 1/1s of superstar veterans can fetch thousands due to their one-of-a-kind rarity.
While still very early in their careers, the 2022 Topps Donruss baseball release showcases several rookies like Julio Rodriguez and Jeremy Peña that are already performing extremely well and gathering steam in the collector market. Their base rookies along with exciting parallels and inserts remain quite affordably priced currently but have sharp upward trajectories if these talented players continue developing. Beyond the biggest names, savvy collectors are identifying other emerging prospects, prizm and genesis parallels, and short printed inserts that offer potential for high long term gains. With the modern trading card market staying red hot, top cards from this 2022 Panini Donruss release seem poised to become very valuable collectors’ items in the years ahead.
