Aaron Judge had one of the most historic seasons in baseball history in 2022 when he broke the American League single-season home run record. Naturally, collectors have taken a major interest in Judge’s rookie cards and cards from his record-setting season. While most of Judge’s cards from previous years have seen significant jumps in value, many collectors are most interested in how his rookie cards and 2023 Topps cards will hold up long-term.
Judge’s rookie season was in 2016 with the New York Yankees. That year, Topps released Judge’s rookie cards in both the standard Topps and Topps Chrome sets. While Judge showed promise in his rookie year, hitting 20 home runs in just 114 games, he had yet to break out as the superstar slugger he would become. As a result, Judge’s 2016 Topps rookie cards could be acquired fairly inexpensively in the years after they were released. After Judge’s 2022 AL home run record season, his rookie cards skyrocketed in value.
A PSA 10 graded version of Judge’s standard 2016 Topps rookie card recently sold for $101,000 on eBay in September 2022. Meanwhile, a PSA 10 of his rookie chrome card from the same year reached $180,000 at auction. Even raw, ungraded versions of these cards in near-mint to mint condition regularly sell for $500-1000+ on the secondary market. It’s clear that Judge’s 2022 season has taken his rookie cards to a whole new level in terms of collector demand and monetary value. With his superstar status now cemented, many believe these rookie cards have room for further appreciation as long as Judge maintains his elite play.
Of course, the cards collectors are most interested in from 2022 are Judge’s flagship Topps cards documenting his record-setting season. Judge’s base card can be found in both the standard Topps release as well as Topps Chrome. In the regular Topps set, his base card carries the number 169. Meanwhile, in Topps Chrome his base card number is 99. Both of these cards skyrocketed in demand over the course of the 2022 season as Judge approached and ultimately broke the AL home run record.
In the days and weeks after Judge set the new record with his 62nd home run, raw versions of his 2022 Topps and Topps Chrome base cards were selling for $100-200 each online. As more time has passed and Judge’s accomplishment has sunk in, the prices have continued climbing. Today, PSA 10 graded versions of his 2022 Topps and Topps Chrome base cards regularly sell for $1,000-2,000 each. Even raw, ungraded copies in near-mint to mint condition go for $300-700 depending on the marketplace.
These prices are likely only temporary, as history shows cards from record-setting seasons tend to appreciate significantly with time. For example, cards of Barry Bonds from his 2001 season when he broke the single-season home run record have increased many times over in value since first being released. The same is true of cards from Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa’s epic home run race in 1998. There’s no reason to believe Judge’s 2022 Topps cards won’t follow a similar long-term appreciation trajectory, especially if he maintains elite production and chase records.
In addition to his base cards, Judge has several popular inserts and parallels from 2022 Topps releases that are in high demand. His Topps Fire card has become a particularly hot commodity. In Topps Fire, Judge’s card bears the number 4 and features a photo of him swinging with a fiery background. PSA 10 versions of this card have sold for as much as $2,500. Other popular high-end parallels include his Topps Sapphire, Topps Chrome Sapphire, and Topps Chrome Black Border refractors. All of these parallel and insert cards featuring Judge from 2022 are selling for hundreds of dollars even in raw form due to the limited print runs.
Looking ahead to 2023, Topps will again feature Judge prominently across all of its baseball card products since he is undoubtedly one of the faces of MLB coming off his record-setting season. While prices for Judge’s 2023 Topps cards remain to be seen long-term, early indicators suggest they will be some of the most in-demand modern baseball cards released. His standard base card and Topps Chrome base card are sure to be hot ticket items. Select parallels and short-print variants will also capture collector attention. With continued strong play in 2023 and beyond, Aaron Judge’s 2023 Topps cards have a great shot at joining the ranks of the most valuable modern baseball cards in the hobby.
In summary, Aaron Judge’s breakout 2022 season where he set the AL home run record has taken the prices of his rookie cards and flagship Topps cards from that year to new heights. While expensive already, most experts believe they have further room for appreciation as long as Judge maintains his elite caliber of play. His 2023 Topps cards are poised to be some of the most sought-after modern issues upon release as well. Judge has truly inserted himself into the conversation as one of the premier sluggers and most collectible players in baseball card history over the last couple seasons. It will be fascinating to see how the values of his recent cards, especially those from 2022 and 2023, perform long-term.
