While some 2023 baseball cards have begun to trickle out, the majority of the new year’s offerings have not been fully released yet. Typically, the main wave of new baseball card releases comes out starting in late January and ramps up through the spring and early summer as the new Major League Baseball season gets underway.
The first 2023 baseball cards to arrive were generally subsets, insert cards, and limited specialty products focused on star players from the 2022 season. Examples include Topps Project 70 cards celebrating iconic players’ career milestones, Topps Transcendent collection highlighting some of the biggest names in the sport, and subsets pulled from flagship Topps, Bowman, and Panini releases looking back at last season. These early 2023 baseball cards start being inserted into packs and boxes beginning in November and December as a precursor to the full new year releases.
The primary retail releases for the major license holders – Topps, Panini, and Bowman (under the Topps umbrella) – have not fully hit store shelves yet. Topps, the longest-running and most prominent baseball card manufacturer, typically launches its Standard and Chrome base sets in late January through a timed release plan on its website and at national retailers. This allows for an organized unveiling of the new designs and rookies as Spring Training begins. Panini and Bowman’s flagship products tend to follow in February and March respectively through similar distribution channels.
As of now in early-to-mid January 2023, hobby shops and online breakers have begun receiving and breakings boxes of the first test releases from Topps, Panini, and Bowman to gauge fan and collector interest in parallel to the NFL Playoffs and run-up to the Super Bowl. These include early shipments of 2023 Topps Series 1 Hobby Boxes and Blaster Boxes, 2023 Bowman Baseball Hobby Boxes, and Donruss Baseball Hobby Packs and Blaster Boxes. Mass market distribution of full retail releases has yet to occur. It’s expected Topps Series 1 will be the first widely available through late January shelf stockings.
Another indicator of when the 2023 season is truly underway is the arrival of the rookie class. Top prospects drafted in 2021 and 2022 will receive their first mainstream trading card releases through Topps, Bowman, and Panini’s retail products beginning in late winter. Notable names to watch for include the debut cards of Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday, Elijah Green, and Termarr Johnson among many other top talents. Their appearance signals the passing of the torch to a new crop of future stars.
Secondary markets like eBay also see increased 2023 baseball card listings pop up in January as enthusiasts look to get a head start on trading and collecting the incoming year’s releases. True retail availability and mainstream consumer access is still limited at this point. The majority of the 2023 baseball card season remains ahead over the coming months as flagships launch and special products emerge on a regular basis straight through late summer and fall.
While a few early 2023 baseball cards are starting to circulate, the mass consumer rollout has yet to occur industry-wide. Most fans and collectors can expect fuller retail releases with the arrival of Topps Series 1 in late January, followed by flagship Bowman and Panini products through March. The 2023 season officially begins when the new rookie class receives their debut baseball cards alongside the opening of Major League Spring Training.
