The 2020 baseball season was unlike any other due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Major League Baseball games were played in mostly empty stadiums, the collectible baseball card industry continued to thrive. Here are some of the top baseball cards released in 2020 that any collector would be excited to add to their collection:
Bowman Chrome 1st Refractors: Bowman Chrome is one of the premier baseball card products each year for its eye-catching refractors. The 2020 release featured several top prospects like Bobby Witt Jr., Emerson Hancock, and Jarred Kelenic that captured the hobby’s attention. Witt’s rookie refractors in particular skyrocketed in value after his impressive MLB debut in 2022. These colorful refractors from Bowman Chrome remain some of the most sought-after modern rookie cards on the market.
Topps Chrome Update Series Rookies: The Topps Chrome Update Series is released each fall and provides the first Topps Chrome cards for many top rookies who made their MLB debuts that season. Some of the biggest rookie hits from 2020 Update included Luis Robert, Alec Bohm, and Dustin May. Robert especially had a breakout rookie campaign that made his Topps Chrome cards extremely valuable. This set continues to be mined each year for affordable rookie refractors of future stars.
Topps Finest Patrick Mahomes Patch Auto: While not a baseball card per se, the inclusion of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Topps Finest created huge buzz in 2020. Mahomes’ auto patch parallel /5 pulled focus as one of the rarest football cards around at the time. Its enormous price tag showed there is still strong demand for high-end memorabilia cards even in the midst of the pandemic.
Topps Transcendent Collection Mike Trout Patch Auto: At the other end of the spectrum, Topps released its ultra-high-end “Transcendent Collection” featuring patches and autographs of the game’s biggest stars. Naturally, any Trout card would garner attention but his exquisite 1/1 patch auto truly captured the imagination of collectors. Cards like this reaffirmed Trout’s position atop the modern game and as one of the most valuable players in any sport to own a card of.
Bowman’s Best Autographs: While Bowman Chrome and the base Bowman set garnered lots of attention for prospects, Bowman’s Best provided the highest concentration of lucrative autographs. Short prints like Nico Hoerner and Gavin Lux gained collector interest and their on-card signatures preserved good value despite the sheer number of autograph cards in the set. Overall Bowman’s Best delivered some of the best vintage-style design and memorabilia cards in the 2020 release calendar.
Topps Series 2 Juan Soto Rainbow Foil Variation: Topps Series 2 is always a fun release with its player roster updates and extended photo and uniform variations. In 2020, the Rainbow Foil parallel became a huge hit thanks to a Juan Soto card that pulled in massive amounts of attention. Soto has emerged as one of the game’s most popular young stars and this hyper-colorful refractor reinforced that following. It became a must-have for any Soto PC.
Topps Chrome Alex Kirilloff Auto: While not a true “rookie” in 2020, Alex Kirilloff’s prospect hype had been building for several years in the Minnesota Twins system. When he finally reached the bigs in 2021, collectors remembered cards like his gorgeous Topps Chrome auto from the year prior. Its on-card signature and refractory technology combined to make it both a great baseball card and potential long-term investment for those who recognized Kirilloff’s abilities before he debuted.
Topps Inception Mike Trout Patch Auto 1/1: Similar to the high-end Transcendent Collection, Topps Inception is known for pushing memorabilia cards to new levels. Its Trout patch 1/1 featuring patches from three of his iconic jerseys truly stood out, even alongside other ultra-rare prospects in the set. While extremely expensive, cards like this highlighted Trout’s unparalleled status as the current face of the sport.
Topps Big League Ronald Acuña Jr. Patch Auto: While Acuña missed much of the 2020 season due to injury, his popularity and production when healthy made any special card highly sought-after. Topps Big League provided one of the best Acuña patch autographs around that year in an on-card signature paired with multiple jersey swatches. For those wanting a true game-used memorabilia card of one of the game’s brightest young stars, this Acuña stood out as a must-own.
Topps Allen & Ginter Miguel Cabrera Mini Bat: While not a true “card” per se, the memorabilia mini bats in Allen & Ginter are always a big hit. In 2020, one of the most popular picks was a Miguel Cabrera bat that paid homage to his outstanding career. Even as he aged, Cabrera remained one of the most accomplished right-handed hitters of his generation. His mini bat served as a tribute to his legacy that collectors loved adding to their collections.
Topps Chrome Gold Label Nolan Arenado /50: Topps Chrome Gold Label parallels are some of the most visually stunning in the hobby. Featuring full-bleed photographs on gold-colored stock, they stand out alongside any collection. Arenado had long been one of the game’s most consistent third basemen, making any scarce parallel like his /50 from 2020 Chrome a true prize. Between his talent and the beauty of the card design itself, it became a highly sought trophy card.
While the 2020 season had its fair share of challenges, the collectible baseball card industry still delivered many amazing cards featuring the game’s current stars and future prospects. Whether targeting rookies, parallels, autographs or memorabilia cards, there was no shortage of exciting new cardboard to discover. Cards like these from 2020 will remain popular with collectors for years to come.
