The 2023 baseball card season is shaping up to be another exciting year in the hobby. With rookies like Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. breaking out in their first full MLB seasons in 2022, collectors have their eyes on the next wave of young stars to chase. Veterans are also putting together career years that could make for memorable cardboard. Let’s take a look at some of the top prospects, rookies, and veterans to keep an eye on in 2023 baseball cards.
One of the most anticipated rookie classes in recent memory will be featured in 2023 sets. Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez had a phenomenal debut season that has vaulted him to the top of most prospect lists. His autographed and numbered rookie cards could be the jewels of the year. Bobby Witt Jr. showed why he was a can’t-miss prospect by hitting double digit home runs as a 21-year-old with the Kansas City Royals. Adley Rutschman also made his much-anticipated debut with the Baltimore Orioles and displayed why he was the top pick in the 2019 draft. All three are likely to have 1st Bowman Chrome and Topps Chrome Update RCs that will be hotly pursued.
Two of baseball’s brightest young stars in Wander Franco and Ronald Acuña Jr. are still eligible to be featured as rookies in 2023. Franco dazzled in his first full season with the Tampa Bay Rays and could have a true rookie card after only playing in 70 games in 2021. Acuña is returning from an ACL injury that cost him almost all of 2022, but collectors will be eager to add his first full season cards to their collections. On the pitching side, Miami Marlins lefty Trevor Rogers looks primed for a breakout season after two strong campaigns and his Topps Chrome Update RC could be one to watch.
Veteran superstars are also having career-defining seasons that could make their 2023 cards stand out. Shohei Ohtani is a cinch to win the AL MVP award after another two-way tour de force with the Los Angeles Angels. His autographed cards from Topps, Panini, and other brands will hold tremendous value. Aaron Judge broke the AL single season home run record with 62 dingers and is a free agent, so cards from whatever team he signs with will be hot commodities. Mookie Betts led the Dodgers to a World Series title and continues to produce at an elite level. His cards remain some of the most coveted in the hobby.
Rookies and veterans aren’t the only players who can have big 2023 cards. Breakout seasons from young stars like Julio Rodríguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and others will make their sophomore year cards highly sought after. Ronald Acuña Jr. is another who collectors will want cards from as he returns from injury looking to regain superstar form. Veterans continuing to defy Father Time like Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera chasing milestones create opportunities for memorable cards as well. Autographed parallels and numbered refractors from flagship products will lead the way.
The National League MVP race between Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado added intrigue to the Cardinals and could produce two more stars with top 2023 cards. Goldschmidt is having a career year at age 35 while Arenado continues to be one of the best all-around third basemen in the game. St. Louis is poised to battle the Dodgers and Braves for NL supremacy, keeping the Redbirds in the spotlight. Within the Cardinals organization, top prospect Jordan Walker made strides and his first Topps Chrome Update cards will be a priority.
Panini Prizm and Panini Contenders are two of the hottest modern card brands and their 2023 releases are must-haves. Prizm has become the de facto “rookie card” product thanks to its flashy refractors and parallels. Top rookies like Rodriguez, Witt, and Rutschman will lead the way alongside veterans like Ohtani and Judge. Contenders focuses on on-card autographs, creating a treasure hunt for collectors. Hits of emerging stars and veterans in career-defining seasons will reign supreme. Both Panini lines offer collectors affordable alternative options to the flagship Topps products as well.
Topps Chrome and Bowman Chrome remain the gold standards that other products are judged by. Topps Chrome Update is the pinnacle release for rookie class cards thanks to its sharp photography and refractor parallel options. Bowman Chrome is still the first card home for most top prospects and offers the earliest cardboard for players yet to debut in the majors. Superfractor parallels remain the holy grail. Topps Finest also provides high-end refractors and autographs of the year’s top performers. These staple Topps products will continue to drive the overall 2023 baseball card season.
From rookies like Rodriguez and Witt making their mark to veterans like Ohtani and Judge producing MVP caliber seasons, the 2023 baseball card year is primed to be an exciting one. Top prospects continuing to develop, stars returning from injury, and veterans staying productive all create opportunities for memorable cardboard. Flagship Topps products like Chrome, Bowman Chrome, and Finest lead the way supplemented by hot modern brands like Panini Prizm and Contenders. With a new crop of rookies and career years from established names, 2023 looks to have no shortage of cards that will be coveted by collectors for years to come.
