The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off another impressive season in 2022 that saw them win 111 games and capture their ninth National League West division title in 10 years. While they fell short of their ultimate goal of winning the World Series, losing in the NLDS to the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers remain one of baseball’s most successful franchises with a talented and star-studded roster. With the 2023 season on the horizon, collectors can look forward to a new crop of Dodgers baseball cards featuring some of the game’s biggest names.
One of the most highly-anticipated Dodgers cards for 2023 will certainly be of outfielder Mookie Betts. The 2018 American League MVP continued his All-Star caliber play in 2022, batting .273 with 32 home runs and 98 runs batted in. An impossible combination of speed, power, and defense, Betts has cemented himself as a true five-tool superstar and the face of the Dodgers franchise since arriving in a trade from Boston prior to the 2020 season. Given his status among the elite players in baseball today, Betts’ rookie cards from Upper Deck, Topps, Panini, and other manufacturers are sure to be some of the most sought-after Dodgers cards on the market next year.
Another generational talent Dodgers fans will be looking for in 2023 sets is shortstop Trea Turner. Acquired in a blockbuster deadline deal with Washington in 2021, Turner has thrived in blue since being reunited with former Nationals teammate Max Scherzer. The lightning-quick 28-year-old hit .298 with 21 homers and 100 RBI for Los Angeles in 2022 and finished third in NL MVP voting, showing no signs of slowing down as he heads into free agency. With question marks surrounding his long-term future in Dodger Blue, Turner’s 2023 cards could take on added significance for collectors if he signs elsewhere in the offseason.
In what may end up being a relatively quiet free agency period for the Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw is another key name whose future remains uncertain beyond 2022. After missing over two months of the season with injury, the future Hall of Famer returned in time for the postseason and tossed seven stellar innings of one-run ball against the Padres in the NLDS. Now 35, Kershaw will weigh whether to return for a 16th season in Dodger blue or hang up his cleats. His decades of dominance in Los Angeles have made him a legend among fans there and 2023 could feature what collectors hope aren’t his “final cards” if he retires.
While superstars like Betts, Turner, and possibly Kershaw headline the Dodger cards of 2023, fans should also be on the lookout for rising young talent like starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin and All-Star outfielder Chris Taylor. Gonsolin emerged as the Dodgers’ most reliable starter in 2022, going 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA across 25 starts and firmly establishing himself in their rotation for years to come. Meanwhile, Taylor has quietly established himself as one of LA’s steadiest and most versatile players, batting .254 with 12 homers while playing six different positions this past season. With continued strong play, Gonsolin and Taylor rookie cards should gain value among collectors next year.
The Dodgers’ influx of young talent extends beyond just Gonsolin and Taylor as well. Shortstop/third baseman Miguel Vargas turned heads this summer when he was called up from Triple-A and batted .294 in 32 games, showing the ability to be an impact bat for years to come. Meanwhile, outfield prospects James Outman and Andy Pages had breakout seasons in the minors and could debut in LA as early as 2023 if they keep progressing. With their established stars and a talented farm system, the Dodgers cards of 2023 offer appeal for both present and future investments for collectors young and old.
Looking back at their franchise history, the Dodgers have featured some true legends over the decades whose vintage cards remain highly coveted collector’s items as well. Legendary players like Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Fernando Valenzuela, Eric Karros, Orel Hershiser, Kirk Gibson, and plenty more dot the franchise’s deeply rich history. For collectors looking to grow an investment collection featuring Dodger icons of the past, 2023 could be a great opportunity to chase RCs or vintage gems from the catalogs of Topps, Fleer, Donruss, and others depicting LA stars of yesteryear. With the nostalgia appeal of the Dodgers’ storied past combined with an exciting present and future under Andrew Friedman’s guidance, their baseball cards will surely be a hot commodity for years to come.
All in all, 2023 shapes up to be another exciting year for Dodgers baseball card collectors with questions surrounding free agents like Turner and Kershaw paired with the continued emergence of young offensive and pitching talent taking shape on the field in Chavez Ravine. As one of the game’s marquee franchises with a championship-caliber roster, the Dodgers always attract appeal among collectors both locally in LA as well as nationally. Whether chasing stars of today or relics from the team’s storied history, Dodger fans and investors alike will have plenty to scrutinize as the 2023 card season gets underway.
