The Houston Astros are coming off another successful 2022 season that saw them return to the World Series for the second time in six years. They ultimately fell short against the Philadelphia Phillies. As the Astros look ahead to 2023, baseball card collectors have 2022 editions to commemorate a historic AL West division title.
This Astros team has grown accustomed to winning in recent years, capturing five division crowns since 2017. At the center of it all stands superstar shortstop Carlos Correa, who is one of the faces of the franchise. Unfortunately for Houston fans, Correa signed a huge free agent deal with the Minnesota Twins following the 2021 season.
For the 2022 campaign, the Astros turned to veteran free agent acquisition Jeremy Peña to take over at shortstop. And boy, did Peña deliver in his rookie season. The 25-year old wowed with his poise and production, slashing .289/.345/.517 with 22 home runs and 63 RBI over 146 games. Peña’s monster rookie year performance earned him American League Championship Series MVP honors and cemented him as Correa’s long-term successor. His top rookie card from 2022 releases like Topps, Panini and Bowman Chrome are sure to be highly sought after collectors items for years to come.
Another big storyline from this Astros team revolved around veteran ace Justin Verlander, who made a triumphant return from Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2021 season. At 39 years old, Verlander enjoyed a Cy Young-caliber campaign, posting a stellar 1.75 ERA with 185 strikeouts over 28 starts. Having Verlander back leading the rotation was a huge boost and his pitching dominance netted him an AL Cy Young and ALCS MVP award. His 2022 flagship rookie cards from the major brands should hold strong collectible value.
Offensive catalyst Jose Altuve also had a vintage season in his Age-32 campaign. The 5-foot-6 second baseman continues to defy Father Time, as he slashed .300/.387/.533 with 28 home runs and 57 RBI. Altuve remains one of the best pure hitters in baseball and a bonafide Astros legend after over a decade with the organization. His cards from this year, including autographed and memorabilia versions, will be a mainstay in team collections.
In the outfield, young sluggers Yordan Álvarez and Kyle Tucker broke out even more in 2022. Álvarez belted 37 home runs and led the AL with a 1.019 OPS while driving in 97 runs. Meanwhile, Tucker set career-highs with 29 homers and 107 RBI to go along with a .267 batting average. Both Álvarez and Tucker are cornerstone pieces for Houston’s dynamic offense and their rising star power makes their 2022 cards a wise long term baseball investment.
On the pitching side, veteran righty Lance McCullers Jr. returned from his own Tommy John layoff to deliver 174 innings of 3.16 ERA ball. His changeup remains one of baseball’s most unhittable pitches. 2020 AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke also provided 183 innings of reliable rotation work in his age-38 campaign. Closer Ryan Pressly closed out 35 games with a 2.98 ERA and 33 saves in 55.1 innings pitched. These veterans bring stability to Houston’s staff.
While the Astros fell just short of their ultimate goal in 2022, this core group has proven to be perennial contenders who know how to win. Their chase for a second championship in six years will continue in 2023 and beyond. Collecting their tops rookies and stars from this past season offers an investment in one of baseball’s model franchises. This Astros team has all the ingredients to sustain long-term success, making their 2022 baseball cards a collection worth building.
