The 2022 Topps Heritage baseball cards are prestigious vintage-style issues that have generated massive hype in the collecting community. While all Heritage releases hold significant value, certain cards from the recent series have particularly skyrocketed in price due to various factors such as star power, scarcity, and historical significance. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the priciest 2022 Topps Heritage cards on the secondary market right now.
Perhaps the most coveted 2022 Topps Heritage card available is the autographed red parallel of superstar Shohei Ohtani numbered to just 10 copies. As one of the game’s true dual threats on both the mound and at the plate, Ohtani’s on-field achievements have made him a darling of the baseball card industry. His autographed red parallels from Heritage’s standard and high number series regularly sell for over $10,000 each online. It’s easy to see why – such a rare card featuring the face of MLB serialized to a tiny print run instantly become highly sought after by knowledgeable collectors.
Another huge money card is the standard blue parallel of rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez. Numbered to only 50 copies, J-Rod mania has fully taken hold after his breakout season for the Mariners helped them return to the postseason. High grades of this scarce parallel have moved for $5,000 or more. With Rodriguez viewed as a likely future MVP candidate, such a low-print rookie card stands to hold tremendous long term value. Even more costly is Rodriguez’ red parallel, with PSA 10 specimens trading hands for upwards of $12,000.
For Hall of Famer autograph collectors, the blue parallel auto of Pedro Martinez from Heritage’s high numbers checklist checks in as pricey at $3,000-4,000 PSA 10. Martinez is beloved among Red Sox Nation and remains one of the most dominant pitchers ever when at his peak. Combining his signature with one of just 50 blue parallels made his card extremely tough to pull.
Rookie phenoms like Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan and Astros’ JJ Matijevic also have their share of expensive parallel cards. Donovan’s red auto /50 has sold for almost $2,000 in mint condition. Meanwhile, Matijevic’s 5-figure signing bonus out of the 2020 draft brought him instant prospect status – thus, PSA 10 copies of his blue auto /50 have moved for close to $1,500. With both players looking like future core members of contending ballclubs, their value stands to climb further with on-field success.
Vintage style parallels of established stars continue moving the secondary market as well. For example, blue parallels of superstar infielders Manny Machado and Jose Ramirez – each numbered to a scant 50 copies – have traded hands for $1,000-1,500 PSA 10. With Machado nearing free agency again and Ramirez coming off another stellar season for the Guardians, their scarcity and production level make these cards among the most investment-worthy in the set for astute collectors.
Turning to franchise icons, the Mike Trout parallels unsurprisingly reign supreme. Trout’s red parallel /10 has gone for north of $3,000 in top-tier condition, while even his common pink parallel numbered to 100 finds new homes around $500 or more. As arguably the greatest player of his generation,Trout’s collecting footprint extends to all facets of the hobby. The various low-printed Heritage parallels only serve to heighten collectors’ demand for anything Trout-related.
On the vintage side, aged Hall of Famers continue holding elite dollar values. A PSA 8+ Babe Ruth green parallel /50 or red /10 can cost $2,000 or more due to his hallowed baseball status as the original Sultan of Swat. Meanwhile, a Willie Mays light green parallel matching his iconic number 24 has changed hands for close to $1,000 in mint condition despite having a larger print run of /99. Such are the effects of decades of on-field exploits for Yankee Clipper and Say Hey Kid.
The 2022 Topps Heritage checklist also includes highly sought after exclusive retailer and convention parallels not widely available through normal hobby channels. A red parallel auto of rookie catcher Adley Rutschman numbered to just 10 and distributed solely at the National Sports Collectors Convention, for example, would command well over $3,000 in pristine condition. Meanwhile, Ohtani’s 1/1 SuperFractor parallel available only via direct order with Topps Authenticated has been conservatively valued at $20,000 minimum. When scarcity gets taken to the utmost extreme, the price tag increases exponentially.
As the vintage market shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, coupled with baseball’s bright young talent pipeline, Topps Heritage parallels involving stars both past and present will remain a haven for collectors chasing prestigious, limited issues at elevated prices. While most packs and boxes won’t provide bank-breaking hits, the possibility of landing a true monetary gem like one of the cards profiled here makes taking a chance on Heritage an exciting endeavor every release.
