Opening Day is an exciting time for baseball fans as the long wait for meaningful games comes to an end. But Opening Day also holds significance for collectors of sports memorabilia, especially those focused on baseball cards. The official Opening Day of the 2023 Major League Baseball season marks the release of the first ‘ flagship’card sets from the two dominant brands, Topps and Panini.

Topps has long been the dominant force in baseball cards. Going back to the dawn of modern cardboard collecting in the 1950s, Topps held the exclusive MLB license that allowed them to photograph current players and use team logos and uniforms on their cards. Some of the most iconic baseball cards ever produced came out of Topps’ license, from the legendary Mickey Mantle rookie to Mark McGwire’s record-breaking home run chase cards.

For 2023, Topps will release two flagship baseball card products timed for Opening Day – Topps Series 1 and Topps Heritage. Topps Series 1 is the modern flagship set, with current player photos, team logos/uniforms and designs tuned for today’s collector market. Hobby box sizes are standard at 12 packs with 5 cards each. Retail blaster/hanger boxes contain fewer packs but offer wider distribution to general fans. Prices remain consistent year-over-year, with hobby boxes around $100 and retail products between $10-20.

Topps Heritage returns to reimagine the ‘classic’ baseball card design in the style of the 1950s/60s era. Heritage cards feature no-photo player designs with simplified colors and logos. Heritage parallels and short prints add to the product’s hobby appeal, without the overwhelming influx of parallels/relics of modern sets. Box sizes and prices are similar to Series 1. Both products will release on Opening Day and remain the main baseball card products available nationwide through the start of the season.

While Topps maintains its exclusive MLB license, Panini has become a force in the baseball card market by signing individual player licenses. Beginning in 2008, Panini launched its Donruss brand to much fanfare. For 2023 Opening Day, Panini will release both Donruss Baseball and Contenders Baseball. Donruss features current photography with a retro, ‘traditional stats’ design. Hobby boxes contain 12 packs with 4 cards each for around $100. Retail products offer sealed fat packs of 10 cards for $10-15.

Contenders takes a more ‘collector-focused’ premium approach. Its photography and intense parallels/hits aim for the high-end segment. Contenders boxes hold either 4 or 6 packs containing mostly memorabilia/auto cards. Hobby box costs range between $150-250 depending on the parallel odds. Both Donruss and Contenders will be widely available beginning on 2023 Opening Day, competing directly with Topps’ flagship releases for collectors’ attention and dollars early in the new baseball season.

While Topps remains king of the general baseball card industry, Panini has established themselves as a force by obtaining individual player rights instead of official MLB licenses. Their products provide options for collectors beyond just Topps, and force Topps to be more aggressive in the inserts/parallels within their own sets to maintain hobby competitiveness.

Fanatics recently announced plans to take over MLB’s exclusive trading card license in 2026, which could shake things up even more in the next few years as they look to grow their own brand in sports cards. But for now, the 2023 Opening Day season beginning this March 30th kickstarts the first major releases from the traditional ‘big two’ companies of Topps and Panini baseball cards that collectors eagerly await each spring. Between Topps Series 1, Heritage, Donruss and Contenders, there should be plenty of new cardboard to chase as the real games get underway. Opening Day continues to mark the start of a new baseball season both on the field and within the hobby.