The hobby of collecting baseball cards has endured for decades and remains popular among both seasoned collectors and those just starting out. While individual collector preferences vary widely, there are certain baseball cards from recent years that tend to attract significant interest in the marketplace. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most sought-after modern baseball cards from both the hobby and investment standpoint in 2022.
Shohei Ohtani rookie cards (2021 Topps Chrome Refractors, 2021 Bowman Chrome Parallels) – As one of the game’s most unique two-way talents in recent memory, Shohei Ohtani’s rookie cards from his first MLB season in 2018 have steadily grown in value and demand. It was his 2021 campaign where he was named American League MVP that truly catapulted interest in his rookie cards. Two of the most coveted versions are the rainbow foil refractor parallel from 2021 Topps Chrome, as well as short printed parallels like the blue and red refractors from 2021 Bowman Chrome. With Ohtani’s continued two-way success, these rookie cards will remain at the top of many collectors’ wish lists for years to come.
Wander Franco rookie cards (2021 Topps Chrome Refractors, Gold Parallels) – Comparisons to Mike Trout were immediately drawn when Wander Franco dominated minor league pitching at age 19 in 2019. He lived up to the hype with a monster rookie season in 2021 that saw him finish third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Like Ohtani cards above, the most sought-after Franco rookies right now are the chrome and gold parallels from flagship Topps Chrome. With his youth, talent and marketability, Franco is considered a true “franchise” talent, so this early cardboard should retain and grow in appeal long-term.
Acuna Jr. / Soto rookie cards (2018 Topps Chrome, Bowman’s Best Auto Parallels) – Prior to Franco and Ohtani’s arrival, Ronald Acuna Jr. emerged as baseball’s next true star with his 2018 NL Rookie of the Year campaign. Meanwhile, fellow young stud Juan Soto had one of the best age-19 seasons in history that same year. Driven by their sustained early success, their flagship Topps Chrome and short printed autographed parallels like Bowman’s Best remain must-have cards for Acuna Jr. and Soto PC collectors.
Mike Trout rookie cards (2009 Topps, Bowman Chrome Parallels) – Simply put, Mike Trout is arguably the best all-around player of the modern era. Despite being in his early 30s, the sustained dominance of “The Millville Meteor” means his cardboard classics from his true rookie season in 2009 hold steady desirability, including the iconic common Topps rookie and harder-to-find parallels like refractors from that year’s Bowman Chrome. Condition is key when appraising Trout rookies, as even lower-grade examples still carry premium prices.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rookie cards (2018 Topps Series 1 & 2, Chrome Parallels) – While injuries slowed his start in the majors, Vlad Jr. flashed the same above-average hit, power and athletic tools that made his Hall of Fame father a star. As a highly touted Blue Jays prospect whose pedigree and talent shined through, his rookie cards remain highly collectible, especially the short printed Topps Chrome versions that are still climbing in value. With continued strong play, Guerrero Jr.’s rookie cards have staying power.
Luis Robert rookie cards (2020 Topps Series 1 & 2) – Widely heralded as one of the game’s best pure athletes after nearly winning a 2020 AL batting title as a rookie, Luis Robert’s cards from his initial MLB campaign have staying appeal. Key Robert rookies include the common Topps base issues as well as popular paper parallels like Topps Series 2 black parallel #/2021. His combination of five-tool talent and youth give these cards a solid long-term outlook.
Wander Franco / Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Topps Update RC autographs – While flagship Topps and Bowman hold the iconic rookie card designations, Topps Update has become known for housing some of the marquee short print autographs of each class’s top prospects. 2019 featured short printed Franco and Vlad Jr. autographs that are highly sought by collectors of those two stars.
Soto/Acuna/Alonso Topps Update RC autographs – Similarly, the 2018 Topps Update short print autographs of Soto, Acuna and Pete Alonso remain seminal cards in their respective rookie portfolios. As these three players continue blossoming into superstars, so too does demand for these ultra-short printed autograph rookies.
2021 Topps Series 2 Joey Bart Black Border RC #/2022 – As one of the sport’s top catching prospects in recent years, Joey Bart’s cardboard carried built-in buzz even before his MLB debut. This popular parallel from 2021 Topps S2 celebrating his first MLB season clocks in at under 100 total copies and is a crown jewel card for Bart PC builders.
2019 Topps Dylan Carlson Auto RC /5 – Dylan Carlson didn’t post huge offensive numbers as a rookie but impressed with his all-around game and has upside. This coveted on-card multi-logo auto from 2019 Topps Update stands out at only five copies made, drawing major interest from Carlson collectors.
While player performance, career arcs and personal tastes will always impact hobby dynamics, demand for the above modern baseball cards shows no signs of slowing down. Rookies and early parallels of Ohtani, Franco, Acuna, Soto and others leading the charge, these cards represent a mix of proven stars as well as prospects with two-way potential still being fully realized. Condition sensitivities make high-grade examples particularly prized. As both a collecting pastime and financial playground, the baseball card market ensures these seminal pieces of modern cardboard memorabilia hold relevancy for many years to come.
