The 2022 Topps baseball card series featured many exciting rookie cards from the new crop of major league talent. Each year, Topps inserts prized rookie cards of players who made their MLB debuts within the previous or current season. These rookie cards are some of the most coveted and valuable in the hobby due to capturing a player at the very beginning of their career.
The headlining rookies in the 2022 Topps series included Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco and Detroit Tigers catcher Riley Greene. Franco and Greene were considered two of the top prospects in all of baseball and both had impressive MLB debuts in 2021, generating huge buzz heading into this card season. Given their star potential, their Topps rookie cards became immensely popular with collectors.
Wander Franco’s card topped lists of the most sought-after rookies of 2022. The 21-year-old phenomenon posted an .288 batting average with 7 home runs and 39 RBI in 70 games as a 21-year-old in his first MLB action. Offensive output like that as such a young age is incredibly rare and aroused great excitement around Franco’s future. His Topps Chrome Yellow Refractor rookie card /2021 quickly climbed above $1,000 as collectors raced to obtain the glittering rookie issue. Even Franco’s base Topps Chrome rookie reached up into the hundreds as one of the true blue-chip cards of the year.
Over in Detroit, Riley Greene was also drawing rave reviews in his inaugural season. The fifth overall pick from the 2019 draft made his way up to the Tigers and got his first taste of the bigs, hitting .250 with 3 home runs in 26 games. Admirers saw star qualities in Greene’s right-handed power bat and smooth outfield defense. The popularity of his Topps rookie resulted in the card selling in the $150-300 range across different parallels. Greene’s stock is thought to have considerable upside as he gains experience at the MLB level.
A couple additional rookies that generated a buzz around their Topps rookie cards included Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene and Chicago Cubs catalyst Christopher Morel. Greene brought top of the scale velocity while overcoming elbow reconstruction, hitting 104 mph on the radar gun in his debut campaign. Morel provided an exciting glimpse of his all-around abilities after getting called up midseason and immediately becoming a catalyst at the top of the Cubs order.
Greene’s Topps rookies maintained considerable demand even months after release. The flame-throwing righty showed ace potential when healthy, making collectors willing to pay up to acquire his iconic first cards. Morel saw steadily rising prices on his Topps rookie parallels as he kept producing at the plate for the Cubs down the stretch. Both players had breakout moments that deepened the intrigue around their long-term roles.
Beyond those headliners, additional top rookie cards from the 2022 Topps series included Detroit Tigers outfielder Spencer Torkelson, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, and Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Torkelson, the No. 1 pick in 2020, showed promising signs in his first exposure to MLB pitching despite struggling at times. Witt broke into the Royals lineup and immediately impressed with his advanced all-around skills.
Rodriguez was explosive in his September call-up for the Mariners, offering a glimpse of what made him a coveted five-tool talent. Rutschman, the top pick in 2019, reached the majors and started displaying why he’s rated as a future franchise cornerstone. As for Bogaerts, his Topps rookie from 2013 surprisingly remained a sought-after piece of cardboard nearly a decade later due to his sustained excellence in Boston. All possessed the potential to follow elite career paths.
The massive influx of jaw-dropping rookie talent infused energy into the 2022 card season. Collectors scrambled to uncover hidden gems before they potentially exploded in value. Even basic Topps rookie parallels and serial-numbered refractor variants carried price tags into the triple-digits for players demonstrating they belong. With Franco, Greene and other newcomers showing all-star makeup early, their iconic inaugural Topps issues established an unshakable foothold in the memorabilia market.
While the performance of rookies like Greene, Morel or Witt moving forward will determine if elevated prices hold, the pure exhilaration surrounding this wave of potential stars translated to big business. A new class of superstars was emerging, with collectors gaining possession of the very first installments chronicling their major league tenures. Capturing these burgeoning careers at the entry point proved tantalizing for both collectors and aficionados eagerly following the future trajectories.
The abundance of blue-chip rookies infused the 2022 Topps series with considerable cachet. While products are still available on shelves into the late summer and fall months, many of the prized rookie cards experienced rapid run-ups that may not fully retreat. Franco, Greene and others proved why they were must-have pieces for collectors seeking exposure to the next tier of baseball luminaries. The memorable rookie class of 2022 gave collectors plenty to sink their teeth into as a new elite class of MLB talent was born.
