The 2022 season was the rookie year for Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, and it was one for the ages. The 24-year-old immediately made an impact upon his call-up to the majors in April and quickly became a fan favorite in Cleveland due to his hustle, plate discipline, and ability to get on base at an elite clip. Kwan’s exceptional debut campaign has lead to skyrocketing interest from collectors in his rookie cards.
While Kwan flew under the radar for most of his college career at Oregon State University, card companies recognized his potential and included him in some sets prior to his debut. Kwan’s first card came in 2021 Topps Series 2 where he is listed as a Cleveland Indians prospect card(#677). The front of the card shows Kwan batting from the left side with an action photo. Stats from his 2021 minor league season are listed on the back along with a short biography. As an non-roster invite to spring training in 2022, little was expected of Kwan and his prospect card carried little value at the time.
Once Kwan was called up to the Guardians on April 8th and immediately started hitting, collectors took notice. In his first 17 MLB games, Kwan hit .354 with 4 RBI and demonstrated excellent bat-to-ball skills that were rarely seen from a rookie. The increased attention on Kwan led to demand among collectors for any cards featuring the unexpected rookie star. His 2021 Topps Series 2 prospect card rose from just a few dollars to a mid-teen price range by late April. And despite Kwan not having any true “rookie” cards from the 2022 season at that point, the Series 2 card established itself as his flagship rookie.
Topps had the foresight to include Kwan in several of their 2022 pre-season products thanks to his success in spring training which paid off tremendously. Kwan’s rookie card debut came in 2022 Topps Series 1(#312) showing him batting from the right side in a Guardians road jersey. Without any on-field MLB stats to include on the back, the rookie card relied on mentioning his impressive spring and potential to make Cleveland’s roster out of camp. Still, it gave collectors his first “true” card from the year he broke out. As Kwan kept production, the Series 1 rookie steadily increased from a few dollars to around $10-15 through April and May.
Perhaps Kwan’s most iconic rookie card came next in 2022 Topps Heritage Minors(#268). Featured as the card’s main image is a blue-tinted photo showing a smiling Kwan signing autographs for fans at minor league spring training. A retro design pays homage to classic 1970s Topps sets. With its stylized presentation of Kwan in the minors before his big league call-up coupled with the set’s popularity, the Heritage Minors rookie became arguably his most coveted single by collectors. Prices surged from a mere $3-5 out of packs to a $50-75 range by summer.
Beyond Topps, Kwan also appeared in several other notable rookie card releases over the course of 2022. In Stadium Club Chrome(#155) posted strong initial sales with its photo negative design and quality imaging of Kwan. Allen & Ginter’s(#339) Victorian-style cartoon artwork depicting Kwan swinging away further demonstrated his growing appeal beyond on-card photos. But perhaps most spectacular were Kwan’s inclusion in premium sets like Topps Chrome(#81) with its refractor parallel versions and Topps Fire(#152) highlighting him with a fiery flame border treatment. Such “hit” cards fetched big bucks from those seeking ultra-high-end Kwan rookies.
All the while, Kwan continued his torrid rookie campaign. He hit safely in his first 25 career games to set an American League record and finished 2nd in AL Rookie of the Year voting with a .298 average over 110 games. Kwan demonstrated excellent patience and consistently found ways to get on base for a loaded Guardians lineup down the stretch of a playoff season. His performance and high-effort plays mesmerized Cleveland fans and further cemented his status among the franchise’s most beloved young stars.
As Kwan looks ahead to his sophomore season poised to build upon last year’s breakout, the excitement around his cards shows no signs of slowing down. His flagships from 2021 Topps Series 2 and 2022 Topps Series 1 and Heritage have maintained strong steady value throughout the offseason. Lower print run inserts grew increasingly scarce and valuable. And Cleveland’s deep postseason run only heightened enthusiasm for one of the team’s catalysts. With Kwan establishing himself as not just a flash in the pan rookie sensation but a true budding star, collecting his early career cards stands to remain an engaging venture for years to come. Whether chasing parallels, autographs, or simply appreciating Kwan’s blossoming success on cardboard, the rise of Steven Kwan is far from over in the collecting world.
