Baseball Card Releases for 2023 Look Promising
The 2023 baseball card release schedule is shaping up to be another exciting year for collectors. While the industry faced challenges during the pandemic, it seems card companies have ramped up production and secured licensing deals that will deliver a robust slate of new baseball cards to the hobby. Let’s take a look at some of the top new baseball card releases collectors can look forward to in the new year.
Topps Baseball – As the longest running and most iconic brand in the industry, Topps will continue to anchor the baseball card market with their flagship products. The 2023 Topps Series 1 is expected in late January/early February featuring current stars and prospects. As with past years, parallels, autographs, and memorabilia cards will be inserted throughout hobby boxes. Series 2 is slated for May/June with Series 2 Update following in August. Topps Chrome and Allen & Ginter will also return in their traditional summer release windows with short prints, refractors, and autographed variants for collectors to chase.
Panini Prizm – Panini has emerged as Topps’ strongest competitor in recent years and their Prizm brand has become a fan favorite. 2023 Prizm Baseball is scheduled for a February release. Prizm features flashy “prism” refractors and a modern aesthetic that has resonated with collectors. Hobby boxes will include rookie phenoms, numbered parallels, and on-card autographs. Panini has also had success with “retail exclusive” products sold in big box stores, which could drive further interest in the brand from casual collectors.
Bowman Baseball – The rookie card powerhouse from Topps, Bowman is the premiere place to find prospects and future stars in their earliest cardboard. 2023 Bowman is set for March/April release. As always, Bowman will showcase the top draft picks and international signings from the previous year in their rookie cards. Autographs, parallels, and short prints of the game’s rising talents make Bowman boxes highly coveted. Bonus – Bowman Platinum, Bowman Sterling, and Bowman Draft are also in the works to feed the appetite of high-end collectors.
Fanatics Baseball – The sports merchandise behemoth Fanatics acquired Topps in 2022 and will take over baseball card production starting in 2025. However, Fanatics also has their own baseball card brand that bears watching. 2023 Fanatics Baseball is slated for April/May release. While Fanatics cards currently lack the nostalgia and heritage of Topps, their modern designs and autograph/memorabilia focused products could find an audience. As Fanatics prepares to take over the baseball card market, collectors will be watching to see how their brand evolves.
Stadium Club – Panini’s premium flagship brand Stadium Club returns with its high-gloss photography and on-card autographs. Stadium Club 2023 is penciled in for a June/July release window. In addition to current stars, Stadium Club is known for its autograph and memorabilia focused parallels that can yield big hits. Collectors appreciate the classic yet modern aesthetic of this long-running brand.
Allen & Ginter – The quirky and eclectic Allen & Ginter brand from Topps is a favorite diversion for many collectors. 2023 A&G is slated for a summer release. While packs are a grab bag with players mixed in alongside celebrities, landmarks, and oddities – the vintage tobacco card styling and fun parallels keep collectors coming back year after year in search of their “hits.”
Topps Fire – The red hot rookie phenom brand from Topps, Fire 2023 is scheduled for September/October. As the flagship rookie product alongside Bowman, Fire features the biggest names from this year’s draft class and international signings. Short prints, autographs, and parallels make Fire boxes exciting to bust.
While release schedules can shift, there is a lot for baseball card collectors to anticipate in 2023 based on what’s been announced so far. With licensing all sorted out and production ramping up again post-pandemic, the major card companies look ready to deliver new cardboard on a steady basis throughout the year. For fans of the hobby, 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for finding new stars, hits, and collecting enjoyment from the latest baseball card releases.