The 2022 Panini baseball card set saw the rise of many young superstars as well as accomplishments from seasoned veterans. As the season progressed, new names emerged that are sure to become fixtures in the hobby for years to come. While value is subjective and cards from every player hold significance to someone, here are some of the most notable rookies, parallels and short prints that set afire the secondary market in 2022.
Bobby Witt Jr. – The rookie season of Kansas City Royals’ shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. lived up to the hype as the #2 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Witt hit 20 home runs and stole 30 bases in his age-21 campaign, flashing the five-tool talent that marked him as a future superstar from an early age. His base Prizm rookie auto and red Prizm parallel emerged as the most sought-after first year cards on the market, routinely bringing in bids well into the thousands of dollars. Expect Witt cards to appreciate significantly as he becomes the new face of the Royals’ franchise.
Spencer Strider – Few rookies made as big an impact in 2022 as Braves’ flamethrower Spencer Strider. The right-hander tossed 158 innings with an 11-5 record and a dazzling 2.67 ERA while striking out 202 batters. Strider low serial numbered Prizm rookie auto parallels, especially /10 or lower, sold for tremendous sums, capitalizing on his electric debut. With Ace-level stuff, Strider looks poised for stardom and a permanent place among the hobby’s elite young arms.
Julio Rodriguez – Mariners’ centerfielder Julio Rodriguez brought thunderous energy and jaw-dropping plays to Seattle in 2022, winning AL Rookie of the Year honors. Though injuries limited his season totals, J-Rod will be a perennial All-Star for years and his cards like Prizm silvers and National Treasures patches established an immediate legacy. With elite tools and charisma, Rodriguez is certain to remain one of baseball collecting’s premier attractions.
One-of-One Parallels – Panini’s penchant for elaborate one-of-one parallel designs reached new heights in 2022. Cards like Bobby Witt Jr.’s gold parallel 1/1, which featured gold ink on white distressed stock sold well into five figures. Also enormously popular were 1/1 parallels of perennial superstars like Mike Trout encased in elaborate conceptual objects like guitars or basketballs that showed off Panini’s creativity at its finest. These true unicorns defined the high-end of the hobby all year.
Jacob deGrom – After two injury-plagued years, Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom returned to form in 2022 with a 1.08 ERA in 11 starts before season-ending injuries again struck. For collectors, it was a chance to grab some of deGrom’s stellar 2018 and 2019 Prizm rookies that skyrocketed on the strength of the two-time Cy Young winner looking like his dominant self once more. Few modern players stir as much fascination as the high-octane deGrom, whose future playing status adds suspense to every card.
Aaron Judge & AL HR Record – Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge blasted an AL-record 62 home runs in 2022, a feat which took his already elite hobby status to new levels. Parallels of Judge’s 2018 Topps Chrome update rookie, which depicted the then-unknown Yankee turned HOME RUN KING, rocketed in value. Gold labels parallels like /50 sold into the thousands, while low serial numbered cards fetched into the five-figure range as Judge cemented himself as one of baseball’s true living legends.
Sandy Alcantara – Despite toiling for the low-payroll Marlins, righty Sandy Alcantara put together a Cy Young-caliber season with a glittering 1.89 ERA and 228 innings pitched. The baseball workhorse established new respect that was reflected in skyrocketing prices for flagship rookies and refractors from 2018-19 topps products. With ace caliber stuff and maximum effort, Alcantara looks primed to vie for hardware for years to come and remain a blue-chip investment.
Anthony Volpe – Top Yankees’ prospect Anthony Volpe only reached Triple-A in 2022 but was electric at every stop, showcasing elite contact skills and infield actions that had scouts drooling. His 2021 Bowman Chrome autos and color parallel rookie cards were snapped up, and refractor parallels moved at top dollar as collectors speculate on Volpe’s future star potential in the Bronx. With Gleyber Torres entrenched at short, Volpe may shift to second base long term, adding positional flexibility to his appeal.
Rookie Auto Short Prints – Panini often places rookie stars in their most iconic sets like Donruss, but at extremely low print runs which immediately causes a frenzy. Examples include Tigers’ prospect Riley Greene’s /25 Donruss Optic auto and Mariners’ star Julio Rodriguez’s /5 Status auto, which were impossible to acquire at release and remain highly coveted trophies for completing sets. These extreme short prints distinguish true vintage-style rarity within modern issues.
Gold Label Parallels – Panini loved debuting their crackled “Gold Label” parallels in 2022 across sets like Prizm, Flux and National Treasures. Possibly the nicest parallel design to emerge all year long, these gold foil cards numbered to exciting levels like /50 captured the essence of high-end collecting. Gold Labels featuring stars like Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuna became highlight pieces in collections worldwide.
Sapphire Parallel Short Prints – Panini’s ultra-refractory “Sapphire” parallel which features a deep blue prismatic look became even more coveted in 2022 through drastic short prints. Examples like a Julio Rodriguez /5 from National Treasures baseball or a /10 Fernando Tatis Jr. from Flux embodied the pinnacle of rarity, breaking into the high four-figure range with ease. With their brilliant aesthetics enhanced by numeric scarcity, Sapphires defined the apex of card collecting.
Patches and Autograph Relics – From National Treasures and Sterling come some of the most opulent relic cards featuring game used memorabilia from today’s superstars. Patch cards of Aaron Judge’s pinstripes or Juan Soto’s uniform numbered to impressively low levels routinely broke records. Dual autograph relics showcasing legends like Kershaw/Pederson or Trout/Rendon add historic tangibility to modern rosters and validate huge secondary prices. These patchworks remain statement pieces.
Base Variations – Subtle changes in base cards manage to generate serious collector interest as well. Examples include “Fire” parallels in Topps Fire which feature flame textures behind players or “Dia de los Muertos” style variations that popped up across mainstream products. Lower serial numbered rainbow foil prizm base variants also zoomed in demand thanks to their flashy aesthetic difference versus the standard issue.
Rookie Autos Outside the RC Year – Stars who debuted before 2022 still saw strong prices paid for their fledgling cards as they reached new levels in their careers. Examples include Luis Robert’s 2020 Topps Chrome Update auto, which gained over 500% as the White Sox star emerged. Guardians’ ace Shane Bieber and Astros’ righty Justin Verlander also enjoyed rebounds on early issue refractors as return-from-injury storylines played out. 2018-2020 rookies remained enormously sought-after.
The 2022 season certainly established new hobby darlings like Witt Jr., Strider and Rodriguez. It also accentuated the enduring appeal of superstars producing at an MVP caliber like Judge and deGrom while spotlighting the intrinsic value embedded in virtually any card featuring a player on the rise. With such a depth of interest across the spectrum of the game, 2023 promises to be another banner year for the collecting world.
