The release of Topps Baseball’s flagship Series 1 set marks the beginning of the new baseball card year. The 2023 Series 1 release, which hit shelves in mid-January, featured a wide array of rookies, stars and veterans across its 132 cards. While any Series 1 set promises to include at least a handful of cards that will appeal to collectors long-term based on the players featured, a few stand out as particularly strong inclusions that collectors would be wise to seek out.
Heading the list of best cards from 2023 Topps Series 1 is the Jordan Walker rookie card. The St. Louis Cardinals top prospect cracked baseball’s top 100 prospect lists this offseason and is considered one of the elite talents in the minor leagues. As the #1 ranked Cardinals prospect and a potential future star, Walker’s rookie card is positioned extremely well long-term. While he may not debut in 2023, collectors would be smart to grab Walker’s rookie now before his inevitable rise increases its value. Clean copies of the Walker rookie in a PSA 10 could easily fetch hundreds down the line.
Another must-own rookie is the Bobby Witt Jr. base card. The Kansas City Royals standout did nothing but exceed expectations in his debut season in 2022, batting .256 with 20 home runs in just 102 games. Witt looks poised for stardom and continued production in the coming years. His superb play and potential to one day challenge for MVP awards makes all of Witt’s 2023 rookie cards strong long-term holds, even the base card which can still be found for under $10.
Perhaps the highest profile rookie in Series 1 though belongs to Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners. Rodriguez exploded onto the scene in the second half of 2022, winning AL Rookie of the Year honors while displaying five-tool talent and electrifying plays in the field and on the bases. As a franchise cornerstone for the Mariners and potential future superstar, Rodriguez’s rookie card is a must-have for any collector. Even with heightened awareness of his potential, clean versions of J-Rod’s rookie remain very obtainable compared to what they may fetch down the road.
In addition to the elite rookies, 2023 Topps Series 1 also featured some highly coveted base cards for modern stars in their prime. Chief among these is Shohei Ohtani’s card. After back-to-back extraordinary seasons that saw him dominant as both a pitcher and hitter, Ohtani has firmly established himself as the game’s top attraction and most unique star. His cards have followed suit, rising steadily in value as collectors recognize just how special and rare a two-way player of Ohtani’s caliber is in baseball history. Even his basic base card from Series 1 holds long-term allure.
Another immensely valuable modern star base is that of Juan Soto. After a career-best season saw him slug over .500 and finish 2nd in MVP voting while still just 24 years old, Soto established himself as a true generational talent and arguably the best hitter in baseball today. He then kicked off 2023 with a monster free agency, inking a massive $440 million deal with the Padres. Soto’s cards already commanded big prices, and that contract signing sent values even higher across the board. His crisp Series 1 base captures Soto at the peak of his powers.
Rounding out the absolute best cards from 2023 Topps Series 1 are a pair focusing on superstar veterans who continued defying Father Time. The Mike Trout card stands out after another incredible season saw him finish 2nd in MVP voting at age 30. While Trout is no longer chasing rookie status, he remains arguably the best all-around player of this generation. His sustained excellence and potential climbing Hall of Fame case gives any Trout card enduring weight.
The Aaron Judge base from 2023 Topps Series 1 cannot be overlooked after the monstrous year he put together. Judge shattered the AL single-season home run record with 62 dingers and ran away with AL MVP honors in 2022 at age 30. With that Herculean season fresh in collectors’ minds, Judge’s Series 1 issue captures him at the absolute peak of his historic powers. Not only is the card obtainable now, but it stands as a compelling historical artifact from one of the truly special individual seasons in baseball’s modern era.
While most any card from a flagship Topps Series 1 release holds long-term potential, the rookie cards of Jordan Walker, Bobby Witt Jr. and Julio Rodriguez as well as the modern star base cards of Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Mike Trout and Aaron Judge from the 2023 set stand out as particularly strong crown jewels for any collector to seek out. Each represents a unique opportunity to obtain critically acclaimed player issues while they remain affordable before increased recognition of their significance potentially sends values skyward. For building a portfolio primed for long-term appreciation, these seven cards from 2023 Topps Series 1 are among the absolute best places for collectors to start.
