The release of Topps Baseball Series 1 is one of the most anticipated dates on the baseball card calendar each year. As the flagship set of the largest baseball card manufacturer, Topps Baseball Series 1 2022 did not disappoint collectors and investors. The release featured 347 cards total, including base cards, inserts, parallels, and autographs/memorabilia cards of the biggest stars from the 2021 MLB season and top prospects for the coming year.
Some of the top rookies featured in the 2022 Series 1 release included Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene, and Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez. All three are considered future stars in the league and their rookie cards were hot sellers out of the Series 1 release. Veteran stars prominently featured include Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Mike Trout. Their base rookie cards remain some of the most valuable modern cards on the secondary market.
In terms of parallels and inserts, Topps doubled down on many of the popular inserts from 2021 including Topps Now Moments, Gallery of Stars, Stars of the Futures, and Golden Anniversary parallels. The Topps Now insert set captures one of the most memorable plays, records, or milestones from each month of the 2021 season in card form. Gallery of Stars highlights top veteran players in classic poses with vintage-style graphic designs. Stars of the Futures features the brightest rookie and prospect talents in slick vertical card designs. Golden Anniversary parallels commemorate Topps’ 70 years in the baseball card industry by drawing inspiration from iconic designs of the past.
Some new inserts added to the 2022 Series 1 release that gained popularity included Level 1 parallels and SP Variations. Level 1 parallels featured photo variations of many of the top stars in the set. They carried low print runs but provided fun alternate images in the same numbering system as the base cards. SP Variations consisted of specially designed short-printed parallel cards that spotlighted standout stats or milestones from the included players’ 2021 seasons.
When it comes to parallels and variations, Topps really ramped up production for Series 1 2022. In addition to the standard Chrome, Gold, Silver, and Purple parallels found in recent years, Topps added several new parallels including Orange Refractors (available 1:288 packs), Green Refractors (1:432 packs), Pink Refractors (1:576 packs), and Red Refractors (1:1,000 packs). These ultra-short printed parallel designs sent hobby enthusiasts on the hunt to complete parallel rainbow sets of their PC players. Additionally, Topps introduced SP Variation parallels including Green, Purple, Orange, and Blue that expanded collecting opportunities.
For autographed and memorabilia cards, Topps integrated several exciting new relic and auto inserts into Series 1 2022. The Topps NOW Moments Autographs insert featured one-of-one autographed cards capturing dramatic performances from 2021. Higher-end products like Hobby Boxes and Jumbo Boxes included autographs and jersey cards from top veteran stars and prospects inserted randomly. Topps also introduced Auto Parallels this year for the first time in popular colors like Pink, Orange, and Green to extend the hunt.
When Series 1 2022 hit the shelves of hobby shops and online retailers on January 13th, it became an instant hit in the collecting community and on the secondary market. The checklist featuring top rookies, stars, and several exciting new parallels and insert sets energized collectors. Within the first week of release, highly sought-after rookie cards of Rutschman, Greene, and Rodriguez were selling for 3-5x their pack price as investors swooped in. Many of the short-printed parallel and autograph cards also began appreciating fast due to their low printed nature. And vintage-inspired inserts like Golden Anniversary found popularity with nostalgic collectors.
Several months on from the release, Topps Series 1 2022 is still one of the hottest modern baseball card sets. While initial hype prices have cooled for some rookies, star veterans like Ohtani and Tatis maintain strong downstream interest. The introduction of numerous new parallel designs and autograph variations has extended the longevity of this flagship set release as collectors continue mastering rainbow sets. And with the likes of Rutschman, Greene, and Rodriguez expected to become future MLB superstars, their rookies from this year’s Series 1 set are solid longterm holdings. Overall, Topps Series 1 2022 proved to be a highly successful modern baseball card release that engaged collectors, investors and nostalgic fans alike.
