The 2022 Topps baseball card season brought many exciting rookie cards and highly sought after veteran cards. While exact valuations can vary over time based on player performance and supply and demand factors, here are some of the most valuable Topps baseball cards from the 2022 release that collectors look to add to their portfolios.
One of the crown jewels from 2022 Topps is the prizm refractor autograph card of rookie slugger Julio Rodriguez. Rodriguez had a phenomenal rookie season with the Seattle Mariners that saw him selected for the All-Star game and finish third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. His prizm refractors were scarce pulls that commanded prices above $1,000 upon release. Now that his rookie year is complete and he is seen as a budding superstar, PSA 10 examples of his prizm auto have sold for over $5,000. Expect this card to continue appreciating significantly if Rodriguez fulfills his potential as a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate.
Shohei Ohtani didn’t have a Topps rookie card since he first came to MLB as a pitcher in 2018, so collectors were eager to add the true first Topps issue of the two-way superstar to their collections in 2022. Like Rodriguez, Ohtani had another AL MVP caliber season and was one of the main faces of the league. His most sought after parallels from 2022 Topps include the silver pack prizm refractor and negative refractor, with PSA 10 versions selling in the $300-500 range currently. As Ohtani remains one of the defining stars in baseball, his rookie cards stand to gain immense value for years to come.
Rookies Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II had superb debut campaigns for the Atlanta Braves that culminated in a playoff run and World Series championship. Both players saw low printed parallels and refractors from 2022 Topps that carried premiums. Harris’ negative refractors and Strider’s black bordered refractors in a PSA 10 grade have sold for $200-300 based on their early career success and being key cogs on a title winner. There is strong long term potential for appreciation as they continue developing in Atlanta.
Veteran superstars like Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, and Mike Trout remained highly sought after veterans in the 2022 Topps product line. Judge smashed an AL record 62 home runs and is poised to land one of the richest contracts in MLB history. Low number/printed refractors and parallels of Judge’s base rookie card from 2013 Topps have prices over $1,000 graded a perfect PSA 10. Mookie’s diverse portfolio of RCs and ToppsChrome updates from recent years carry premiums over $500 as well. And any PSA/BGS 10 copies of Trout’s inaugural Topps Pro Debut card from 2009 continue commanding over $3,000 as he puts together a tenable argument as the greatest player of all time.
Debuting legends can make for some of the most prudent long term investments. Topps rookie cards of Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki, and Derek Jeter were not very valuable upon original release but are now retired and considered surefire Hall of Famers. Low numbered parallels and coveted short prints of their rookie issues from 2001, 2001, and 1992 Topps respectively range anywhere from $3,000 up to over $10,000 for top grades as their careers sit firmly in the record books. While they may seem like large sums today, collectors that bought early and held for the long run have seen exponential appreciation in value.
Relievers tend not to have flashy stat lines, but some have still generated big collector interest over time. The Topps rookie cards of Mariano Rivera and closer legends like Goose Gossage and Dennis Eckersley returned to the mainstream once they secured Hall of Fame plaques. Pristine examples of their initial Topps issues from 1991, 1972 and 1975 in a PSA/BGS Gem Mint 10 condition have broken records, hitting $40,000, $20,000 and $15,000 respectively at recent auction. Specialty collectors understand the significance of certain relievers retrospectively.
While rookies and stars generally reign supreme, scarcity and condition can elevate even more obscure vintage cards to pinnacle status. Topps cards from the 1950s and 1960s in particular intrigue dedicated collectors. A PSA 10 graded 1964 Topps Hank Aaron RC just sold for over $2 million in January 2022, highlighting how condition is king with rarer older issues. Other older PSA 10 examples like a 1961 Roger Maris, 1959 Don Drysdale, and 1959 Willie McCovey have brought in $200,000+. Patience and persistence will be needed to locate such condition census-topping cards, but the rewards can be immense.
A well-curated collection focused on star rookies, hall of famers, low print parallels, and scarce vintage high grades from the 2022 Topps release and beyond stands to yield strong long term returns. With baseball’s history being so extensive and rich, iconic cardboard will remain a staple of the hobby for generations to come. Understanding players, markets, and holding valuable vintage finds can lead collectors down a rewarding path towards buildingportfolios worth six or even seven figures one day.
