The 2022 rookie class in baseball is headlined by Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, and Detroit Tigers slugger Spencer Torkelson. Rodríguez in particular had an outstanding rookie campaign that elevated his cards to new heights. His Topps Chrome Update rookie refractor parallel /99 sold for over $2000 on eBay. Any parallels or autographed cards of Rodríguez, Rutschman, or Torkelson from the major brands like Topps, Bowman, Panini are good long term holds due to their star potential.
A few veteran players who saw career resurgences in 2022 and had their cards appreciate include Ronald Acuña Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., and Shohei Ohtani. Acuña returned from injury to regain superstar form for Atlanta, Tatis played well for San Diego when healthy, and Ohtani had another unique two-way season. Their most sought after rookies and stars and stripes parallels climbed due to renewed excitement in their future.
Topps Chrome Update and Bowman Chrome are usually the flagship rookie setter releases each year that contain the highly desired rookie “refractor” parallels. For 2022, special attention should be paid to any colorful parallels like blue, orange, or purple refractors of the big name rookies in those sets. Those parallels typically /99 or less are considered thecream of the crop rookie cards. They routinely gain the most value over time for serious collectors.
Bowman Draft is also full of prospects each year before they sign. In 2022, Logan Edwards, Elijah Green, and Druw Jones had monster draft classes that will be keys to watch develop. Their Top Bowman chrome parallels could realise great gains depending on how their careers unfold.Other prospectslike Emerson Hancock, Zach Neto, and Brock Porter also had nice rookie cards despite injuries delaying their debuts.
Autograph cards remain the most wildly lucrative cards year over year for obvious reasons. Any auto of a superstar or high profile rookie immediately holds value. Brands like Topps, Bowman, Leaf, and Panini all insert low numbered autographs of the biggest names. For 2022, examples include Torkelson /99 Bowman Sterling autos, Rodríguez /99 Topps Tribute autos, or Ohtani /25 Leaf Metal autographs.
Lastly, parallels in GENERAL are more valuable than base cards due to rarity. This includes all the major brands: Topps, Bowman, Leaf, Donruss, etc. Things like pink refractors, negative refractors, camo parallels, and special set numbered cards tend to attract collectors most. For older veteran players, their more scarce vintage rookie cards from the late 80s through 90s can sometimes realize more than their modern equivalents as well due to shrinking supplies over time.
While not an exhaustive list, focusing on the top rookies, stars and lowest serial numbered parallels and autographs from releases like Topps Chrome Update, Bowman Chrome, Topps Tribute and Bowman Sterling/Draft in 2022 offers collectors the best possibilities for cards retaining or gaining value long term. Understanding the differences between base, refractors, and special inserts is key to identifying major rookie cards and parallels poised to appreciate the most.
