Topps has been the dominant force in the baseball card industry since the 1950s and each year they release a new set of baseball cards to coincide with the start of the new Major League Baseball season. For the 2023 season, Topps will be releasing several different baseball card sets throughout the year that collectors can purchase in stores, hobby shops, and online.
The first Topps baseball cards to hit the market in 2023 will be the flagship Topps Series 1 release, which is typically one of the largest and most highly anticipated sets each year. Based on past release schedules, collectors can expect the 2023 Topps Series 1 cards to begin arriving at retailers in late February or early March. This timing corresponds with Spring Training for MLB teams as they prepare for Opening Day. Series 1 will feature current stars, rookies, and prospects from all 30 MLB clubs. It is Topps’ first major release of newly produced photos from the upcoming season.
In April, right around the regular season beginning, Topps will then launch the next installment in the flagship series called Topps Series 2. This set continues with additional cards of players included in Series 1 but features new photographic variations. Series 2 also adds in any players that may have been left out of the initial Series 1 checklist due to late roster moves or call-ups to the big leagues. Both Series 1 and 2 have base sets that typically range from 300-400 total cards plus additional inserts, parallels, and autographed/memorabilia variations inserted randomly throughout packs and boxes.
Midway through the MLB season in May or June, collectors can look for Topps Series 3 to arrive. This set rounds out the flagship series with another batch of new photos and any remaining players or rookie call-ups not included in the first two releases. Series 3 usually has the smallest base set of the three flagship series but maintains the high-end insert parallel variations collectors expect. Once Series 3 is out, Topps then shifts focus to upcoming special sets for the second half of the season.
In July, Topps Stadium Club is one of the most anticipated specialty releases. This set features high-gloss photography with embedded stadium seat material inside some of the cards. Stadium Club has become known for its superior photo quality and intricate parallel designs inserted throughout packs. Also sometimes released in July is Topps Chrome, which utilizes similar foil and refractors as inserts but with traditional on-field photography from the season so far. Both Stadium Club and Chrome tend to have smaller checklist sets but added premium materials drive collector demand.
Leading up to the MLB postseason in August and September, Topps rolls out additional specialty sets like Heritage High Number, Archives, Allen & Ginter, and Topps Finest. These help tide collectors over until the playoffs begin and Topps can feature current postseason matchups and stories through special parallel releases inserted in regular packs. Once the World Series concludes in October or early November, Topps Final Edition caps off the yearly release schedule by highlighting the MLB champions with additional photography and hits from that team that weren’t distributed otherwise.
The main 2023 Topps baseball card releases collectors can expect include Series 1 debuting in late February/early March, followed by Series 2 in April, Series 3 in May/June, Stadium Club and Chrome in July, and numerous specialty sets through August-November wrapping up with Final Edition post-World Series. As one of the longest-running sports card companies, Topps dominates the calendar year with new MLB cards ensuring collectors always have fresh product to enjoy throughout the seasons.
