Hobby Musings: Topps Rolling Out Series 1 Baseball 2022 – For several decades, Topps has released its annual flagship product. The 2022 release will be on the market soon to get fans hyped up for a baseball year that will hopefully be uninterrupted. To find out more about what to expect from this year’s product, I had the chance to catch up with Topps’ Emily Kless.
KS: Topps Series 1 Baseball always seems to be the unofficial kick-start to the trading card year. What are some of the highlights of this year’s release?
EK: Series 1 is certainly the unofficial start to baseball card season, and the Topps team is incredibly excited for this year’s release. From Wander Franco’s first Rookie Card to Ohtani being both card #1 and the cover athlete with imagery of him pitching and hitting, nonetheless, there is plenty for collectors to look forward to. As always, we have autographs and game-used memorabilia cards of current MLB stars and the game’s legends for collectors to look out for.
KS: The product has been around for decades. What are some of the new features for 2022?
EK: There are some really fun inserts in this year’s set! From Flashiest Feet, showing off players’ spikes, to the 1987 Topps woodgrain design, which returns to celebrate its 35th anniversary. Outside of the traditional base set, there is plenty for collectors to get excited about.
Our Home Run Challenge returns this year as well, but includes some added twists that the team has worked on in the offseason. This year, collectors can double down and try to predict if a homer will travel more than 425 feet. We’re also introducing the Topps Derby Duel, where collectors can try their hand at predicting who will win the Home Run Derby. All for a chance to win unique Home Run Challenge parallel cards, and more!
KS: Shohei Ohtani was voted as card No. 1 this year. How was that decided upon?
EK: For the past seven years, Topps has put the power in fans’ hands to determine who should be card # 1 in the checklist. Ohtani is coming off of an MVP year, drawing comparisons to Babe Ruth, and the fans have spoken by voting him as the top of the stack!
KS: The design for each release is always closely watched. How did you decide on the 2022 design?
EK: Deciding each year’s flagship design is a rigorous process! The Topps design team comes up with varying options, taking into account what collectors like to see, as well as feedback from previous years. After rounds and rounds of feedback, a final design is then landed on. The flagship design is one that is written into the Topps history books, and there is always a lot of excitement throughout the process of deciding the final design!
KS: An additional component to Series 1 is the silver packs. What more can you tell me about them for this year?
EK: Silver Packs contain CHROME versions of the 1987 insert with an exclusive foil pattern on all the cards. In addition to the base version, each card receives 7 different color parallels. There are also autograph cards randomly seeded into lucky packs that can have up to 3 different parallels including the highly collectible SUPERFRACTOR version. The base set is 100 subjects and is a mix of rookies, modern stars, and baseball legends.
KS: Which MLB rookies should collectors be keeping an eye out for this year?
EK: Two words: Wander Franco! The young phenom is already off to a hot start in the hobby, and getting his first rookie card in 2022 Topps Series 1 is certainly something collectors should look out for. While Franco is the headliner, there are some additional great young players who are part of this year’s rookie card class – Luis Gil, Jarren Duran, Gavin Sheets, and Reid Detmers just to name a few!
KS: Fanatics made big news a few weeks ago by announcing it had acquired Topps. Has that acquisition affected this year’s Series 1 release in any way?
EK: Series 1’s release will go on as planned, and the entire Fanatics Collectibles family has been supportive and excited for this year’s collection!
KS: Other big news has been MLB’s lockout. Does the lockout, and a potential delayed season, have any impact on the baseball card calendar this year?
EK: Our product calendar does not hinge on the baseball season, and we look forward getting cards in collectors’ hands so they can have a connection to their favorite teams and players all year long!
KS: Looking ahead, when will Series 2 be released?
EK: Series 2 will arrive in the summertime – stay tuned on the @Topps social pages for additional info as it gets closer!
KS: What else does Topps have for upcoming baseball releases?
EK: Topps Heritage Baseball is one that always stands out, as we know how excited collectors get for Heritage (slated to arrive March 16). Whether it’s the vintage look of Heritage or the sleek look of a product like Topps Inception (slated to arrive March 30), we have a great lineup of products within the first few months of the year that will delight all kinds of collectors. As always, due to continued shipping and production challenges, product release dates are subject to change, and we encourage collectors to keep an eye on sites like our friends at GTS for the latest news and info.
Hobby Musings: Topps Rolling Out Series 1 Baseball 2022 – More Resources
Hobby Musings: Topps Rolling Out Series 1 Baseball 2022 – Image Gallery
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
- Hobby Musings: London Card Show Continues Growth - April 23, 2024
- Hobby Musings: Signatures For Soldiers in Middle of Busy 2024 - April 11, 2024
- Hobby Musings: Busy and Exciting 2024 for Leaf - April 3, 2024