Ryan Barone (@ballcardgenius, Card Expert) is a lifelong member of the hobby. He has been quoted in PSA Magazine, and his content has regularly been mentioned in “Quick Rips” (the Topps RIPPED Newsletter) and across other hobby publications. hello@ballcardgenius.com; Last Time Ago LLC dba Ballcard Genius.
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Somehow we as collectors were lucky enough to have great Topps series 1 rookies like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Michael Harris, Riley Greene, and a ton of others—and still have rookies to look forward to in Series 2! (Just no Elly De La Cruz rookie cards, and none until 2024!)
And while of course there aren’t as many flashy hot rookie cards in terms of volume, the few you’ll want to chase sure pack some hobby punch and definitely make up a lot of what’s on the list of most valuable cards from 2023 Topps Series 2.
So, here, first is a bulleted list of the bigger-name rookies. And then further down, you’ll find a sortable and searchable.
- Jordan Walker, Cardinals #344
- Anthony Volpe, Yankees #460
- Corbin Carrol, Diamondbacks #401
- Garrett Mitchell, Brewers #359
- Kodai Senga, Mets #362
- Logan O’Hoppe, Angels #363
- James Outman, Dodgers #395
- Oswaldo Cabrera, Yankees #487
- Josh Jung, Rangers #529
- Alec Burleson, Cardinals #622
- Francisco Álvarez, Mets #644
- Esteury Ruiz, Athletics #650
- Ezequiel Tovar, Rockies #651
I just preordered a Jumbo box from Blowout Cards, and I know when I’m ripping, I’ll be putting all of the above and more in penny sleeves.
Gold Mirror Image Variation SSPs
But while the above is a great start, the real value is going to be found in the Golden Mirror Image Variation SSPs. And while these big hits are easily findable when flipping through from the back thanks to their gold backs and “SSP” designation, the fronts might not ring any bells the first time through.
Here is what they look like for some of the larger rookie stars:
Hard-to-Spot Parallels
While the above might be tough to spot for the average collector, even more difficult might be the “same image” parallels
That is, vintage Stock parallels are always a tough one given there isn’t much different on the front other than the Topps logo, and the serial number on the back.
Here is a vintage stock parallel rookie card—see the difference in the Topps logo?
The Advanced Stat parallel is also difficult because the front of the card is identical to the base card, but the back is different (and it also has the serial number).
And here is an advanced stat rookie from 2023—see the difference (you can’t!)
1988 Topps
Last, in addition to the base set rookies, variations, and parallels, you can find ’23 Series 2’s top rookies in the form of a throwback 1988 design set. And call me easy to please, but something about the awful junk wax era designs with a glossy finish and a fresh crop of young stars really gets my collector mind going.
Series 2 Rookie Card Checklist
And finally, here is the full rookie checklist from 2023 Series 2. While the world waits on Jackson Holliday cards, there is more than enough here to keep a collector busy.
