Best Baseball Cards of 2023: Rookies, Vets, Inserts & Sets

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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I’ve spent some time curating what are the best baseball cards of 2023—the rookies, the veterans, and everyone in between.

For a TLDR version, here is what I’m laying out for the best cards in 2023:

• Flagship Rookie Cards: Corbin Carrol, Josh Jung, Riley Greene, Gunnar Henderson, and more
• New & Different: Tacofractors and Golden Mirror Image Variations
• Non-Flagship Sets: Cosmic Chrome, Topps Finest, Topps Big League
• Insert Cards: 8-Bit Ballers, Aces

Best Rookies

As a reminder, among the various card companies, Topps stands out as the best for rookies. Flagship, in particular, is the most sought-after or at least considered the “true” provider of rookies amongst Topps products.

(Of course, I’m also not only talking about base cards, but valuable variations as well.)

This includes Topps Series 1 best cards, the top entries from 2023 series 2, and Chrome; each of which are filled with rookie gems and are a collector’s (and breaker’s) delight.

In no particular order, here are some of the best rookie cards to look out for:

1. Corbin Carroll: The Cream of the Crop

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 2 Card #401 & 2023 Topps Chrome #95
• Why He’s Special: Touted as the best of the bunch before the year began, during the first half, and now, Corbin Carroll’s rookie card is a must-have for Diamondback collectors (and those who enjoy the best young names in the sport). Carroll was even in the conversation for MVP at one point, and while that talk has died down, he is certainly recognized among the best of the 2023 card bunch. (The Diamondbacks’ surprising start also helped things, but now have fallen ice cold.)

2. Jordan Walker: The Hyped

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 2 Card #344 & 2023 Topps Chrome #209
• Notable Moments: Despite the early hype surrounding him, Jordan Walker’s surprise mid-season stint in the minors has somewhat dampened his card’s value. It’s a bummer considering how difficult it is for anyone to burst on to the scene and perform to expectations. Anyway, his recent promotion to the No. 3 spot in the Cardinals’ lineup shows promise. But again, the hobby is fickle, though, and even when someone proceeds to be a solid and even great player, their value peak is often early in their first few games.

3. Anthony Volpe: The Big Market Prodigy?

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 2 Card #460 & 2023 Topps Chrome #4
• Yankee Chronicles: Playing as a rookie for the Yankees is tough in any scenario, and when you’re doing it at the same position as the great Derek Jeter, well, good luck. As such, Volpe has perfromed, but has also faced bumps and slumps. His mentor, Willie Randolph, believes in his mental toughness, making him a player to watch for years to come.

4. Brett Baty: The “Power” Hitter

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 2 Card #204 & 2023 Topps Chrome #89
• Mets’ Decision: Despite showcasing raw power and hard contact, Baty of the Mets was just sent down to Triple-A to presumably make some adjustments. With a hard-hit percentage in the 69th percentile, there’s hope for a bright future, right? Of course. These are rookies after all.

5. Josh Jung: The Injured All-Star

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 2 Card #529 & 2023 Topps Chrome #93
• Injury Update: The Rangers’ all-star rookie recently fractured his thumb and is expected to be out for at least six weeks. Really rough news for an AL ROY favorite and a team that hasn’t tasted success in quite a while.

6. Elly De La Cruz: The Awaited Star

• Card Info: Not available until 2024!
• Anticipation: That’s right, collectors will have to wait another year for Elly De La Cruz’s rookie card, building anticipation and potential value.

7. Gunnar Henderson

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 1 Card #206 & 2023 Topps Chrome #2
• 2023 Update: The Baltimore Orioles’ rookie sensation (which one?), has made a significant impact with 19 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 62 runs this season, helping the Orioles achieve the best record in the American League. His fiery attitude and commitment have been highlighted by Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde, who recently praised Henderson’s competitive nature and passion.

8. Masataka Yoshida

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 1 Card #471 & 2023 Topps Chrome #167
• 2023 Update: The Boston Red Sox’s outfielder has been on a hot streak recently highlighted by a grand slam against the Cubs, which marked his 11th homer of the season. Aside from being a big bop, this grand slam was particularly significant, boosting Boston’s win probability from 78% to 96% as reported by CBS Boston. Yoshida’s impressive .436/.450/.692 slash line since the beginning of July, as noted by Boston.com, has caught the attention of teammates and fans alike and have solidified his reputation as one of the league’s best hitters.

9. Triston Casas

• Card Info: 2023 Topps Series 1 Card #92 & 2023 Topps Chrome #167
• 2023 Update: Speaking of the Red Sox, their dynamic first baseman has been in the limelight for his on-field performance (and unique training methods). In July, he was named the American League Rookie of the Month after an impressive performance, including a post All-Star break spree of homers against the Cubs. Since his 2018 MLB draft selection, Casas’ ascent in the baseball world has been meteoric.

Best “Something Different” Cards

Moving on from the rookies, baseball cards have long been a cherished collectible, with enthusiasts eagerly awaiting each year’s new releases. In 2023, though, there have been some truly unique and out-of-the-box variations that have collectors buzzing. Love them or hate them, they could be considered the best of the year given the amount of press coverage.

Tacofractor

Topps really spiced things up with their 2023 Chrome collection by introducing the Tacofractor. Not a joke, this unique card design marries the classic refractor finish with playful taco emojis sprinkled throughout. With every player in the 200-card series getting their Tacofractor version, it’s become a collector’s “supreme” delight.

Topps further piqued interest in July 2023 with a mysterious message hinting at something big related to the Tacofractor. This intrigue has only fueled the card’s demand and value, making it one of the best Topps cards of 2023. I’m interested to see if the announcement is huge or a flop, and either increasing prices more or bringing them down a bit.

Golden Mirror Variations

The allure of gold is timeless, right? Give me a gold refractor or bordered gold any day! Recognizing this, Topps unveiled the Golden Mirror Image Variation in their 2023 Series 1 lineup.

These special edition cards, available for all 330 players on the Flagship roster, showcase a distinctive image on the front and a radiant golden design on the reverse. That’s right, every single player on the checklist has one, which is new and different.

The “SSP” stamp in gold foil adds an extra touch of exclusivity (and again, something new, as highlighting “SSP” has been something reserved for the best cards in Heritage).

Best Non-Flagship Sets

Looking at sets, while Flagship remains a classic in the world of baseball cards, let’s recognize that 2023 continues to bring forth a slew of other Topps releases that are enticing for collectors and enthusiasts (without gimmicks; or extreme gimmicks, at least).

1. Cosmic Chrome

The 2023 Topps Cosmic Chrome set is a star-studded addition to the Topps lineup, and after what will be two releases, I think it is here to stay.

(With shimmering designs and captivating visuals, it’s no wonder collectors are “gravitating” towards it.)

A traditional collector’s nightmare, the set is described as having a “futuristic feel” and consists of 100 cards—with several parallels, including the Cosmic-only Nucleus refractor. (Cosmic Chrome Autographs are also a significant draw due to their toughness to pull.)

2. Topps Big League

Topps Big League has always been a favorite among younger collectors due to its price point, but the 2023 release has elements that appeal to seasoned enthusiasts as well. Known for its vibrant and colorful designs (and cartoonish inserts; more to come) this year the set has introduced some intriguing changes:

One, hobby boxes no longer guarantee orange parallels in every pack. Instead, they are now exclusive to Blaster boxes (which promise one foil card per pack as well).

Two, while not worth a ton, the set introduces the “8-Bit Ballers” inserts, which are pixelated, video game-style cards. These unique inserts have garnered attention and could become a favorite among collectors.

Anyway, the set has always been a bit polarizing, with some loving its playful nature and others preferring more traditional designs.

3. Topps Finest

While Cosmic is new, and Big League is relatively new, Topps Finest is a staple in the baseball card world, known for its sleek designs and high-quality “chrome” cards. The 2023 release continues this tradition:

First, the set remains hobby exclusive, ensuring that it isn’t massively overprinted and watered down by sitting on retail shelves. This exclusivity adds a layer of rarity to the cards, to an extent (I mean, as much as it can in today’s card world).

Next, the base set consists of 100 cards, with an additional 25 extended high-number short prints. These short prints are challenging to find, adding to the thrill of the hunt. But back to the 100-card base checklist, that’s a set collector’s dream (Or do set collectors like big checklists?)

Best Insert Cards

Last but not least, I’m an insert guy, and even though many of them don’t hold a ton of value, I’m always on the lookout for cool designs. Through all of the rehashes and different ideas card companies have thrown at the wall this year in 2023, here are the inserts that have stuck, in my opinion.

(And while we all love SSPs and Case Hits, I won’t be including them here.)

8-Bit Ballers from 2023 Topps Big League

I already mentioned these above, so forgive me for the duplication, but these need a bigger section. Call. me nostalgic, but combining inserts (which have been around forever) and video game-like goodness is just too much to handle.

Aces from 2023 Topps Series 1 and Series 2

Now, “aces”-related inserts are nothing new. In fact, they have been done to death over and over again, going all the way back to the 90s and across a number of different card brands. So, the fact that this recent rendition has blown up is even all the more impressive.