2022 TOPPS BASEBALL FACTORY SET VARIATIONS
2022 Topps Baseball Complete Set Variations offer up new cards of some of the season’s top rookies. It’s not just the usual five-card bonus pack found in retail factory sets, either. ree Opening Day debuts that don’t have standard base cards in 2022 Topps Series 1 or Series 2 make appearances in all versions of the box set.
Once you get past that, there are some other surprises as well in the form of more traditional printing variations.
OPENING DAY DANDIES
Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr. and Spencer Torkelson all broke Spring Training with their MLB clubs. While this was too late to get them into the Series 2 base set, all three do have Short Print Variations that rank as some of the most popular cards in the product.
e rookie trio has three different cards in 2022 Topps Baseball factory sets. So even though the box says it’s a 660-card set, these bring them up to 663. Basically, they’re variations of variations.
ese three cards are in all factory sets, hobby and retail. As a result, collectors shouldn’t have trouble finding them over the long term. It should also keep prices reasonable.
Besides having different photos on the front, the factory set cards also say “Complete Sets” under the card number on the back. eir pack-inserted counterparts say “Series Two.”
Several other players have appeared with factory set versions over the last decade including Bryce Harper (2012), Ronald Acuna Jr. (2018) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2019). All offer alternatives to short prints or variations added to Series 2 of their respective years.
RETAIL ROOKIE VARIATIONS
While Rodriguez, Witt and Torkelson were something of a surprise, five 2022 Topps Baseball Retail Factory Set Rookie Variations were always happening.
Keeping with a trend that goes back several years, the retail sets come with a bonus pack of five top rookies, all using different photos. ese have a notation on the back, although it’s an error saying “Chrome” under the card number instead of “Complete Sets.”
Wander Franco highlights the players in 2022 sets. Jarren Duran, Shane Baz, Oneil Cruz and Brandon Marsh round things out. ey do not replace their regular cards. ose are in the factory sets as well. e variations are bonus cards.
ese five cards are only in sets sold at retail. Hobby sets have five foil parallels instead.
TARGET TOPPS CHROME ROOKIE VARIATIONS
Another returning wrinkle are five more Topps Chrome Variations found in specially marked sets at Target.
It’s the same five players as the retail variations, but these sets also have one of the Chrome cards. ey have entirely different images.
Typically Target also carries the regular retail factory set so if you’re aer the Chrome exclusives, be sure to check the box first. ey’re in a green box with the Chrome cards noted on the front but not the top.