2022 Topps Chrome Baseball Preview

You can’t accuse Topps of waiting until the last minute to start offering information on its products.  We’ve got details on one of the company’s longer running and most popular lines:  2022 Topps Chrome Baseball, which isn’t set to arrive until July 27.

Topps has been ramping up its efforts to put a little more color into Chrome for a while now, and ’22 is no exception.

2022 Topps Chrome Configuration and Base Set

There are a couple of box options beyond the retail versions:  Standard Hobby boxes which offer 24 packs with four cards in each and a guarantee of two autographs (12 boxes per case) or HTA Jumbo with 12 packs of 12 cards including five autographs and a Refractor parallel.

As usual, the base set has 200 cards from Series 1 and 2 and the number of parallels is still sizeable:

Base Set Parallels
• Refractor – 1:3 Packs
• Prism Refractor– 1:6 Packs
• Negative Refractor
• Magenta Refractor – #’d to 399
• Magenta Speckle Refractor – #’d to 350
• Purple Speckle Refractor – #’d to 299 NEW!
• Purple Refractor – #’d to 250
• Aqua Refractor – #’d to 199
• Aqua Lava Refractor – #’d to 199 NEW!
• Blue Refractor – #’d to 150
• Green Refractor – #’d to 99
• Green Wave Refractor – #’d to 99
• Blue Wave Refractor – #’d to 75
• Gold Refractor – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor – #’d to 50
• Orange Wave Refractor – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor – #’d to 5
• Red Wave Refractor – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor – #’d 1-of-1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1

Inserts

There will be image variations of the base cards that are considered inserts. Those will have parallels including:

• Green Speckle Refractor – #’d to 99
• Gold Speckle Refractor – #’d to 50
• Orange Speckle Refractor – #’d to 25
• Red Speckle Refractor – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor – #’d 1-of-1

There are several new inserts this year including:

New Classics (1:12 Packs) which focuses on young players “who have the tools to excel right out of the gate,” according to Topps.  Parallels include:

• Green Refractor – #’d to 99
• Gold Refractor – #’d to 50
• Orange Refractor – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor – #’d 1-of-1

Pinstriped (1:24 packs) isn’t all about the Yankees.  According to Topps, it zeroes in on “players who have earned the pinstripes, so to speak, by their outstanding play.”   

Parallels include:

• Champagne Gold Speckle Refractor – #’d to 50
• Orange Pearl Speckle Refractor – #’d to 25
• Candy Apple Red Speckle Refractor – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor – #’d 1-of-1

Heart of the City (1:16 Packs) is also new.  It’s an artistic subset showcasing players and the cities they represent. Autographed versions are also in the mix (see below).

Parallels include:

• Green Refractor – #’d to 99
• Gold Refractor – #’d to 50
• Orange Refractor – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor – #’d 1-of-1

Other inserts feature 2022 Topps Chrome cards done in a 1987-style design that will be found one in every six packs and Future Stars, which focus on younger players. 

Parallel possibilities for both include:

• Green Refractor – #’d to 99
• Gold Refractor – #’d to 50
• Orange Refractor – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor – #’d 1-of-1

Autographs

Chrome Rookie Autographs will be the big draw again with official rookie cards carrying signatures of first year players, who should, at the time of release, be making their mark.

• Refractor Parallel – #’d to 499
• Purple Speckle Refractor – #’d to 299 (new)
• Purple Refractor Parallel – #’d to 250
• Aqua Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 199
• Blue Refractor Parallel – #’d to 150
• Blue RayWave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 150 (new)
• Gold Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Orange Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• Red Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor Parallel – #’d 1-of-1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1

Chrome Veteran Variations Autographs will be new for ’22:

• Refractor Parallel – #’d to 499
• Purple Speckle Refractor – #’d to 299 (new)
• Purple Refractor Parallel – #’d to 250
• Aqua Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 199
• Blue Refractor Parallel – #’d to 150
• Blue RayWave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 150 (new)
• Gold Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Orange Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• Red Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor Parallel – #’d 1/1 1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1

The insert cards will have autographed versions including 1987, Heart of the City, Pinstriped and Future Stars. They’ll carry varied serial numbering along with a few different parallels.

Dual Rookie Autographs will pair two first year players and their autographs.  They’ll be numbered to 25 except for Red (# to 5) and SuperFractor (1/1) parallels.

Relic Cards

Topps Chrome Authentics  is a new element, with MLB Authenticated relic pieces and what Topps calls “an elegant design.”  All Chrome branded releases will fall under that moniker from now on.  The 2022 Topps Chrome Authentics cards will have four parallels:

• Green Refractor – #’d to 99
• Orange Refractor – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor – #’d 1-of-1

There will be autographed versions, too, with varied serial numbering.  

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 35 years and a collector for even longer than that, he’s usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]