2022 Topps Update Series Follows Usual Formula For Season-Ending Flagship Product
With Series 2 of Topps’ flagship baseball product released this week, the company is moving full steam ahead with details about its 2022 Topps Update set.
Update, the third installment of the 2022 season after Series 1 and Series 2, is currently scheduled to arrive the week of Oct. 12 and will feature players on new teams, rookies who debuted in 2022, and All-Star Game and Home Run Derby participants.
A hobby box will contain 24 packs, with 14 cards to a pack. Topps is promising one autograph and a relic card. Jumbo boxes will feature 10 packs and 46 cards to a pack. Topps said a jumbo will have one autograph and two relic cards.
Base Set
The formula is a familiar one for Topps collectors. The base set will contain 330 cards. Back again are rookies, rookie debuts and combination cards.
Parallels include a Jumbo exclusive Gold Foil, which will appear once in every two packs. Rainbow Foil cards will fall once in every 10 packs. Other parallels include Gold (numbered to 2021), Green Foilboard (499), Orange Foilboard (299), Red Foilboard (199), Vintage Stock (99), Independence Day (76), Black (71, limited to hobby and jumbo boxes), Mother’s Day Hot Pink (50), Father’s Day Powder Blue (50), Memorial Day Camo (25), Platinum (1/1) and Printing Plates (1/1).
There is also a Clear variation numbered to 10. There are only 100 subjects, and the variation is a hobby exclusive.
Inserts
Continuation inserts from Series 1 and 2 take center stage in the Update series.
Generation Now completes the final 30 cards of a 90-card subset and features young MLB stars. Parallels include Blue, which are limited to 600; Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). Autograph parallels of select subjects will be numbered to 10 or less.
Diamond Greats Die-Cuts, a 25-card subset, completes the first 50 inserts spread across the first two series. Parallels include a limited edition Blue, Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). As with Generation Now, the Diamond Greats Die-Cuts will have an Autograph parallel of 10 or less on select subjects.
Also returning is 1987 Topps All-Star Baseball, which highlights 50 players from the Midsummer Classic in the woodgrain design from 35 years ago. Parallels include Blue, Black (numbered to 299), Gold (50), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1).
Topps dials its card design back into the 1990s with its Topps Black Gold insert. The script used for the player’s nameplate is a nod to the 1994 Topps set.
The subset for 2022 will feature a limited Blue parallel and parallels in Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). There will also be an Autograph parallel with select subject on cards numbered to 10 or less.
Paragons of the Postseason is a new insert that shines the spotlight on players who have excelled during the playoffs and World Series. The parallels are the same as the Black Gold insert: Blue, Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). There will also be an Autograph parallel with select subject on cards numbered to 10 or less.
Also new is a Topps Baseball insert set that includes parallels in limited Blue, Black (numbered to 299), Gold (50), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1) and a new Wood variation (1/1).
Autographs
Topps is promising several different autograph subsets for collectors to chase. Baseball Stars Autographs features current greats, legends and rookies, with parallels in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50), Red (25) and Platinum (1/1).
Baseball Stars Dual Autographs are limited to five.
The 1987 Topps Baseball Autographs feature on-card signatures on a woodgrain design used 35 years ago.
Parallels are in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50), Red (a hobby exclusive numbered to 25) and Platinum, a 1/1 exclusive to hobby and jumbo boxes.
Cut Signatures feature vintage signatures of the game’s all-time greats.
Relics
Relics are also plentiful in 2022 Topps Update. Major League Material Cards feature relics from current MLB stars. Parallels are in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50), Red (25) and Platinum, a 1/1 exclusive to hobby and jumbo boxes.
All-Star Stitches Cards feature event-worn All-Star Game workout jerseys. Parallels can be found in Silver (numbered to 50), Red (25) and Gold (1/1). There are also Dual and Triple cards, each sequentially numbered to 25.
Low serial-numbered cards are featured in All-Star Jumbo Patch cards. These cards are sequentially numbered to 5 or less and have a 1/1 Gold parallel. All-Star Dual Stitches cards
Own The Name relics are 1/1 cards that feature jersey nameplate letters. They are exclusive to Hobby and Jumbo boxes.
Autograph Relics
Topps Reverence Autograph Patch cards are a hobby/jumbo exclusive that features an on-card signature and patch uniform pieces. The base card is numbered to 10 but there are parallels in Red (5) and Platinum (1/1).
Major League Material Autograph cards are numbered to 50 or less, with a Red parallel numbered to 5 or less and a 1/1 Platinum parallel.
Like the relic card, All-Star Stitches Autograph cards feature an All-Star Game workout jersey from one of the midsummer events — plus, a signature.
The base cards are numbered to 25 or less, with Red (10 or less) and Gold (1/1) parallels. All-Star Dual Autographs are also numbered to 25 or less and have the same parallels as the All-Star Stitches Autograph cards.
All-Star Autographed Jumbo Patch cards feature a signature and a large patch. The base cards are numbered to 10 or less. Red parallels are numbered to 5 or less, and there is a 1/1 Gold parallel.
Hobby/Jumbo Exclusives
Oversized Rookie Reprint box loaders will have 25 first-year subjects on oversized cards. These cards are a jumbo box exclusive. An autographed variation of select subjects is hand-numbered to 10 or less.
Sketch Cards feature hand-drawn art featuring the game’s stars and legends. These 1/1 cards are exclusive to Hobby and Jumbo boxes.
Special Event Patch Cards will highlight patches from games during the 2022 season and the players who competed in those contests. They’re hobby/jumbo exclusives.
Parallels can be found in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). Autograph parallels on select subjects will be numbered to 10 or less.
As is the case with Series 1 and 2, collectors who buy hobby boxes will find one exclusive Silver pack, while a Jumbo box will have two of the special packs.
The packs will feature major league baseball veterans, rookies and retired greats displayed in chrome. Some collectors will pull numbered autographs or parallels.
About Bob D’Angelo
Bob has been a sportswriter and copy editor for more than 35 years and a blogger for a decade. He is celebrating his 50th year of card collecting, and still counts his 1965 Topps Mickey Mantle as his favorite. You can reach him at [email protected].
