Where to Begin Collecting Minnesota Twins and Topps Baseball Cards in 2023

[Ted Schwerzler]

We have now made it to February which means we have baseball for the next nine months. Although spring training is still a couple of weeks away, and games are a bit further than that, ways for fans to interact with the sport remain constant. Baseball cards are one avenue keeping that sentiment true, and Topps is about ready to kick off 2023.

 

Image courtesy of Marc Vasconcellos / USA TODAY NETWORK

A few years ago, I wrote some tips and tricks for collectors. It was well-timed as the pandemic was set to be upon us, and we saw an explosion of interest in the hobby. Much of the same principles from that piece are still applicable today, but a few things have changed.

As the hobby has grown, it has never been more true that buying singles is the most economical way to build a collection. Wax prices within baseball, sold by Topps, have all but exploded. Finding a solid return by opening a box is little more than gambling, and odds may be even longer.

With a new season upon us, the official baseball card calendar kicks off each year when Series 1 releases. In 2023, that date is February 15. Series 1 is the first licensed product each year, and typically features players that changed teams or made late debuts during the previous season. There will always be plenty of stars from teams represented as well, and we’ll have a better idea when the checklist drops.

Topps Flagship, as Series 1, 2, and Update are categorized, is the place to find true rookie cards of players. It is a perfect entry level product in that the goal is to be affordable and available. Autographs are not the big draw here, and neither are relic cards. If you’re searching for value, it’s in finding limited parallels of rookies. Combining base set cards with any number of inserts and die-cuts, there should be something for everyone.

As was the case with 2022 Topps, borders remain present on the base design. Players' faces are pictured on the lower corner of the cards, and team logos are present behind the name. With a true outline surrounding each image again this season, it should be relatively straightforward to decipher the print quality of each individual offering.

For the Twins specifically, there are a few players we should see for the first time. Although Royce Lewis, Jovani Moran, and hilariously Curtis Terry, all had rookies last season, there are still new names to get excited about. For those from Minnesota, both Louie Varland and Matt Wallner should appear in Series 1 and bring about hometown nostalgia. The set could be the first time we see Tyler Mahle in a Twins uniform, and we may get a Jermaine Palacios rookie card despite him no longer being in the organization.

When it comes to pitching many of the bigger names had cards in 2022. Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and Josh Winder all have already seen their rookie cards issued. Simeon Woods Richardson debuted at the end of the season however, and could have a rookie here, while Ronny Henriquez could join him.

The Twins have plenty of exciting prospects that could find themselves into Major League product before the end of the season. Maybe Brooks Lee makes a summer debut, and Austin Martin could be in that camp as well. Typically there is a cutoff around mid-summer that leaves rookies being held back until the next year, and following along with Topps Now cards is a giveaway as to when that timeframe is.

On the Bowman side of things, when trying to collect prospects, there isn’t a ton of value to be had for Minnesota. Tanner Schobel is currently a low-priced autograph, but Lee’s are well into the triple-digits. Emmanuel Rodriguez was a good guy to make money on before 2022, but that prospect isn’t as straightforward this season. Marco Raya looks the part of a guy who could develop nicely, but pitcher autographs are a very volatile market to say the least.

With Fanatics continuing to impart more of their future plans into the current Topps structure, it will be interesting to see how the product lines change during the season. Although the new ownership will continue to push different ideas, you can bet on many things remaining as we have grown to know them thus far.

Baseball is back, and so too is another season of collecting cards that go with it. Maybe the next Mike Trout appears this season, and while that is unlikely, not knowing is part of the fun. Who are you looking forward to collecting this year? What goals do you have for your collection?

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[Rosterman]

Brooks Lee Bowman is a "redemption card" this season, so it may make it actually that much mroe expensive...with the process of having to redeem at some future point in time.

 

[dvaupel]

Very low-key collecting (thanks to my son getting into it), and I've honestly found the best value to be in eBay box breaks. Every new set that comes out seems to have a number of eBay sellers posting auctions for all the cards from a particular team from however many boxes they're opening on a livestream. For the price of a few packs, I was able to get all the Twins cards from 4-6 boxes of cards from several different Topps releases last year....several complete team sets from the release plus some nice inserts (jersey cards, autographs, etc.).

Very different than collecting when I was a kid, but in the days of most packs costing $5+, it's by far the best way to get the cards of the players I actually care about (plus the occasional Curtis Terry...)

[KnoblauchWasFramed]

I didn't get the Curtis Terry joke....

[BuxtonBonanza]

One of my favorite cards so far this calendar year is the Joe Ryan throwback RC card. Such a classic design from the 1987 Topps All Star set. Hopefully Topps keeps mixing up the cool historic designs with the contemporary players. 

[dvaupel]

16 hours ago, KnoblauchWasFramed said:

I didn't get the Curtis Terry joke....

Just a reference to Topps' turnaround time on getting set lists together not allowing them to be as accurate in the cards they issue. 2022 had a Charlie Barnes card which partly makes sense, but also mentions in his bio that he's not on the Twins anymore but instead signed to play in Korea.

[Ted Schwerzler]

18 hours ago, Rosterman said:

Brooks Lee Bowman is a "redemption card" this season, so it may make it actually that much mroe expensive...with the process of having to redeem at some future point in time.

 

Typically redemptions go down in value as you never know if or when you'll get it. Have yet to see any of them live. Took forever for Austin Martin. Lee's prices have dropped some.

[Ted Schwerzler]

16 hours ago, KnoblauchWasFramed said:

I didn't get the Curtis Terry joke....

He's literally in every product as a Twins player this year, and has multiple different autographs. Yet, he never wore a Twins uniform and didn't finish the season in the organization.