2023 Topps Series 2 Preview, Checklist

Topps continues to use the same formula it has for years in its flagship baseball set. 2023 Series 2 Baseball will be a continuation of what collectors found in Series 1, with some new rookies and inserts thrown into the mix. The product is scheduled to go live the week of June 7.

A hobby box will feature 24 packs, with 14 cards to a pack. Every hobby box will also contain a bonus Silver Pack. Topps is promising either an autograph or relic card in each hobby box.

Jumbo boxes will have 10 packs, with 46 cards to a pack. Each jumbo will include one autograph card, one relic, a hobby exclusive manufactured item card, two silver packs and one box topper.

Base set

Like Series 1, the 2023 Topps Series 2 product will feature 330 cards (Nos. 331 to 660). The set will continue to showcase veterans and top rookies.

Future Stars and team cards will also return.

As expected, there are plenty of parallels.

A jumbo exclusive is a Gold Foil parallel, which will be printed on gold foilboard. They are inserted in every other jumbo pack. Also exclusive to jumbos are Black parallels numbered to 72.

Other parallels include Rainbow Foil, which fall one in every 10 packs. Gold parallels will be numbered to 2023, followed by Green Rainbow Foil (499), Orange Rainbow Foil (299), Red Rainbow Foil (199), Vintage Stock (99), Independence Day (76), Mother’s Day Hot Pink (50), Father’s Day Powder Blue (50), Memorial Day Camo (25), and a hobby exclusive Clear Variation (10) that features 100 subjects.

Printing plates and Platinum parallels are 1/1 offerings.

Golden Mirror SSP variation cards are available for every card in the set. You may recall the $250,000 bounty and resulting chase for a full set from Series 1.

Making its debut in Series 2 are 1/1 Art Card sketch parallel cards, featuring hand-drawn art by Luke the Cardist. These cards are extremely rare and can be found in 1 of every 12,145 jumbo packs.

Inserts

As it did in Series 1, Topps takes a step back 35 years and takes a look at the 1988 set for some of its insert sets.

All-Star baseball is a new 50-card set that features the game’s biggest stars and names from the past.

Parallels can be found in Blue (limited to 600), Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1).

1988 Topps Baseball features 50 more MLB stars.– An additional 50 MLB® stars are celebrated in this set.

Parallels will be available in Blue (limited to 600), Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1).

The limited Heavy Lumber subset puts 20 of the game’s best hitters in the spotlight on wood-grain cards.

All Aces features die-cut foilboard cards, with parallels in Blue (limited), Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10), Platinum (1/1) and Autograph parallels numbered to 25 or less.

Debuting in Series 2 is the 30-card Legends of the Game insert. This subset, as the name implies, showcases the best in MLB history.

Parallels can be found in Blue (limited), Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). Autograph parallels are limited to 25 or fewer.

Also new for Series 2 is the 2023 World Baseball Classic Stars set, which features 60 players who competed in this year’s event.

Parallels are available in Blue (limited), Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). Autograph parallels are limited to 25 or fewer.

Another new insert, Favorite Sons, features MLB stars and their journeys through their home stats. Parallels are available in Blue (limited), Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). Autograph parallels are limited to 25 or fewer.

Significant Statistics pays tribute to leaders in advanced stats and is comprised of 25 cards. Collectors can chase parallels in Blue (limited), Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). Autograph parallels are limited to 25 or fewer.

Social Media Follow Back redemption cards are limited to 10 or less per player. The cards give collectors the chance to get an MLB to follow you on your Instagram account.

Autographs/Relics

Series 2 will feature several subsets with on-card signatures.

Baseball Stars Autographs pays attention to the game’s best players, with parallels in Black (numbered to 99), Gold (50), Red (25) and Platinum (1/1).

A Dual Autographs version is numbered to 5 or less.

The 1988 Topps All-Star Baseball Autograph Cards features hard-signed signatures on cards that are displayed in the design of the 1988 Topps design.

This subset has parallels in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50 or less), Red (a hobby exclusive numbered to 25 or less), and 1/1 Platinum parallels that are exclusive to hobby and jumbo box packs.

Continuing the design from 35 years ago is the aptly named 1988 Topps Baseball Autographs, which will feature on-card signatures.

There are parallels in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50 or less), Red (a hobby exclusive numbered to 25 or less), and 1/1 Platinum parallels that are exclusive to hobby and jumbo box packs.

Cut Signatures feature 1/1 cards of legendary players.

There are a few relics to be found in Series 2.

Major League Material Cards contains bat pieces and uniform swatches. There are parallels in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50 or less), Red (25 or less) and a 1/1 Platinum parallel limited to hobby and jumbo packs. There is also an autograph version that is numbered to 50 or less.

Platinum parallels are numbered to 5 or less, while there is also a 1/1 Gold parallel card.

The 1988 Topps All-Star Baseball and 1988 Topps Baseball relic sets also have the same parallels — in Black (numbered to 199), Gold (50 or less), Red (25 or less) and a 1/1 Platinum parallel limited to hobby and jumbo packs.

In The Name Relics are 1/1 cards that feature jersey nameplate letters. They can be found in hobby or jumbo packs.

Topps Reverence Autograph Patch cards are also exclusive to hobby and jumbo packs. The cards are hard-signed, along with a game-used patch featuring greats from the past and present. The cards are numbered to 10 and are exclusive to hobby and jumbo boxes. Parallels can be found in Red, numbered to 5; and a 1/1 Platinum.

Exclusive Commemorative Relics can be found in every Jumbo box, while it is a case hit for hobby boxes.

Crowning Achievements Commemorative Patch Cards debuts in Series 2 and features players who led their league in major batting and pitching categories. Parallels can be found in Black (numbered to 299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). An autograph parallel features select subjects and are numbered to 25 or fewer.

Also appearing for the first time are 2022 Silver Slugger Award Winners Cards, which celebrates the winners of this prestigious batting award.

Base cards are numbered to 399, with parallels in Black (299), Gold (75), Red (10) and Platinum (1/1). There is also an Autograph parallel numbered to 25 or less.

Debuting are the oversized box topper Topps Record Breakers, which are inspired by the 1988 Topps design. The cards feature notable record breakers across several categories and different eras.

Parallels can be found in Gold (numbered to 80), Red (10), Platinum (1/1) and an Autograph parallel numbered to 10 or less featuring an on-card signature.

You can check current box pricing for 2023 Topps Series 2 on eBay here.

2023 Topps Series 2 Baseball Checklist  

About Bob D'Angelo

Bob has been a sportswriter and copy editor for more than 45 years and a blogger for two decades. He is celebrating his 60th year of card collecting, and still counts his 1965 Topps Mickey Mantle as his favorite. You can reach him at [email protected].