What are the best 2022 baseball cards to buy?

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Now that the 2022 regular season is almost over it’s a good time to take a look at the most exciting young MLB talent with our Hottest Baseball Rookie Cards 2022 list. The 2021 MLB draft certainly wasn’t short of talent so the task isn’t easy when attempting to decide which players will make the biggest impacts in the years to come. The same goes for prospects that’ll make their MLB debuts in 2023 and beyond. And that’s who we’ll focus on today. Both the best rookies that debuted in 2022 along with some players we’ll see down the road. Let’s get started!

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Hottest Baseball Rookie Cards 2022

O’Neil Cruz 2016 Bowman Draft

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How could we leave the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year favorite off the list?? Anyone who was breaking boxes back in 2016 should go rummage through their old storage boxes ASAP as this guy came out of nowhere in 2021 and straight CRUSHED the ball. So much so that the performance skyrocketed Cruz inside the top 10 of all MLB prospects. At some point or another Cruz should get a shot to prove he can do it in the bigs in 2022. And if he can? PLENTY of profits to be made as his top rookie cards go for pennies on the dollar when compared to some of the other young stars in the game.

Oh and by the way, did we mention this guy has a 6’7″ frame and one of the highest exit velocities in the league? If that’s not enough to get collector’s excited we don’t know what is. And what collector’s get excited prices tend to rise. A nice little combo that easily puts Cruz on our Hottest Baseball Rookie Cards 2022 list.

Bobby Witt Jr. 2020 Bowman Chrome

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Everyone knew he was talented, but few could have guessed what a MAMMOTH of a season Witt Jr. would put up in 2021. A season so big in fact, it seems a 2022 MLB debut is all but inevitable. Witt Jr. has that rare power speed combo (30/30 in 2021) that makes fans, scouts, and collectors foam at the mouth in anticipation. While there could be some growing pains, we’re certainly not betting against Witt Jr. having a productive rookie season. And once he get’s settled in? Sky’s the limit.

Spencer Torkelson 2020 Bowman Draft

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In his first (and likely only) full season in the minors, Tork blasted 30 home runs with a .267/.383/.552 triple slash. Impressive numbers indeed. And with plenty of college ball experience under his belt it won’t be long before he starting for the Tigers. At age 22 Torkelson should be ready to handle MLB pitchers from the get go and has enough power to smack 25 plus home runs right off the bat.

Adley Rutschman 2019 Bowman Draft

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Of all the prospects set to debut in 2022, Adley Rutschman is the one we’re most excited about. Us and just about every talking head in the business! Prior to making his minor league debut, Baltimore’s phenom catcher was hyped as the most talented prospect since Bryce Harper. While his debut season was so-so, Rutschman answered every question in 2020 with a monster season at the dish. At this point it seems all but certain 2022 will be his rookie season. With his experience and excellent performance in 2021, we don’t see any signs of slowing down.

Julio Rodriguez 2019 Bowman Draft

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Baseball’s number two prospect hit a whopping .347 in 2021 and flashed his power ability as well with 13 long balls over 291 at bats. And let’s not forget about the 21 stolen bases. Like Wiit Jr., Rodriguez is a five tool guy and should be called up next season. With his ability to put the bat on the ball and intriguing raw power, this is a guy that should be making a name for himself from season one.

Gunnar Henderson 2019 Bowman Draft

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An electrifying talent in the Orioles renowned farm system, Henderson hit his way onto the big league squad in 2022. And once he was up he certainly held his own with 3 long balls and a .276 average over 86 at bats. While fellow rookie Rutschman gets most of the attention, Gunnar Henderson should not be overlook. With the sheer amount of young talent in Baltimore these guys could be a force in the AL East for a long time to come.

Hottest Baseball Rookie Cards 2022: Brand New Prospects

Marcelo Mayer 

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When it comes to the best of the best from the most recent MLB Draft, Marcelo Mayer tops the list. While not the first pick overall, Mayer is viewed by many as having the most raw potential out of the bunch. A tall left handed hitting short stop that has a keen batter’s eye and should develop plenty of power as he matures. Therefore, expect plenty of balls off his bat to leave the short right field fences of Fenway once he arrives. However, at age 19 that may take a couple of years so patience is key.

As far as values go, some of his 1st Bowmans have already sold for more than $5,000. And with his first full season of minor league ball still to come that number could skyrocket. As long as he performs as expected that is. Either way, this is without a doubt one of the hottest baseball rookie cards of 2022.

Henry Davis 

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As we said, Marcelo Mayer was not the first pick in the 2021 Draft. That honor belong to the guy shown here. Henry Davis is a power hitting catcher who has shown nothing but pure POP throughout his career. And since he was a college player, we won’t have to wait as long to see him in the big leagues. Davis made a brief appearance on the Pirate’s farm last year and produced a .308/.387/.808 triple slash over 26 at bats. If that production holds up over the course of the 2022 season we should see some monster gain in his card value.

Speaking of value, Davis also commands some big price tags. While not as sought after as Mayer, that could change quickly with a big season that leads to a 2022 call up.

Breakout Rookie Alert: Scottie Barnes Rookie Card Hot List

Hottest Baseball Rookie Cards 2022 Sleeper Pick

Brennen Davis 

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The Cubs 2nd round pick from the 2018 draft finally gained traction in 2021. So much so that Brennen Davis has made an epic rise up the MLB prospect rankings and now sits at the 14th best rated minor-leaguer in the land. While Davis’ track record isn’t as bankable as the other players found on our Hottest Baseball Rookie Cards 2022 list, he has the potential to be a massive sleeper. Don’t be afraid to take a flyer here if the guys above become too overbought going into the season.

Hottest MLB Rookie Cards 2022 ETA

Since none of the emerging prospects on this list have played in the MLB there aren’t any true rookie cards of them available at the moment. However, the 2022 collections will arrive throughout the year and should include many of these players as long as they are called up early enough in the season. In the meantime, picking up a few of the prospect cards shown above might be a good idea until the rookie cards arrive. While not true rookie cards, the 1st Bowman Chrome Draft cards tend to be the most sought after in the long run. As the first true rookie cards begin to roll out, rest assured we’ll keep you updated.

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