Shipping Date 31/7
4 cards per pack
24 packs per box
2023 Topps Chrome Baseball has more color than a bowl of Lucky Charms and a side of psychedelics. Refractors galore and inserts that would make a cotton candy family reunion envious are all part of the checklist.
The 2023 Topps Baseball design gets its annual metallic makeover for the base set. Player wise, it’s a shrunken down greatest hits take with 220 cards instead of the flagship’s 660. Rookies and veterans make up the checklist.
And then there’s the ride down Rainbow Road with Chrome’s parallels. The list includes:
- Refractors – 1:3 packs
- Negative Refractors
- Prism Refractors – 1:6 packs
- Pink Refractors – 2 per blaster box
- Sepia Refractors – 2 per blaster box
- X-Fractors – 10 per monster box
- Magenta Refractors – /399
- Magenta Speckle Refractors – /350
- Purple Speckle Refractors – /299
- Sonar Purple Refractors – /275
- Purple Refractors – /250
- Aqua Refractors – /199
- Aqua Lava Refractors – /199
- Blue Refractors – /150
- Sonar Blue Refractors – /125
- Green Refractors – /99
- Green Wave Refractors – /99 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Sonar Green Refractors – /99
- Blue Wave Refractors – /75 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Gold Refractors – /50
- Gold Wave Refractors – /50 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Orange Refractors – /25 (hobby only)
- Orange Wave Refractors – /25 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Red Refractors – /5
- Red Wave Refractors – /5 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Printing Plates – 1/1
- Superfractors – 1/1
Select cards get Image Variations with additional Green Speckle (/99), Gold Speckle (/50), Orange Speckle (/25), Red Speckle (/5) and Superfractor (1/1) parallels.
On top of these are even scarcer Super Short Print (SSP) Variations.
And then there’s the debut of the TacoFractor. Whether they’re a new parallel, insert or some sort of coupon good for a Taco Bell adventure is not yet known. However, they are numbered to 5.
Autographs and Memorabilia Cards
Rookie Autographs are another cornerstone of Topps Chrome Baseball. Delivering lots of on-card ink, these carry the same general design as the base set. And wouldn’t you know it, there are lots of Refractors here as well, such as:
- Refractors – /499
- Purple Speckle Refractors – /250
- Aqua Wave Refractors – /199
- Blue Refractors – /150
- Blue RayWave Refractors – /150
- Green Refractors – /99 (retail only)
- Gold Refractors – /50
- Gold Wave Refractors – /50 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Orange Refractors – /25 (hobby only)
- Orange Wave Refractors – /25 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Red Refractors – /5
- Red Wave Refractors – /5 (hobby and jumbo only)
- Printing Plates – 1/1
- Superfractors – 1/1 (hobby and jumbo only)
Remember all the Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt cards that Topps bought back last year? While it doesn’t account for anywhere close to where all the cards went, some are found in 2023 Topps Chrome Baseball. This time, though, they have signatures on them. Both Judge and Goldschmidt signed 22 of the cards for the 2022 Topps Chrome MVP Autograph Buybacks. These also have a special stamp on them. Unsigned buybacks are also available.
Dual Rookie Autographs are numbered to 25. Parallels are scarce with just five Red Refractors and one Superfractor per card.
Only available in hobby and jumbo packs, Topps Chrome Authentics are the lone memorabilia cards in 2023 Topps Chrome Baseball. Swatches in these all come with an MLB Authentication sticker so collectors can look up the specific game the uniform piece came from. Parallels include Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5) and Superfractors (1/1).
Additional Inserts
The 35th anniversary revisit of 1988 Topps Baseball carries over from the flagship set with some added chromium. Standard insert versions also have Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Orange Refractors (/25), Red Refractors (/5) and Superfractors (1/1). There are also autographs that get the Orange (/25), Red (/5), Printing Plate (1/1) and Superfractor (1/1) treatment.
Future Stars returns, covering both one of Topps’ most recognizable subsets as well as some of the game’s young stars. An extremely colorful backdrop for the base versions, these still have Green Refractors (/99), Gold Refractors (/50), Red Refractors (/5) and Superfractors (1/1).
Ultraviolet All-Stars is one of a handful debuting inserts. These take an artistic route, highlighting the work of Mitch O’Connell.
2022 Topps Chrome included Heart of the City, an insert set that put players looking over their home city’s skyline. This year it’s Topps Chrome Titans, which have players loom like Kaiju ready to battle Godzilla in their respective stadiums.
Topps in Technicolor draws its inspiration from the bright lights of Hollywood.
All three of these insert sets have a similar mix of Green Refractor (/99), Gold Refractor (/50), Orange Refractor (/25), Red Refractor (/5) and Superfractor (1/1) parallels.
On the rare side, there’s Topps Chrome Exposé (/10) and Let’s Go. Red Refractors (/5) and Superfractors (1/1) are the only parallels for both.
Select Future Stars, Topps in Technicolor and Ultraviolet All-Stars also have autographs.
Topps Chrome Radiating Rookies are only available in hobby and jumbo packs, not retail. Base versions are tough and one-of-one Superfractors are the lone parallels. Autographs come numbered to 23.
2023 Topps MVP Buyback Program
The Topps MVP Buyback program wasn’t a one-and-done gimmick. It’s back for 2023 Topps Chrome. With it, the card maker will offer in-store credit at participating hobby shops in exchange for cards of the 2023 American League and National League MVPs.
Because the winners won’t be announced until November, the program won’t start until then. This could lead to some hobby handicapping as collectors try to guess who will win the MVP awards and get activated in the offseason.
No further specifics have been announced.