2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball Variations Guide
The 2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball Variations keep up with a lot of the set’s other inserts by focusing on fun. As usual, the SSP cards offer up a different photo but keep the standard base card design. They don’t scream different at first glance, but they’re certainly a lot more rare (and potentially valuable) than their counterparts. So knowing what to look for is important.
Big smiles, bubble gum prowess and casual clothing are all part of Opening Day’s SSP lineup. Similar to the short prints from the nearly identically designed 2022 Topps Series 1, they’re more a behind-the-scenes sort of look at the game. Most base cards showcase action. These get more to the heart of players’ personalities.
To that end, a lot of the variation photos do jump out. It’s not the usual batting, pitching or fielding shots.
But with 30 variations on the 2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball checklist, there’s a lot to keep track of.
2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball Variations Odds
In all honesty, if you only open a handful of packs or even a box, the chances of finding an SSP are slim. They’re 1:1,132 packs in both hobby and retail blasters. That’s tougher than 1:30 boxes. The odds work out to about two in every three hobby cases.
In short, variations are scarce.
Confirmation on the Back
If you’ve got good eyes, the card backs will confirm short prints quickly. As usual for most Topps variations, use the code at the end of the fine print on the bottom. Those digits change depending on what kind of card they are. For variations here, you need to know two code endings:
- Base – 225
- Variations – 246
Yes, the writing is small and hard to read. That’s because it’s not meant for collectors. It’s there for production purposes. It’s just become a helpful trick for a lot of sets over the last several years.
2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball Variations Checklist
Here’s the full 2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball Variations checklist. A gallery follows. If you’re looking for a particular card, click on the links to see what’s currently available on eBay.
1 Shohei Ohtani
6 Tim Anderson
15 Clayton Kershaw
27 Mike Trout
31 Nolan Arenado
38 Byron Buxton
39 Vidal Brujan
50 Fernando Tatis Jr.
79 Javier Baez
82 Manny Machado
84 Francisco Lindor
99 Aaron Judge
100 Ronald Acuña Jr.
116 Joey Votto
122 Bryce Harper
129 Max Scherzer
138 Buster Posey
148 Jarren Duran
150 Juan Soto
152 Yadier Molina
155 Luis Robert
174 Christian Yelich
191 Pete Alonso
193 Jose Altuve
200 Mookie Betts
208 Wander Franco
213 Rafael Devers
215 Salvador Perez
219 Freddie Freeman
220 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball Variations Gallery
Missing images will be added ASAP.
1 Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
6 Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox
15 Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
27 Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
31 Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals
38 Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
39 Vidal Brujan, Tampa Bay Rays
50 Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
79 Javier Baez, New York Mets
82 Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
84 Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
99 Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
100 Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
116 Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
122 Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
129 Max Scherzer, Los Angeles Dodgers
138 Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
148 Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
150 Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
152 Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
155 Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox
174 Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
191 Pete Alonso, New York Mets
193 Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
200 Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
208 Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays
213 Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
215 Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
219 Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
220 Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
Why is Juan Sotos card the only card with black ink for the word Topps on the front?