2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations Guide

May 25, 2023

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Not surprisingly, there are a lot of 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball variations. Not only is it the sheer quantity, but also the numerous themes. Most represent returns from recent years, although there are a couple of tweaks.

All told, there are six main types of variations in 2023 Topps Heritage plus one that could also be seen as more of a traditional parallel.

Error Variations

Error Variations are some of the original Heritage SSPs. Historically, they mimicked mistakes from the inspiration set. For 2023 Topps Heritage, not so much. The manufactured mess ups are things like missing names, teams or reverse negatives.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations - Bryce Harper Error

Image Variations

Exclusive to hobby packs, Image Variations are a favorite from the card maker. These simply switch out the main photo for a different one.

In years past, these were often obvious as base cards typically used posed shots or close-up portraits to stay in tune with the original sets. But by the time 1974 rolled around, action shots were becoming more commonplace. It’s the same with the base set so these are now a little more stealth.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations - Mike Trout Image

Name-Position Swap Variations

At a glance, these 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball variations could be missed as nothing really seems out of place. At the same time, they’re some of the most obvious. For standard base cards, the player’s position runs along the top while their name is on the bottom. These simply flip it around. So if you see a card with a player’s name on top, it’s probably a Name-Position Swap Variation.

These take the place of Color Swaps that have been around for a few years.

Like Image Variations, these are only in hobby packs.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations - Adley Rutschman Name Position Swap

Nickname Variations

Take out the player’s name and replace it with their nickname and you’ve got another returning variation. Many of the players are repeats from recent years.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations - Aaron Judge Nickname

Throwback Uniform Variations

A favorite in Topps Heritage, Throwback Uniform Variations go retro with the player’s garb. Photos on these scarce cards show players in throwback threads worn during commemorative games.

A big draw with these are their rarity. In 2023, they fall 1:10,469 hobby packs and 1:26,006 blaster packs.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations - Christopher Morel Throwback

Rookie Short Prints

Topps managed to get five key early MLB debuts into the product, albeit as short prints. They’re variations, using the same card numbers as one of their teammates. These are similar to 2018 Topps Heritage, which included a Shohei Ohtani variation.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations - Anthony Volpe Rookie Short Print

How to Easily Spot 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations

A couple of years ago, Topps introduced a simple way that took the guesswork out of identifying Heritage variations. They labelled them.

That trend continues here, so there’s no need to memorize CMP code endings or bring out the magnifying glass.

That said, there is a bit of a change that makes the label a little more subtle. Rather than sitting next to the card number, they’re at the bottom of the card.

Not only do the labels show it’s a variation, but it tells exactly what type. The exception are the Rookie Short Prints. These do not have any labels.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations Checklist

The following list highlights all of the 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball variations. Next to each player’s name is the type (or types) they have. If you’re looking for a specific card, click on the links to see what’s currently available on eBay.

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Variations Gallery

Here’s where you can see the specifics on what to look for when it comes to 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball variations. Use the tabs to quickly navigate between variation types.

Error
Image
Name-Position
Nickname
Rookie SP
Throwback
Black and White

Error

2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Error Variations

Label on back: Error

Odds:

Hobby – 1:2,930 packs
Blaster – 1:7,288 packs

5 Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

7 Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles

17 Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies

18 Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners

19 Nolan Gorman, St. Louis Cardinals

20 Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

30 Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves

48 Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

364 Juan Soto, San Diego Padres

388 Francisco Álvarez, New York Mets

Image