Welcome to another edition of Beckett Sports Card Hot/Cold where we take a quick and fun look at what’s hot and what’s not in the worlds of sports and sports cards. It’s that time of year where lots is about to happen. Basketball and hockey are headed to the postseason and baseball is in full swing. That means lots of opportunities for instant hobby heroes and others further solidifying their places.
However, this week saw the release of 2022-23 Panini Prizm Basketball, what is likely to be one of the biggest releases of the year. With more than 50 parallels for every base card, the rainbow is, once again, massive. Other inserts like Color Blast and even base RCs are other key components drive it.
Outside of the debate over the introduction of pitch timers, one of the biggest stories to the start of the MLB season was the 13-0 start of the Tampa Bay Rays. A team that is often largely ignored by collectors, the hot streak has brought Wander Franco back into the conversation. Injuries put a damper on his 2022 and Julio Rodriguez helped distract away from the Rays shortstop. Through 15 games, Franco has four homers and a .339 batting average.
Adley Rutschman is another young player doing big things early on. His numbers so far are actually slightly better than Franco’s. The catcher also has four home runs but a .351 batting average and 13 RBI. Just as important, Rutschman has been showing up at important times. This includes a walk-off homer on Thursday night.