Topps made another major announcement on Tuesday that card collectors in every city will love. In this year’s Series Two baseball, “Home Field Advantage” cards will be placed at random into boxes. These will be considered short-printed cards and more difficult to pull than an average insert or parallel.
Connecting cards to culture and cities is something that Topps has been doing a fantastic job at lately. With the introduction of Kanji/anime cards, sponsor cards, and Japanese art cards, these Home Field Advantage cards are another way that collectors can take pride in their favorite city. Topps has hinted at a few interesting designs: Trea Turner with the Liberty Bell in the background, Paul Skenes with the Clemente Bridge, Juan Soto with Citi Field’s Big Apple, and Mookie Betts with the LA Memorial Coliseum.
These Home Field Advantage cards have been in sets in the past, and have produced strong sales. Aaron Judge's from 2022 (raw) is currently up 16.5% ($16) and last sold for $96 on May 27th. Likewise, PSA 10s are also upholding strong value, with one selling last for $550 on May 13th.
Shohei Ohtani's Home Field Advantage cards have also risen in the past month, increasing 37.7% (raw) and last selling for $152 on May 25th. PSA 10s have a similar trend and last sold for $540 back in March.
It seems as if the recent news of this release, and the improved quality of the picture and design, has bolstered the past inserts. That said, it would be no surprise to see this year's short print resell for significant value and see top players like Skenes, Judge, and Ohtani represent their city not just on the card, but on the sales charts.