2020 Topps Chrome Baseball Hobby Box Review, Top 10 Cards, & Checklist(s)

2020 Topps Chrome Baseball is the latest release in what is arguably the most recognizable set in the history of the hobby. The flagship set has the usual range of rookie autographs and interesting players to look out for, along with valuable parallels that cause prices to rise rapidly.

Buy the 2020 Topps Chrome Hobby Box on eBay

2020 Topps Chrome Release Date: 8/7/2020

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 Topps Chrome Baseball set, along with a list of 10 top options to keep an eye out for.

200 cards make up the base Topps Chrome set, focusing on the best from 2020 Topps Series 1 and Series 2. There are lots of Refractors, while signed rookie cards appear to be the most popular versions on the market so far. 

2020 Topps Chrome Box Review

• Buy 2020 Topps Chrome Hobby Box on eBay: 4 cards per pack | 24 packs per box | 12 boxes per case
• Buy 2020 Topps Chrome Jumbo Box on eBay: 13 cards per pack | 12 packs per box | 8 boxes per case
• Buy 2020 Topps Chrome Mega Box eBay: Two 5-Card X-Fractor Bonus Packs Per Box

They make up the majority of the autographed cards in the set, with a long list of parallels for dedicated collectors. You’ll be able to find photo variations for a number of top players, along with SP cards and Base set Super Short Prints.

Collectors seem to have bought into the 2020 set, as prices for the best cards continue to rise. 

The focus is on rookies and chromium finishes, so as the beginning of the season gets underway, it’s clear which cards are the most popular overall.

2020 Topps Chrome Box – Best 10 Cards 

We’ve considered value, rarity, popularity, and a variety of additional factors when coming up with this list with the 10 best cards from the 2020 Topps Chrome set. 

We’ll list any relevant parallels below, so let’s get started with an edition that any serious collector will be after.

2020 Topps Chrome Luis Robert RC #RA-LR

White Sox outfielder Luis Robert is the first player to feature on the list. Having signed a six-year, $50 million contracts with the Chicago White Sox before appearing in a major league game, he finally made his MLB debut in July 2020. Could it finally be his time to shine? 

Related: 2020 Topps Series 2 Variations Checklist

From the rookie autos set, Robert’s card features a crisp image of the player with one mitt in the air as he waits for a pass. There’s a small signature filled in blue ink at the bottom, along with a tiny RC logo. The image of Robert is lined, so he stands out from the stadium background, while important info is found on a border tab on the left-hand side. His cards are seen as some of the best to be released this year, picking up in value rapidly over the past few months. 

Rookie Autographs Parallels: Refractor (/499), Purple (/250), Blue (/150), Blue Wave (/150), Green (/99), Green Wave (/99), Gold Refractor (/50), Gold Wave (/50), Orange (/25), Orange Wave (/25), Red (/5), Red Wave (/5), SuperFractor (1/1), Printing Plates (1/1)

2020 Topps Chrome Bo Bichette #RA-BBI 

Bo Bichette is another highly-rated youngster who is currently signed as a shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays. Bichette was given a chance in 2019 and ended up recording a doubles streak of nine games, setting a new MLB record. He also set an MLB record in extra-base hits (13) in the first 11 games of his career, and he’s the first rookie with 9 straight games with extra-base hits since Ted Williams in 1939.

Another Rookie Autograph card, Bichette is shown pitching in a strong action shot. As they’re from the same set, it’s close in design to the card seen above, and you’ll find the same parallels, along with similar prices to the Robert card. He’s managed to live up to the hype so far, making for another interesting option from the 2020 Topps set.

2020 Topps Chrome Kyle Lewis RC #RA-KL

Kyle Lewis is another hyped player who is set to receive serious game time in 2020. Signed as an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, he recorded a number of strong performances since making his debut in September 2019. This led to him becoming only the second player in MLB history to homer in each of his first three major league games, joining Trevor Story.

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Lewis is side-on in the Rookie Autograph image, watching a successful hit as he follows through with the bat. His Mariners jersey isn’t really on display, but you can see his shoulder patch, and a small RC logo is found in the bottom corner. As with the others we’ve mentioned so far, the border is only found on the left, containing player info that is printed lengthwise along with the card.

2020 Topps Chrome Retro Rookie Chrome Relics Gleyber Torres RC #RRCR-GT

Gleyber Torres is a Venezuelan second baseman and shortstop who plays for the New York Yankees. He made his MLB debut in 2018, going on to feature in back-to-back All-Star games in 2018 and 2019. Despite the accolades, his rarest cards have yet to hit similar heights as of yet.

As the name suggests, his Retro Rookie Relic features a combination of an on-card auto and a player patch, so it’s easy to see how this RC has become one of the more sought after cards in the set. The lined image shows Torres after a successful hit, and it’s serial numbered to just 99 copies. Highly affordable and likely to rise in the future, it’s a great investment piece.

2020 Topps Chrome Gavin Lux #RA-GL

Gavin Lux is next up on the list. The Dodgers’ second baseman made his MLB debut in September 2019, as he became the youngest player to hit a pinch-hit home run in the postseason. He was also the youngest Dodger to hit a home run in a postseason game, highlighting his credentials as he heads into an important year for his career.

His Rookie Autograph is similar in design to the others on this list, featuring an edged action shot of Lux as he stands ready on the field. This time, the border is found on the right-hand side, in a reversal compared to the cards we’ve discussed so far. 

2020 Topps Chrome Dustin May RC #RA-DM

Dustin May is a pitcher who made his MLB debut for the LA Dodgers in 2019. He’s getting solid game time in 2020, and a recent 99-mph two-seam fastball made the news as the youngster starts to show off what he can do.

May’s card features his ginger afro in all of its glory, and he’s gurning at the camera as he generates the power needed to throw the ball so rapidly. It doesn’t make for the best looking RC, but it gives some idea of what batters are up against when they face the Dodgers’ hyped rookie on the plate. The rarer refractor versions are beginning to pick up in price and can sell for three-figure sums.

2020 Topps Chrome Jesus Luzardo RC #RA-JL 

Oakland A’s pitcher Jesus Luzardo made his major league debut in September 2019, coming on as a relief option. Expected to feature heavily in 2020, it was announced that Luzardo had tested positive for COVID-19 in June this year. He made a quick recovery and is seen as the A’s top prospect as he continues to pick upstarts.

Luzardo’s 2020 Topps Chrome is an interesting landscape option that features an action shot of the player as he prepares to make a throw. The autograph blends perfectly with the lower half of his white kit, and there’s a tiny RC logo found at the bottom. Another popular rookie card from the set, the border is found on the left-hand side.

2020 Topps Chrome SSP Mike Trout #1

Mike Trout is by far the most decorated player on this list, coming in as an eight-time MLB All-Star, three-time American League MVP, and seven-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award. Trout is a definite GOAT contender, so it’s no surprise to see that he’s one of the players who were selected to have an SSP card in the 2020 release.

His SSP is the first card in the small set, featuring a candid photo of the superstar as he gives an interview. There’s no kind way to put this, but Trout looks ‘heavy’ in the image, perhaps even more so than he usually does. That hasn’t stopped collectors from paying close attention to his #1 card, despite the lack of a player patch or an auto.

2020 Topps Chrome Retro Rookie Relic Mike Trout #RRCR-MTR

Trout is back again, in a card that easily sells for three times as much as the #1 listed above. His Retro Rookie Relic features a lined image of Trout after a successful hit, but it’s the addition of an on-card auto and a player patch that helps to drive the majority of the interest from investors. 2020 was a debut year for Retro Rookie Chrome Relics, and while the chromium card does have an RC logo, it can’t really be seen as a true Trout rookie card. It’s still one of the top cards from the 2020 Topps Chrome set.

Parallels: Green (/99), Orange (/25), Red (/5), SuperFractor (1/1)

2020 Topps Chrome Base Image Variation Luis Robert RC #60

He’s so good, we had to feature him twice! The final card on our list is an image variation, featuring a strong action shot of Robert as he prepares to throw a ball in a posed photo. There’s no sign of an autograph on this version, but it does have an RC and White Sox logo, and it’s considered to be an SP. 

It’s not as nice as the super short print (SSP) version, but it’s reasonably rare and comes with a few Refractor parallels which are reasonably rare.

Parallels: Green (/99), Gold (/50), Orange (/25), Red (/5), SuperFractor (1/1)

2020 Topps Chrome Baseball Card Checklist

Please visit 2020 Topps Chrome Baseball Checklist – XLSX File to obtain an excel sheet of all checklist associated with the 2020 Topps Chrome Baseball Set

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2020 Topps Chrome Baseball Refractors Checklist

• Refractors (hobby packs)
• Prism Refractors (hobby packs)
• Negative Refractors
• Pink Refractors (retail value pack)
• Sepia Refractors (retail blaster box)
• X-fractors (10 per retail Mega Box)
• Purple Refractors /299
• Blue Refractors /150
• Green Refractors /99
• Green Wave Refractors /99 (hobby and hobby jumbo only)
• Blue Wave Refractors /75 (hobby and hobby jumbo only)
• Gold Refractors /50
• Gold Wave Refractors
• Orange Refractors  /25
• Orange Wave Refractors /25
• Red Refractors  /5
• Red Wave Refractors /5 (hobby and hobby jumbo only)
• Superfractors 1/1

2020 Topps Chrome Autograph Refractors Checklist

• Refractors /499
• Purple Refractors /250
• Blue Refractors /150
• Blue Wave Refractors /150
• Green Refractors /99
• Gold Refractors /50
• Gold Wave Refractors /50
• Orange Refractors /25
• Orange Wave Refractors /25
• Red Refractors /5
• Red Wave Refractors /5
• Printing Plates 1/1
• Superfractors 1/1

Updated: You can also buy the 2020 Topps Chrome Mega Box at Walmart by visiting www.walmart.com/ip/2020-Topps-MLB-Bowman-Baseball-Trading-Card-Mega-Box