3 Baseball Card Parallels to Invest in Before the 2026 MLB Season
In this story:
There are many different options when buying baseball cards. There are online platforms like eBay and others. The local card store (LCS) has many singles to buy. A card show is a great way to meet new people who sell. Before the MLB season starts, there are the obvious players to watch, like Judge, Ohtani, and Skenes. Besides the players, people should look out for certain parallels. Here are a few parallels from Topps that people shouldn't pass up.
RELATED: What is an SP or SSP card?
Topps Chrome Negative Refractor Parallel
Topps Chrome negative refractor parallels were introduced to baseball in 2017, just in time for Judge's rookie season. This parallel is not serial numbered, but the print run is estimated at around 600.
2025 Topps Chrome negative refractor odds are 1/54 hobby box packs. A Paul Skenes raw negative refractor sells for $30, and a PSA nine sells for $60. There are eight PSA 10s and 10 PSA 9s of the 2025 Skenes negative refractor. Negative refractors have a low PSA population, and PSA 9 sells for more than a raw card. Those are two reasons to keep an eye out for negative parallels.
Topps Chrome True Color Parallel
There are many different parallels of the same card. There are different colors and different designs for each card. The color corresponds with what the card is numbered up to for production.
The different designs are where things get tricky. There are waves, raywaves, shimmers, and lava lamps. The parallel to chase is the true color parallel. These are considered the original and pure parallel.
The true parallel will look exactly like the base chrome card, just a different color and a serial number on the front or back.
The Pete Crow-Armstrong PSA nine true blue parallel sells for $150 while the raw true blue sells for $70. The blue wave parallel sells for $40.
RELATED: Historic Topps Cosmic Chrome sales of Ohtani, Skenes and more
Topps Cosmic Chrome Nucleus Refractor Parallel
Topps released Cosmic Chrome in 2022 and every year after. It has become a popular release in the hobby. With popularity comes a high price tag for a box. These are good cards to look out for when buying singles.
The nucleus refractor is a parallel to look out for. There is one per cosmic box. The design looks like a refractor parallel but has a cellular or atomic-like pattern.
Craig Cormier lives in New York City with his wife, Stephanie, and dog, Ziggy. He is a passionate sports card collector, focusing primarily on baseball, basketball, and football. He proudly roots for the Yankees, Knicks, and Jets. One of his biggest sports goals is to visit every Major League Baseball stadium—and he is already halfway there! Outside of collecting, he enjoys playing softball, attending trade nights at local card shops, and exploring card shows.