The 2019 Bowman baseball card released debuted in April 2019 and featured prospects and rookie players from all 30 MLB organizations. This year’s Bowman set gained popularity among collectors due to strong rookie crops of players eligible for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Like most Bowman issues, the 2019 version offers collectors an early glimpse of future stars at affordable prices. Several highly touted talents saw their rookie cards jump in value within a year of release.
The 2020 season saw many of these prospects make their MLB debuts and some have already exceeded expectations, boosting interest and demand for their 2019 Bowman rookies. As these rookies continue to perform at the major league level, prices are expected to rise further for their flagship cards. Likewise, autograph and refractor parallels that were overlooked initially are gaining traction. The 2019 Bowman crop offers collectors an opportunity to acquire affordable cards of future all-stars before they establish themselves in the big leagues.
Some key 2019 Bowman prospects that have seen noteworthy price increases include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Eloy Jimenez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Pete Alonso. Many considered Guerrero Jr. and Jimenez as consensus top prospects going into the 2019 season and their MLB debuts did not disappoint. Guerrero Jr.’s base Bowman Chrome paper rookie reached over $100 within a year while Jimenez’s moved above $50. Both players’ autographed parallels jumped into the thousands. Tatis Jr. also ended 2019 as a rising star and his base rookie now trades around $40 compared to just a few dollars upon Bowman’s release.
Pete Alonso had one of the finest rookie campaigns in recent MLB history, bashing 53 home runs to set a new rookie record. This mammoth performance caused his 2019 Bowman paper rookie to skyrocket past $50 in some cases. His autographs climbed over $1000. Other 2019 Bowman rookies that saw respectable gains include Chris Paddack (over $30), Brian Anderson (over $20), and Mike Soroka (over $15). Collectors who plucked up these rookie cards for mere dollars last year have certainly seen strong returns on investment.
Beyond the flagship prospects, there are several 2019 Bowman prospects holding stable or increasing values based on their progress. Bo Bichette became an impact player for the Blue Jays in 2019, causing his base rookie to rise to the $20-25 range depending on parallel. Keston Hiura also made positive strides for Milwaukee, maintaining his Bowman rookie at $15-20. Logan Allen showed promise in brief action for San Diego and his base remains around $10-15.
Meanwhile, Casey Mize and MacKenzie Gore remain valued prospects primed for future stardom. Despite limited 2019 playing time, Mize’s Bowman rookie holds around $10-15 and Gore’s at $8-12 based on future potential alone. Both were top picks who could become aces. Cardinals’ prospect Dylan Carlson is another to watch, with his base staying $5-8 as he rises up minor league ranks. Cards fan favorites like Nolan Gorman and Elehuris Montero have maintained $5 and under valuations from the jump.
For collectors willing to stray outside the top 100 prospects, values can still be had on future potential players signed in 2019 Bowman. Several pitchers like Deivi Garcia ($3-5), Brailyn Marquez ($3-4), and Matt Liberatore ($2-3) have shown aptitude. Position players Ronny Mauricio ($3-4), Bobby Witt Jr. ($3-4), and C.J. Abrams ($2-3) remain affordable in hopes of future breakouts. Even deeper prospects trade for under $2 if collectors are patient on long term prospects developing.
The strong crop of MLB debuts and achievements from the 2019 Bowman class has noticeably raised prices on flagship rookie cards like Guerrero Jr., Jimenez, Tatis Jr., and Alonso within their first year in the show. The set as a whole provides opportunities to acquire future stars at reasonable rates considering progress made by prospects such as Bichette, Hiura, and Paddack. Going forward, sustained success of 2019 rookies as well as debuts of elite talents like Mize, Gore, and Carlson ensures continued collector interest in this set for years to come.
