The 2019 Bowman Baseball card set was released on April 10th, 2019 by Topps and is one of the most highly anticipated baseball card releases each year. Bowman is known for featuring prospects, debut cards of top draft picks, and young MLB stars in their early career. Some of the biggest rookies and prospects in 2019 included Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech, Gleyber Torres and many others. This set provides a first glimpse at the future of Major League Baseball.
The base set includes 330 cards total with photographic images of players in Minor League, MLB, international and draft pick subsets. As with every Bowman release, there is rookie autograph and memorabilia card chase that collectors seek after. Notable rookies in 2019 included Bo Bichette, Alex Kirilloff, Forrest Whitley and other top prospects. The set design showcased a clean look with simple team logo adornments on a white background. While not the flashiest design compared to modern sets, it highlighted the raw talent and allowed the photos to stand out.
Within the base set are several notable parallels and short prints that increase the chase and excitement for collectors. The main parallels in 2019 Bowman included multiple color prizms, gold label cards numbered to 2019 copies, and sepia tone parallels. Some of the most coveted short prints involved low numbered photo variations and negative image cards. Collectors enjoy the hunt for these scarcer parallel cards that hold premium value. The immense pool of prospects also fuels speculation on future breakout players, keeping the player collection aspect engaging for years.
A major component of Bowman each year is the international prospect subset, introducing the next wave of global stars. The 2019 release featured 81 cards highlighting prospects from countries like Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, Italy and others. Names like Luis Matos, Gabriel Arias and Omar Estevez were some of the top international prospects included. These players had yet to sign with MLB organizations, adding another layer of uncertainty but excitement. Several players from past Bowman international subsets have gone on to stardom like Ronald Acuna Jr, Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani.
When it comes to autograph and memorabilia cards, Bowman is arguably the premier release for highest end baseball cards. The chance to pull a rookie swatch or signature of a future Hall of Famer is part of what makes Bowman so desirable. In 2019, the top hits included Vlad Guerrero Jr autographs, Eloy Jimenez relics, and Bo Bichette patch cards. Numbered parallels like gold ink, sepia and negative versions added immense value to pulls. Memorabilia cards often featured intricate swatches with intricate threads to represent the player’s uniform.
A unique aspect of Bowman is the draft picks subset that highlights players signed directly out of that year’s amateur draft. The 2019 class included star pitchers like JJ Bleday, Jackson Rutledge and Brennan Malone freshly signed by their new organizations. While the players had little track record, the set gave collectors an early opportunity to acquire cards before they ever played a professional game. Several draft picks over the years like Kris Bryant and Ronald Acuna Jr went on to superstardom, making their debut Bowman cards extremely valuable investments.
In terms of inserts, Bowman incorporated a variety of hittable short prints and parallel cards to enhance collector interest. Rainbow Foil cards numbered to the franchise’s year of origin added a vintage design element. Team affinity inserts highlighted franchise’s top prospects together on one card. Gold label relics and refractors numbered under 100 pieces added extreme rarity. Trading cards of MLB stars from years past like Johnny Bench and Tom Seaver paid homage to the pedigree of the Bowman brand name in baseball cards.
When released in April 2019, the overall reception from the card collecting community was extremely positive. The blend of rookie talents, hits and parallels provided appeal to both player collectors and investors alike. Several of the top MLB rookies from that season like Pete Alonso and Yordan Alvarez had their official rookie card debut in Bowman, driving early interest. In the years since, stars like Bo Bichette, Gavin Lux and Dustin May have flourished, raising the value of their 2019 Bowman cards considerably. The set success reinforced Bowman’s stature as the preeminent baseball card product for following future stars at the earliest stage.
In the legacy of sets past, 2019 Bowman showcased a new generation of baseball’s brightest talents. While results on the field cannot be predicted, the cards live on as a commemorative snapshot of optimism and potential. For modern baseball card collectors, Bowman 2019 served as a unique opportunity to be among the first to acquire cards of athletes before their legend was forged. With its mix of established prospects, draft picks and undiscovered international stars and one of one hits, 2019 Bowman delivered the first glimpse and greatest potential of intrigue of any release that year.
