The 2019 Bowman Draft baseball card set was released on June 5, 2019, just days after the MLB First-Year Player Draft concluded. As with all annual Bowman Draft sets, it highlights the top amateur players selected in that year’s draft class. The 2019 edition was especially notable due to the caliber of prospects included after what was widely considered a deep draft crop. With its release coming so soon after draft night, the 2019 Bowman Draft set provided baseball card collectors their first opportunity to obtain cards featuring the newly drafted players as professional athletes.
Some key things to know about the 2019 Bowman Draft checklist and product highlights include:
The base set contains 250 cards, with each MLB team represented by 10 cards showing off their selected draft picks. Several of the early first round picks received multiple photo variations in the base set as well.
Prominent rookie prospects like Adley Rutschman, Bobby Witt Jr., Andrew Vaughn, Corbin Carroll, and Riley Greene were among those with base cards highlighting their draft selection. All 5 were taken within the top 15 picks of the draft.
Parallels and short prints added to the excitement of chasing top names. Rutschman had a Lime Green parallel /99 and Orange parallel /50. Witt Jr. had Orange /50 and Pink /75 versions. Short prints were even harder to find with a print run of just /10 or less for top cards.
Bonus packs contained authenticated swatches or autographs of draft picks. The hit rates ran around 1:4 packs. While swatches of lower round players were more common, exciting autograph pulls included Rutschman, Witt Jr., Vaughn, Brett Baty and more.
Special “1st Bowman” autographed parallels for top prospects added extremely rare, coveted chase cards to the set. Rutschman, Witt Jr. and Greene all had autograph parallels numbered to just 5 copies each.
International prospect bonuses were included as short prints highlighting some of the biggest global signings after the draft like Raimfer Salinas, Shalin Polanco and Oliver Crawford.
Retail boxes of 2019 Bowman Draft sold for around $90-100 and contained 12 packs with 3 cards per pack. Hobby jumbo boxes retailed for roughly $150-175 and included 24 packs.
The release continued Topps’ tradition of showing off draft talent within a couple months of them signing. It allowed collectors to quickly lay claim to a player’s “first” baseball card despite them not yet playing a professional game.
In the weeks following its release, the 2019 Bowman Draft set became a hit in the hobby. Strong prospect class coupled with the instant gratification of obtaining cards of newly drafted talents drove enthusiasts to rip packs. Early 1st edition Rutschman and Witt Jr. base rookies climbed to over $100 each on the resale market showing how desirable their cardboard debuts became.
Additional promotional opportunities helped spike initial interest as well. Topps hosted free giveaways and contests including chances to win 1/1 printing plates of top draft picks. Bloggers and breakers posted box break videos of jumbo cases online generating social media buzz around big autographed pulls. Within the tight-knit baseball card collecting community, excitement bubbled around the set all summer long.
Of course, the true value of any draft class isn’t realized for several years until prospects develop in the minors and hopefully reach the major leagues. While some shine brightly from the start like Rutschman, others may flame out or pace their rise slower. The 2019 Bowman Draft cards provided an entrance point for collectors excited to track these young talents. It served as an annual snapshot preserving the early stage of their pro careers before time and performance dictated their trajectory.
For dedicated players draft enthusiasts, it was a can’t miss annual release from Topps. The combination of a premiere talent crop, autographs, parallels and reasonably available retail product made it a strong overall offering. Coupled with the instant gratification factor of having the new draftee’s “rookie” cards so quickly, it sparked plenty of breaks, box rips and resell sales driving extensive hobby attention all summer. Even years down the road as 2019 draftees progress, their debut cardboard in the flagship Bowman Draft issue will remain a cherished part of baseball card history chronicling this exciting class.
The 2019 Bowman Draft baseball card set showcased an elite group of amateur prospects with memorable cards including top rookies, parallels, autographs and bonuses. Released just weeks after that year’s MLB draft concluded, it allowed collectors to promptly obtain the newly drafted players’ first official cardboard. Strong initial interest was generated through reseller speculation on names like Rutschman and Witt Jr. while breaks and social media spotlighted big autographed pulls. Its affordable retail boxes also made it accessible to many. The 2019 Bowman Draft became both an instant gratification release for collectors and a preserving snapshot of that year’s touted draft class entering pro ball.
