The 2021 Bowman Platinum Baseball set was released on June 2nd, 2021 and contained some of the top MLB prospects and rising stars from around the league. Bowman Platinum has developed a reputation in recent years for featuring the brightest young talent in baseball on colorful, high-end cards that appeal to collectors both young and old.
This year’s set contains 200 base cards that include a mix of veteran MLB players as well as some of the most coveted prospects in minor league baseball. With stunning photography, intricate designs, and die-cut shapes on many of the cards, Bowman Platinum has become one of the most visually appealing sets in the hobby. True to form, the 2021 release has received rave reviews from collectors for its classic yet modern aesthetic.
Each hobby box contains 11 total packs with 8 cards per pack for a total of 88 cards. The odds of pulling the biggest rookies and parallels in the set are an impressive 1 in 2 packs. This makes Bowman Platinum a fun and engaging rip for collectors seeking that big-hitting chase card. Veteran base cards range from #B1 to #B150 while prospects occupy the #B151-#B200 slots. The set includes additional inserts and parallels that add to the overall value.
Some of the top rookie cards featured in the 2021 Bowman Platinum set included Julio Rodriguez, the #3 prospect in baseball. Rodriguez has plus-plus raw power from both sides of the plate and game-changing speed that could make him a perennial all-star. Bowman Platinum captured Rodriguez in mid-swing, highlighting his athleticism and sweet left-handed stroke. Other top prospects like Bobby Witt Jr., the top overall pick in 2019 and consensus #1 Royals prospect, was featured prominently as well.
Wander Franco, ranked as the #1 international prospect when signed by the Rays in 2017, continued to raise eyebrows with his elite hit tool in 2021. At only 20 years old, Franco is already ranked by MLB.com as the best offensive shortstop prospect ever. As he continues to blaze his way through the minors, Franco’s Bowman Platinum rookie will remain highly sought after. Speaking of the Rays, another of their uber-prospects, big lefty Shane Baz, had cards in the 2021 Bowman Platinum set that attracted plenty of attention.
In addition to new stars of tomorrow, Bowman Platinum typically reserves coveted low serial number cards of current franchise players for collectors. Sure enough, the 2021 set included gold parallels #/10 and black 1/1 parallels of superstars like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuna Jr., and others. For serious team and player collectors chasing the rarest variants, Bowman Platinum scratch’s the itch like no other.
On the Veteran side, cards like a Clayton Kershaw Green Shimmer parallel #/5 and Mike Trout and Ronald Acuna Jr. Optic parallels added insane value to the set. In fact, the Mike Trout Optic Parallel 1/1 was auctioned off for over $15,000, highlighting how desirable even the veteran hits can be in Bowman Platinum. Beyond rookies, the insert cards like Hall of Famers, ASG, and Top Prospects also carry significant collector demand. A Sean Murphy Top Prospects Auto patch card numbered to /25 sold for nearly $1,000, a testament to how loaded with hits each box of Bowman Platinum could be.
As for overall case hits, the big ticket prospect autos that emerged from the 2021 Bowman Platinum release included Bobby Witt Jr. Yellow /50 ($1,500), Julio Rodriguez Red /10 ($3,500), and Wander Franco Auto Green /5 (nearly $6,000). Low serial number parallels of the biggest names like Acuna Jr.and Ohtani also consistently commanded $1,000+ prices. With so many layers of rarity stacked throughout, the hits make Bowman Platinum a premier high-end release. True collectors understand the long-term value inherent in today’s top prospects featured at the pinnacle of their craft.
While demand and subsequent prices of the biggest 2021 Bowman Platinum rookie cards skyrocketed in the weeks after release, savvy collectors understood an investment in prospects of this magnitude will pay dividends down the road. Franco, Witt Jr., Rodriquez, and the rest have Hall of Fame caliber upside and every Bowman Platinum card they have only stands to appreciate as their careers progress. Add in the nostalgia players feel seeing stars in their first cardboard incarnations and it’s clear why Bowman Platinum resonates so intimately with the hobby.
For baseball card aficionados, the 2021 edition of Bowman Platinum captured lightning in a bottle with its blend of exciting MLB newcomers and accomplished veterans presented in spectacular high-end fashion. With several years of growth still ahead, prospects like Franco and Rodriguez are sure to one day achieve icon status of their own. Collectors who added their dazzling rookie cards to their collections in 2021 Bowman Platinum will be glad they did when career milestones start to rack up. The set offered a unique opportunity to invest in the next generation of stars – many of whom spent their formative professional years featured prominently inBowman Platinum. Their journeys are only just beginning.
