The 2022 edition of Bowman Platinum Baseball Cards was released in late spring 2022 as one of the highly anticipated premium baseball card releases of the year from Topps. Bowman Platinum has developed a prestigious reputation in the hobby as a high-end product known for its glossy card designs, autographs and prospect rookies of future stars.
Some of the key things collectors looks forward to each year in Bowman Platinum includes parallels and short prints of top prospects, autographed cards of both prospects and established major leaguers, serially numbered parallels, and prestigious rookie cards of players who will likely become the future faces of MLB franchises and the sport. With prestigious brands like Bowman having been around for decades, the nostalgia and pedigree associated with their releases adds significant cache and value to the modern issues as well.
In terms of design, the 2022 Bowman Platinum set featured a clean and contemporary aesthetic with vibrant team colors and logos prominently displayed along the borders. as is tradition with the brand. The Platinum name adorned across the top left of each card emulated the luxurious feel befitting of the product. As with past years, the card stock was a high-gloss finish to give them a truly premium look compared to standard cardboard releases. Numbering was neatly placed on the bottom along with the Topps and Bowman branding.
Composition of the 2022 Bowman Platinum base set included 200 total cards broken down into a standard lineup of numbering from 1-199 plus additional subsets. The flagship rookie cards and prospects that collectors eagerly anticipate landing in their boxes included the likes of Jackson Jobe, Druw Jones, Elijah Green, Brooks Lee and Termarr Johnson among many others. Platinum is known for being one of the first widely distributed products to provide rookie cards for that year’s top draft class.
While the base rookie and prospect cards form the backbone of Bowman Platinum, the chase cards that drive excitement are the autograph, memorabilia and serially numbered parallel inserts. This year’s options included Pink Refractors /50, Green Refractors /99, Gold Refractors /10 and the ultra-rare Platinum Refractors 1/1. Top prospects signified by logoman autographs and memorabilia cards of uniforms or bats further elevated the chase. Established MLB stars also made appearances through autographed and serially numbered inserts.
In addition to the standard release of Bowman Platinum boxes, Topps in 2022 offered special Black /10 and Gold /5 box configurations limited to only 10 and 5 copies respectively that provided collectors a rare opportunity at an even higher-end experience. These exclusive offerings contained specially curated odds at more valuable 1/1 parallel cards and autographs compared to the typical release.
Upon the product’s release, boxes of 2022 Bowman Platinum fetched prices anywhere from $150-300 each depending on the retailer, a considerable uptick from past years reflective of the inflated sports card market. While resell prices have gradually fallen as initial hype died down, desirable rookie autographs, memorabilia cards of top prospects and the lowest serial numbered parallels still command premium prices many months after issuance as collectors continue to speculate on the long term upside of the top performances.
Despite its high initial cost, Bowman Platinum has remained one of the most coveted modern baseball card products due to the prestige associated with landing a major rookie card or hit in mint condition. While there is inherent risk given the unpredictability of a player’s career arc, historically this brand has proven to provide some of the most valuable cards year after year. Notable examples include stars like Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Ronald Acuña Jr and Wander Franco whose rookie cards from Bowman Platinum releases have shattered records.
While no product is a sure thing, the combination of high-end components, exclusivity and pedigree Bowman Platinum offers continues to make it a destination hobby product that generates significant buzz leading up to and after each new release. Whether collecting for enjoyment, investment or a combination of both, aficionados consider it a vital cornerstone to any serious baseball card collection portfolio. With technological advancements, the enduring collectibility of physical cardboard remains a hallmark that gives Bowman Platinum its enduring appeal and makes the 2022 iteration a significant landmark in the history and growth of the modern sports card industry.
