The 2023 Bowman baseball card set is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the new year. Bowman is famous for being the first brand to feature prospects and minor leaguers before they make their MLB debuts. As such, it provides an early opportunity to acquire cards of future stars who have not yet appeared in the mainstream flagship sets like Topps and Panini. With the 2023 edition now arriving in hobby shops and online retailers, here is an in-depth look at what collectors can expect to find for sale from the new Bowman release.
Bowman’s 2023 set includes a wide variety of inserts, parallels, autographs and memorabilia cards showcasing the next wave of future MLB talent. The base set contains 350 cards featuring current minor leaguers and top prospects. Notable names include Druw Jones (Braves), Termarr Johnson (Orioles), Emerson Hancock (Mariners) and Brooks Lee (Twins). The design features a clean and simple look with each player photographed in front of a plain color backdrop. As with past years, parallels will be available in various colors including gold, blue, red and black numbered to different print runs.
In addition to the base cards, several insert sets provide additional opportunities to add top prospects to collections. The Chrome set includes 75 shiny refractor versions of the top rookies. The Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects set highlights 60 of the top selections from the previous year’s amateur draft class. International Prospects features 60 of the best international signees. Prospect Patch features jersey swatches of minor leaguers. Additional inserts like Best of Bowman and Future Phenoms focus on some of the most elite prospects in the minors.
Autograph cards remain the most coveted Chase inserts in Bowman. The Autographs set includes 101 signed rookies numbered to varying quantities between /99 down to 1/1. Top prospects who could appear include Termarr Johnson, Emerson Hancock, Brooks Lee and others. Additional autograph parallels in colors like gold, blue and red offer lower print runs. Bowman Sterling features high-end autographed versions of the top 10 prospects, numbered to just 5 copies each.
Memorabilia cards provide another unique way to acquire pieces of the future stars’ uniforms and gear. The Prospect Patch Jersey cards pair swatches with prospects’ photos. Bowman Draft picks up relic parallels feature draft picks with uniform fabric or memorabilia. Sterling Memorabilia takes it up a notch with high-end patches and rare materials numbered to single digits.
For collectors looking to add 2023 Bowman cards to their collections, there are several retail and hobby options available. Hobby boxes can be found at local card shops and breakers selling for around $90-100 per box. These contain 12 packs with a chance at the top hits. Jumbo boxes with 24 packs run about $200. Retail blaster boxes found at big box stores hold 8 packs for $20, while hanger packs have 5 packs for $10. These offer lower odds at hits but make for affordable ways to build sets.
Individual cards from sought-after rookies, prospects and hits can also be purchased through online marketplaces like eBay. Prices will vary widely depending on the player, parallel and autograph/relic variation. Base rookies tend to sell in the $1-5 range ungraded early on. Top prospects may fetch $10-20 for their base cards. Inserts, parallels and numbered cards climb from there. Autographs range from $50-100 for common prospects up to thousands for the biggest names. Relics also span a wide spectrum.
With its focus on the next generation of future MLB stars still making their way through the minors, Bowman remains one of the most intriguing releases for collectors each year. The 2023 edition looks to continue delivering cards showcasing tomorrow’s talents. For those hunting down cards of Druw Jones, Termarr Johnson or other top prospects to kick off their careers, cracking packs or shopping the individual marketplace provides multiple options to start acquiring pieces from this exciting new class.
