The 2022 Bowman Chrome baseball card set saw many of its cards skyrocket in value after their release, with some top rookies and prospects appreciating significantly in the volatile trading card market. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the biggest money cards from this highly coveted release.
Coming in at the top of the list and shattering value projections is the prized Spencer Torkelson Chrome Superfractor parallel. Torkelson, the number one overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers, has lived up to the hype in his minor league career thus far and is considered a can’t-miss future star. With an ultra-short printed parallel of just /5 copies in existence, this 1/1 Superfractor pulled ahead as the undisputed king of 2022 Bowman Chrome. In July, just two months after release, a PSA Gem Mint 10 grade copy sold for a staggering $375,000, setting a new record for a modern-era rookie card. With Torkelson’s talent and top prospect status, this career-defining rookie looks poised to far surpass that price in years to come.
Another Tigers slugger commands the second spot, as Riley Greene’s Chrome Superfractor checks in at an average sales price around $150,000 in PSA 10. Like Torkelson, Greene has established himself as a top prospect and looks to be a franchise cornerstone. As the fifth overall pick in 2019, his hype and production at the minor league level give this parallel incredible long-term upside. With just five copies in existence, the rarity and prospect pedigree places Greene’s Superfractor among the most prized modern baseball cards available.
Rounding out the top three is another talented Detroit prospect, Bobby Witt Jr. son of former Major Leaguer Bobby Witt. As the number two overall pick in the 2019 draft, Witt Jr. has all the tools to be an absolute star. His Chrome Superfractor sells in the $120,000 range in a PSA 10, with its potential only growing as Witt develops in the Royals farm system. Considered by many to have the highest ceiling of any position player, this card could very well take over the throne as Bowman Chrome’s most valuable card down the road.
After the Big Three Superfractors, the next closest cards demand five-figure sums. Julio Rodriguez’s Chrome Superfractor, of the touted Seattle Mariners prospect, consistently sells for $50,000-$60,000 in a PSA 10. As the overall top prospect in baseball entering 2022 by most accounts, Rodriguez’s prospect status and breakout 2021 season have vaulted this already rare parallel to elite status.
Inside the $20,000 to $30,000 range are a few select non-Superfractor parallels. CJ Abrams’ Chrome Auto Refractor /5 sells consistently between $25,000-$30,000 for the San Diego Padres’ rising prospect. With plus speed, defense, and contact skills, Abrams has a very high offensive ceiling that could propel this 1/1 parallel even higher.
Detroit’s phenom Torkelson again registers highly with his Chrome Auto Refractor /5 altering hands for $20,000-$25,000 on the grading market. Buyers recognize this as one of Torkelson’s best prospects cards prior to his inevitable rookie cards and are willing to pay a premium now to own a seminal piece of his career before he reaches the Majors.
Max Meyer, the third overall pick in 2020 by the Marlins, sees his Chrome Auto /5 bring in the same $20k-$25k range. Meyer reached Triple-A in 2022 and profiles as a future frontline starter, giving this short-printed parallel strong long-term merit.
The next tiers of noteworthy cards fall between $10,000-$15,000 territory. Bobby Witt Jr’s gold /50 parallel Auto refractor and Julio Rodriguez’s iconic photo variation parallel /50 hold steady values in this range, as their prospect pedigrees command premium dollar amounts despite not being the rarest renditions.
Other singles cracking five-figures include Gunnar Henderson’s /5 Chrome Auto Refractor for the Baltimore Orioles top prospect, and Emerson Hancock’s /5 parallel for the Mariners pitching phenom. Both have produced strongly in the minors and bright future ahead if they fulfill expectations.
That covers the true elite, most in-demand copies from the 2022 Bowman Chrome set after just the initial release frenzy. As is always the case with these types of hyped Bowman parallels, the longer-term trajectory remains unknown – prospect careers can rise or fall unexpectedly. But for now, these young stars and their impossibly rare cardboard counterparts command attention as some of the hottest modern rookie cards on the resale market. Assuming healthy progressions, their values seem poised only to grow further over the coming years. The high-end 2022 Bowman Chrome market established new heights right out of the gates and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.
