The 2006 Bowman Chrome baseball card set is highly coveted by collectors due to its amazing rookie class that features future superstars like Stephen Strasburg, Clayton Kershaw, and Tim Lincecum. While the entire set holds value due to the impressive rookie talent, some key cards stand out as being the most desirable and expensive. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the 2006 Bowman Chrome cards that frequently command the highest prices in the hobby.
Perhaps the single most valuable card from the 2006 Bowman Chrome set is the blue refractor parallel of Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg was considered a true “once in a generation” pitching prospect coming out of San Diego State and lived up to the hype by becoming one of the best pitchers of his era. His rare blue refractor parallel checks in around a PSA 10 Gem Mint grade sells for astronomical sums, with recent sales reaching as high as $25,000. The hype surrounding Strasburg’s major league debut in 2010 made his prospect cards some of the hottest commodities in the hobby.
Another absolutely iconic card is the rainbow foil parallel of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Like Strasburg, Kershaw developed into one of the top left-handed pitchers of all time and is a lock for the Hall of Fame someday. His dominance on the mound combined with his lengthy Dodgers tenure have made his rookie cards highly coveted. A PSA 10 2006 Bowman Chrome rainbow foil Kershaw recently changed hands for $12,500, a true record for any of his prospect cards. Despite continued excellence throughout his career, the allure of Kershaw’s rookie years keeps these early Bowman Chrome issues at the top of want lists.
Perhaps the single most iconic player to come out of the entire 2006 Bowman Chrome set was Giants ace Tim Lincecum. “The Freak” burst onto the scene by capturing back-to-back NL Cy Young awards in 2008-2009 and dominated with his blistering fastball and deceptive mechanics. While injuries slowed him down later in his career, Lincecum established an epic reputation during his Giants tenure. As a result, his 2006 Bowman Chrome cards remain top-level prizes. A Near Mint to Gem Mint quality Lincecum can fetch $2,500, with true pristine PSA 10 copies pushing $10,000 or more for the right parallel. No player better encapsulates the magic of the 2006 Bowman Chrome release quite like “The Freak.”
Staying out west, the short print orange refractors of current D-backs ace Zack Greinke also headline the “high-end” category for 2006 Bowman Chrome. Greinke enjoyed a tremendous career to this point that included a Cy Young award and was on the cusp of stardom as a Royal coming out of this set. His short printed orange refractors number among the scarcest parallels, with PSA 10 grades changing hands up to $7,000. While diminished production later in his career slowed Greinke card hype somewhat, these early Bowman issues still signify his imminent superstardom.
Two huge names that truly epitomize the high-ceiling talent of 2006 Bowman Chrome are Adam Wainwright and Max Scherzer. Both finished amongst the game’s elite for over a decade, and their prospect hypes translated perfectly to stardom. A high-grade Wainwright orange refractor or Scherzer green parallel can command $3,000-5,000 presently. With both hurlers still pitching at an All-Star level during their late-30s, their prospect cards always hold tremendous long-term appeal. Their successes validate 2006 Bowman Chrome as capturing lightening in a bottle with its rookie class quality.
Moving away from pitchers, hitters like Andrew McCutchen and Ryan Braun also made wonderful careers out of 2006 Bowman Chrome. “Cutch” emerged as an perennial All-Star for Pittsburgh while Braun won NL MVP in 2011. Even in PSA 9 condition, prime parallels like a McCutchen orange refractor or Braun gold parallel hold $1,500+ values. While PSA 10 examples can reach the $3,000-5,000 range. Both players produced fantastic careers that immortalized their exciting prospect years captured in Bowman Chrome.
In summarizing the top prizes 2006 Bowman Chrome collecting, the superstar potential on full display with careers of Kershaw, Strasburg, Lincecum, Greinke, etc. is what continually captivates the hobby. For extreme high-end collectors, obtaining true mint PSA 10 copies of their most visually stunning parallels represents the pinnacle. For most collectors, simply owning any of these stars’ early prospect issues is a feather in the cap. The set endures because with impeccable 20/20 hindsight, the quality of talent featured is arguably unmatched across the entire history of baseball card issues.
