Baseball card collecting remains a hugely popular hobby, and the 2020 Bowman release is one of the most anticipated issues of the year. Bowman is considered the premier brand for rookie cards and prospects, making the 2020 set a hot commodity for collectors looking to get in early on stars of tomorrow.
The 2020 Bowman set features a wide array of prospects and young MLB talent in their rookie seasons. As with all Bowman releases, the focus is firmly on the next generation, giving collectors a chance to snag cards of players before they become household names. Some of the top rookies and prospects featured in the 2020 Bowman set include Wander Franco, Gavin Lux, Cristian Pache, Nico Hoerner, and Dylan Carlson among many others. With so much emerging talent, it’s no surprise that 2020 Bowman cards are in high demand on the secondary market.
Released in late April 2020, the standard 2020 Bowman set contains 386 total cards including base cards, parallels, inserts and autographs. The design features a clean white border around each card with team logos prominently displayed. Player photos show the athletes in action shots on the field. For collectors, the base cards provide the foundation to build a player’s career collection from their earliest Bowman issue. Parallels and shortprints add complexity for advanced collectors.
Some of the more coveted parallel and insert sets from 2020 Bowman include the Rainbow Foil parallels, Chrome refractors, Black and Gold parallels, Inception autos and 1/1 Printing Plates. The Rainbow Foil cards feature vivid foil patterns in different colors on each parallel level from Red to Orange to Yellow and so on. Chrome refractors showcase players under a shimmering refractive coating. Black and Gold parallels feature elegant color schemes on a limited print run. Inception autos pair swatches with on-card autographs of top prospects. And 1/1 Printing Plates are the true unicorns of the set, with each card one-of-one.
In terms of value, the biggest names from 2020 Bowman are already commanding premium prices on the resale market. Top prospect Wander Franco’s base rookie card can be found for $30-50 in near mint condition. His parallels and autograph cards sell for much more. Gavin Lux rookie cards trade for $15-25. Cristian Pache rookie cards are $10-20. And Dylan Carlson rookie cards sell in the $8-12 range. With these players still in their early careers, their values are projected to rise over time as they develop.
For autographed rookie cards from 2020 Bowman, prices start to escalate significantly based on the player and parallel. Wander Franco autographs range from $150-400 depending on the parallel and autographed insert set. Gavin Lux autos are $75-150. Cristian Pache and Nico Hoerner autographs are $50-100. And Dylan Carlson autos trade hands for $40-75. On the ultra high-end, Wander Franco autographs on rare parallels like Black /25 have sold in auction for over $2,000.
When it comes to unopened 2020 Bowman products, the main retail releases like blasters, hangers, jumbo boxes and hobby boxes remain readily available on the secondary market. Hobby boxes which contain 12 packs and guarantees several hits per box currently sell for $90-110 unopened. Jumbo boxes with 24 packs that up the hit count go for $150-180. Retail blasters with 10 cards and 1 hit sell for $20-25 still sealed. And hangers with 5 packs and 1 hit trade hands at $10-15 unopened. As with any modern product, sealed case breaks of full 2020 Bowman cases are also popular on group break sites.
The 2020 Bowman release offers collectors an exciting opportunity to acquire rookie cards and prospects at affordable prices before they emerge as stars. With so much emerging talent featured, the set will remain a focus for player collectors, investors and flippers alike in the years to come. While the base rookies of top names like Wander Franco, Gavin Lux and others are still attainable under $50, their values seem poised to grow exponentially if and when those players live up to expectations at the MLB level. For building complete long-term collections, hunting hits and trying to pull the next big thing, 2020 Bowman remains a vibrant and compelling modern release in the hobby.
