The 2022 Bowman baseball card release has been highly anticipated by collectors for months now. After a 2021 season that saw a return to normalcy following the pandemic, baseball card enthusiasts are eager to get their hands on the latest crop of rookie cards and prospects from Topps’ venerable Bowman brand. While an official release date has yet to be announced, here is everything we know so far about when to expect the 2022 Bowman baseball cards to hit stores.
Bowman has traditionally been one of the earliest major baseball card releases each year, giving collectors their first glimpse at the next wave of future MLB stars still making their way through the minors. In a normal year, Bowman would be expected in late March or early April as spring training gets underway. The ongoing supply chain issues and production delays impacting the collectibles industry over the past two years may push the 2022 release back slightly from that typical window.
Most industry insiders believe Topps will aim to have the 2022 Bowman baseball cards in retailers’ hands no later than mid-April. That would still give collectors plenty of time to sort through the rookie class and evaluate prospects before the minor league season is in full swing. Some speculate we may see Bowman arrive as late as the very end of April, but it’s unlikely to be pushed back much further into May. Topps will want to capitalize on the excitement of the upcoming MLB season without making collectors wait too long to evaluate the next wave of stars.
Whenever the official release date is announced, expect heavy demand and sellouts of key products initially. Bowman is always one of the most anticipated releases annually, but interest may be at an even higher level this year following the boom in baseball card collecting over the past two seasons. Popular retail blasters, hobby boxes, and high-end sets like Bowman Draft and Bowman Chrome are sure to fly off shelves quickly. Pre-orders and early allocations from distributors are almost certainly already accounted for by shops and breakers.
Some of the top rookie cards collectors will be hunting include potential first overall draft pick Druw Jones, sons of former MLB stars Jackson Holliday and Justin Crawford, and potential future aces Kumar Rocker, Dylan Lesko, and Brock Porter. International signees like Roderick Arias and Lazaro Montes will also garner attention. On the veteran side, Bowman Chrome parallels of stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Ronald Acuña Jr, and Juan Soto remain hugely popular with collectors.
While waiting for the official release date announcement, collectors can start to do their research on some of the top prospects expected to be featured. Sites like Baseball America and MLB Pipeline will have in-depth scouting reports. YouTube is also a great resource, with countless amateur showcase videos that allow getting a glimpse of players’ talents before they sign professional contracts. Doing homework on the rookie class helps collectors hit the ground running to evaluate who may emerge as the breakout stars once cards are in hand.
No matter when in April or potentially late March it arrives, the 2022 Bowman baseball release is sure to be one of the most anticipated card drops of the early season. Stay tuned to official announcements from Topps and major card shops/breakers for the specific on-sale date. But with spring right around the corner, the next generation of MLB stars is almost here in card form. It promises to be another exciting year ripping packs of Bowman in search of the next big rookie card.
