Bowman Platinum is one of the premier baseball card brands released annually by Topps. The 2022 edition continued this tradition by showcasing some of the top minor league and rookie talent in professional baseball. Some of the notable rookies featured included Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., C.J. Abrams and more.
Bowman Platinum is considered a high-end baseball card product due to its limited print runs, photo variations, autographs and memorabilia cards inserted. The design features crisp photography and a clean layout. For 2022, Topps increased the base set size to 250 cards from 150 in previous years. This allowed for more prospects to be included from all levels of the minors.
In addition to the expanded base set, Bowman Platinum 2022 included several insert sets. One of the most popular was the Fire parallels, which featured red-bordered photos on a black background. These were printed to much lower quantities than the base cards, making them quite scarce. Another coveted parallel was the Gold Wave, which had a textured gold foil treatment adding to their appeal for collectors.
Autograph and memorabilia cards were the true chase of Bowman Platinum packs and boxes. Topps loaded the product with on-card autographs of some of the biggest names in the minors. Top prospects like Bobby Witt Jr. and Julio Rodriguez signed large quantities to meet demand. In addition, “hit” cards with game-used memorabilia were inserted at low odds. Examples included bat and jersey swatches.
The rookie class of 2022 featured in Bowman Platinum was considered one of the strongest in recent memory. Headlining the crop was Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez. Considered a potential five-tool superstar, his cards were in high demand. Another blue chip was Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr, son of former MLB pitcher Bobby Witt. C.J. Abrams, acquired by the Washington Nationals in the Juan Soto trade, also had high Bowman Platinum valuations.
Across all levels of the minors, Bowman Platinum 2022 provided representation. Top international prospects like the Twins’ Luis Matos and the Cubs’ Kevin Alcantara had their rookie cards in the set as well. For collectors of certain organizations, finding prospects from their favorite team’s system was part of the fun of the release. Bowman Platinum also served as an opportunity to acquire the first cards of breakout players who rose up prospect rankings throughout the season.
In terms of secondary market performance, Bowman Platinum 2022 has held strong compared to recent years. The increased base set size and larger prospect pool led to solid initial sales. It is the hit cards that have really driven collector demand. Autographs of Witt, Rodriguez and other top names regularly sell in the hundreds of dollars. Rare memorabilia patches have reached thousands. Even base rookies of elite talents hold value far above typical base cards.
For advanced collectors, Bowman Platinum also offered photo and printing variations to pursue. Topps is known for experimenting with different imaging treatments in limited subsets. In 2022, examples included negative image and sepia tone photo variations. Discovering these rarer versions within the set became a fun challenge. Numbered parallels like the Fire inserts also captured collector interest due to their restricted quantities.
In conclusion, Bowman Platinum 2022 continued the tradition of showcasing the best up-and-coming young talent in baseball. An expanded base set, autographs, and memorabilia cards made it an exciting high-end release. Strong initial sales and lasting secondary market performance demonstrated its appeal to the hobby. For years to come, the rookie cards featured will serve as a snapshot of some of the games future stars during their earliest professional seasons. Bowman Platinum remains the premier way for collectors to invest in the next generation of MLB superstars early in their careers.
