Bowman Platinum is one of the premier baseball card brands released each year by Topps. The 2022 edition continued this tradition by showcasing some of the top prospects and young stars in Major League Baseball. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the key aspects that made Bowman Platinum 2022 such an exciting release for collectors.
Bowman Platinum is Topps’ high-end baseball card product that focuses on rookie cards and prospects. The design features glossy photo cards in a luxury format. For the 2022 version, Topps unveiled another innovative design with a silver foil stamp on the front and various textures throughout. As with past years, the parallels and short printed cards added numerous chase hits that collectors eagerly sought after.
Some of the top rookies featured in the 2022 Bowman Platinum set included Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., CJ Abrams and Spencer Torkelson. All four players made their MLB debuts in 2022 and showed why they were such highly touted prospects. Rodriguez in particular had a breakout rookie campaign for the Seattle Mariners that generated plenty of excitement around his cards. His autographed and memorabilia cards from Bowman Platinum skyrocketed in value after his performance.
In addition to rookie stars, Bowman Platinum also highlights young talent that is still developing in the minor leagues. Players like Oneil Cruz, Riley Greene and Emerson Hancock were some of the top prospects included who had not yet reached the majors. Their cards provided collectors an early opportunity to acquire pieces of these players’ careers at affordable prices compared to what their rookies may eventually sell for.
As with past years, Topps loaded Bowman Platinum with various parallels and serial-numbered short prints to create numerous chase cards. This included colorful parallels like purple, orange, green and gold. Serialized inserts featured numbers down to /10 or lower. Autograph and memorabilia cards were also inserted at low quantities. The end result was a product with a wide array of hits at multiple price points to cater to collectors budgets.
Bowman Platinum is also known for including prospects from international markets. The 2022 version highlighted players like Dominican shortstop Robert Puason, Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki and Cuban outfielder Lazaro Montes. While riskier holds than domestic draftees, their cards allow collectors an early opportunity on emerging international talent. Puason and Sasaki in particular generated buzz as two of the highest ceiling international prospects.
When the first cases of Bowman Platinum 2022 hit the secondary market, the results were impressive. Rookie cards of Rodriguez, Witt and Torkelson immediately commanded premium prices. Parallel and short printed versions of their cards multiplied in value. Autograph cards of the top prospects sold for thousands of dollars. Even base rookies of lesser known players found interest from collectors pursuing complete sets. Within a month, the entire release had sold out from most distributors.
As the 2022 season progressed, Bowman Platinum continued delivering value. Rodriguez’s stellar rookie campaign caused his cards to appreciate sharply. Witt also impressed in his debut. Meanwhile, prospects like Puason and Sasaki saw increased attention from their international performances. By late summer, the entire release had taken on a “vintage” feel as collectors raced to acquire the ever-appreciating rookie cards showcased within. It was yet another example of why Bowman Platinum has become the premier way for collectors to get in early on baseball’s future stars.
Looking ahead to 2023, Bowman Platinum is poised to deliver more of the same magic. The top prospects from the 2022 draft like Druw Jones will receive their first cardboard. Emerging talent from the current minors will be featured. And another crop of international amateurs like Victor Victor Mesa will provide intrigue. With each passing year, Bowman Platinum enhances its reputation as the ultimate product for discovering tomorrow’s all-stars today. For modern baseball card collectors, it remains a summer release they simply cannot miss.
In summary, Topps Bowman Platinum 2022 continued the brand’s tradition of showcasing the game’s top prospects, rookies and young stars. Loaded with parallels, short prints and autographs at low quantities, it created numerous exciting chase cards for collectors. Headlined by the debuts of Rodriguez, Witt, Torkelson and others, the release paid immediate dividends that grew all season long. Bowman Platinum solidified its status as the premier way to get in early on baseball’s future stars and build collections poised to appreciate for years to come.
