The 2020 Bowman baseball card release featured some of the top prospects and rising young stars in the game. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the baseball season and disrupting card production schedules, the 2020 Bowman release took on added significance for collectors. Several cards from the sets have emerged as the most valuable, driven by strong player performances and the scarcity of certain parallels and serially numbered inserts. Let’s take a closer look at some of the prized gems from 2020 Bowman that collectors are eagerly pursuing.
At the top of the list is the prized Luis Robert black parallel auto card. The young Chicago White Sox outfielder had a breakout rookie campaign in 2020 that saw him finish second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. His prospect pedigree and huge debut season have created immense excitement around the 23-year old’s potential. His black parallel auto from 2020 Bowman, limited to only 5 copies, is the true holy grail of the set. In flawless grade, one recently sold for over $15,000, though most have sold in the $6,000-$8,000 range. Robert’s various autographs and color refractors have also held strong values between $300-$1,000.
Another true high-end star of 2020 Bowman is Rays pitching phenomenon Shane Baz. The 21-year old righty hurled across three levels in his first full pro season and has ace stuff, command, and makeup on his side. Baz’s prized black parallel auto from 2020 Bowman, also limited to just 5 copies, has consistently sold above $4,000 each. His other high parallels like Purple /150 and Gold /50 autos have ranged from $900-$1,800. Even Baz’s paper base rookies hold value at $50-100 given his immense prospect status.
Beyond Robert and Baz, several other young hurlers and position players emerged as 2020 Bowman standouts. Blue Jays starter Nate Pearson remains one of baseball’s elite pitching prospects, and his autographs have held steady values between $200-$600. Reds 2B prospect Jonathan India had a huge Arizona Fall League that boosted his profile, with his autos settling around $150-$400. Dodgers catching phenom Keibert Ruiz saw his 2020 Bowman autos rise above $150 after an impressive MLB cameo. Giants prospect Marco Luciano, Cardinals 3B Delvin Perez, and Marlins OF JJ Bleday round out the position players whose 2020 Bowman autos command $100+ on the secondary market.
On the pitching side, White Sox LH Drew Dalquist, Reds RH Hunter Greene (when healthy), and Giants RH Logan Webb are all prospects that saw their 2020 Bowman rookie cards gain steam in recent months. Dalquist and Greene’s autos especially held $100+ values given their hype. Under-the-radar prospects like Rangers OF Dustin Harris, Astros OF J.J. Matijevic, and Marlins RH Elehuris Montero also have dedicated collector followings and saw their 2020 Bowman cards appreciate from issue prices.
In addition to coveted autos and parallels, 2020 Bowman featured several hitting-prospect focused retail-exclusive inserts that have become highly valuable. The Allen & Ginter Style Head Shots subset, limited to /15 serially, feature poised prospects like Jazz Chisholm Jr, Vidal Brujan, and Brett Baty. Select copies have sold for over $250 so far. Similarly, the Black Gold Style Prospect Portraits insert highlighting top talents like Nick Gonzales, Jordan Walker and Bobby Witt Jr have steadily climbed above $150-$200 per card.
Many of the lower-print parallels found in Bowman Draft & International have resulted in some true gem pulls. Gold parallel cards #/50 of Robert, Baz, Gilbert, Beeter are highly sought. The Green foil parallels #/75 and even standard Orange refractors #/299 have gained popularity in the resale market. Prized RPA parallels like Dalquist’s Green foil /75 auto have sold upwards of $900 due to scarcity. Savvy collectors are pursuing sought-after 2020 Bowman parallels and inserts more aggressively than ever before.
The 2020 Bowman release offered an opportunity to acquire cards of budding young stars like Robert, Baz, and Pearson just as they were emerging onto the prospect scene for MLB clubs. Low print serial autos, parallels and inserts featuring these talents have understandably gained the most traction, but 2020 Bowman cards for several promising hurlers and bats have shown signs of life as prospects develop further. Armed with a strong rookie class and limited production, 2020 Bowman has left a mark as one of the most valuable modern Bowman releases to collectors pursuing the next generation of baseball stars.
