The 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball collection is set to make waves among enthusiasts of MLB draft picks and rising stars. This year’s release has an exciting addition that is sure to capture the attention of fans: Tom Brady, the NFL’s legendary figure, is featured as an insert and autograph card. Brady, who was a 1995 draft choice of the Montreal Expos, is celebrated in the collection as a “Dream Draft Pick,” though no preview images have been made available as of yet.
Scheduled for a mid-December release, the 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball collection follows in the footsteps of the popular 2023 Bowman Baseball and Bowman Chrome sets. This collection showcases notable prospects such as Wyatt Langford, Paul Skenes, and Ethan Salas. It offers Hobby Jumbo and Super Jumbo boxes, each filled with a variety of cards, autographs, and parallels.
The base set of 200 cards highlights top draft picks and MLB prospects, with special “1st Bowman” notations and image variations for 10 players. Additionally, it features Hall of Famers Josh Gibson and Carl Yastrzemski as short-printed RetroFractor cards, with Yastrzemski also having an autographed version.
One of the highlights of this collection is the array of parallels available in both paper and chrome formats. Collectors can look forward to new parallels such as Aqua/Pink and Red/Green Gradient Borders, as well as exclusive Orange Borders that are only found in hobby boxes. Chrome cards introduce several new refractors, including Lunar Glow and Fuchsia Lunar.
The inserts in this year’s collection pay homage to the 1954 Bowman baseball design. The Bowman 1954 Flag Variation features young players showcased against their home flags, while the Bowman Draft Glass and Chrome Prospector’s Special Die-Cut inserts add a unique touch. This year also sees the debut of the Transformative Talents and Draft Picks & Prospects inserts.
Tom Brady’s Dream Draft Picks card sparks the imagination with its “What if?” question, and collectors can find various limited Refractor parallels for this card. The set also includes a diverse range of autographs, such as Chrome Prospect Autographs, Mood Ring Red Autographs, and Bowman ’54 Flag Variation Red Refractor autographs.
Dual signatures take the spotlight in the Franchise Futures Dual Autographs, and the Class of 2023 Autographs feature this year’s most notable MLB draft choices. The set is rounded off with special autographed booklets and Under Armour Game Autographed cards, making it a comprehensive and exciting collection for baseball card enthusiasts.
In addition to the aforementioned features, the set offers collectors the opportunity to find unique and rare autographs. The Class of 2023 Autographs section highlights the most prominent MLB draft picks of the year, featuring new Green Refractor parallels. These, along with Gold, Red, and SuperFractor parallels, provide collectors with a variety of options.
Tom Brady’s inclusion as a “Dream Draft Pick” in the set is particularly noteworthy, with Gold Refractor parallels limited to just 50 cards. Other Refractor parallels of Brady’s card include Orange, Red, and the extremely rare SuperFractor, offering a unique collectible for fans of both football and baseball.
Adding to the rarity and value of the collection are the Base Set Gold Retrofractor Autographs, which are limited to 50 cards and follow the same parallel configuration as the Brady autographs.
For collectors seeking even more unique items, the set includes Image Variation Autograph parallel cards, which are numbered to 99. These cards provide a different visual take on some of the players included in the set, adding an element of surprise and diversity.
The autographed booklets in this year’s set are exceptionally special. The “Positioned for Excellence” booklet, limited to just 10 copies, and the “Picked for Excellence” Autographed booklet, limited to only 5 copies, are highly sought-after. Each of these booklets also comes with a Red Refractor parallel (limited to 5) and a SuperFractor (1/1), making them some of the most coveted items in the collection.
Finally, the set includes Under Armour Game Autographed cards, which feature varied serial numbers and offer a wide range of autographs from some of the most promising young talents in baseball.
Overall, the 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball collection is a comprehensive and exciting assortment that combines MLB prospects, established stars, and the unique inclusion of a football legend. With its variety of cards, parallels, and autographs, this collection is highly anticipated by both collectors and fans of the sport.
