The 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball collection is set to be a must-have for enthusiasts of MLB draft picks, rising stars, and even fans of football legend Tom Brady. This year’s release adds a thrilling twist to the collection, featuring Brady as an insert and autograph card. Brady, who was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1995, is celebrated in the collection as a “Dream Draft Pick” without any preview images available at the moment.
Scheduled to release in mid-December, the collection follows the highly popular 2023 Bowman Baseball and Bowman Chrome sets. It includes notable prospects like Wyatt Langford, Paul Skenes, and Ethan Salas, offering a wide range of cards, autographs, and parallels in each Hobby Jumbo and Super Jumbo box.
The 200-card base set showcases top draft picks and MLB prospects, with special “1st Bowman” notations and image variations for 10 players. Additionally, Hall of Famers Josh Gibson and Carl Yastrzemski make an appearance as short-printed RetroFractor cards, with Yastrzemski also having an autographed version available.
The collection boasts an array of parallels in both paper and chrome formats. This includes new Aqua/Pink and Red/Green Gradient Borders, as well as hobby box exclusive Orange Borders. The chrome cards introduce several new refractor variations, such as Lunar Glow and Fuchsia Lunar, among others.
In terms of inserts, the collection pays homage to the iconic 1954 Bowman baseball design with the Bowman 1954 Flag Variation. This insert showcases young players alongside their home flags, providing a nostalgic touch to the collection. Other notable inserts include the Bowman Draft Glass and Chrome Prospector’s Special Die-Cut inserts, which are beloved by collectors. This year, new inserts make their debut, such as Transformative Talents and Draft Picks & Prospects.
One of the most intriguing elements of the collection is Tom Brady’s Dream Draft Picks card. This card raises the “What if?” question and offers various limited Refractor parallels. Furthermore, collectors can discover a diverse range of autographs, including Chrome Prospect Autographs, Mood Ring Red Autographs, and Bowman ’54 Flag Variation Red Refractor autographs.
The collection also features dual signatures in the Franchise Futures Dual Autographs section, showcasing the future of baseball with exciting pairings. Additionally, the Class of 2023 Autographs spotlights this year’s notable MLB draft choices, providing collectors with autographs of the most prominent picks. The autograph selection is further expanded with special autographed booklets and Under Armour Game Autographed cards, adding to the excitement for baseball card enthusiasts.
For collectors seeking unique and rare autographs, the Class of 2023 Autographs section is a must-see. This section highlights the most prominent MLB draft picks of the year and even introduces new Green Refractor parallels. The autographs come in various rare parallels, including Gold, Red, and SuperFractors, providing collectors with an array of options to add to their collections.
The inclusion of Tom Brady as a “Dream Draft Pick” in the set is a standout feature. His Gold Refractor parallels are limited to just 50 cards, making them highly sought-after by fans of both baseball and football. Other Refractor parallels of Brady’s card, such as Orange, Red, and SuperFractor, offer unique collectibles for fans to cherish.
Another notable addition to the collection is the Base Set Gold Retrofractor Autographs, limited to 50 cards. These autographs follow the same parallel configuration as the Brady autographs, providing an additional layer of rarity and value.
The Draft Glass Autographs, numbered to 99, offer collectors another exclusive aspect of the set. These autographs come with Lava, Gold Mini-Diamond, hobby-exclusive Orange, Red, and SuperFractor parallels, adding to the excitement for collectors.
For even more unique items, the set includes Image Variation Autograph parallel cards, numbered to 99. These cards provide a different visual take on some of the players included in the set, offering surprise and diversity to collectors.
The autographed booklets in this year’s collection are exceptionally special and highly coveted. Limited to just 10 copies, the “Positioned for Excellence” booklet, and the “Picked for Excellence” Autographed booklet, are considered some of the rarest items in the collection. Each booklet also has a Red Refractor parallel, limited to 5, and a SuperFractor, which is a one-of-a-kind collectible.
Lastly, the set includes Under Armour Game Autographed cards. These cards feature various serial numbers and provide collectors with autographs from some of the most promising young talents in baseball.
Overall, the 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball set offers a comprehensive and exciting collection for baseball enthusiasts. With its blend of MLB prospects, established stars, and the inclusion of the legendary Tom Brady, this release is highly anticipated among collectors and fans of the sport. Be sure to mark your calendars for mid-December and get ready to add these unique and valuable cards to your collection.