2023 Bowman Draft Baseball Collection: A Blend of MLB Prospects and the Legendary Tom Brady
The 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball collection is set to hit the market in mid-December, and it promises to be a must-have for enthusiasts of MLB draft picks and rising stars. This year’s release has an exciting addition: Tom Brady, the NFL’s legendary figure, is featured as an insert and autograph card. Brady, who was actually drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1995, is celebrated in the collection as a “Dream Draft Pick.” Although no preview images are available yet, fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to own this unique card.
Following in the footsteps of 2023 Bowman Baseball and Bowman Chrome, the 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball collection brings together notable prospects like Wyatt Langford, Paul Skenes, and Ethan Salas. The collection offers two types of boxes: Hobby Jumbo and Super Jumbo, with a wide variety of cards, autographs, and parallels in each.
The base set consists of 200 cards highlighting top draft picks and MLB prospects. Notably, 10 players will have special “1st Bowman” notations and image variations. The base set also features two Hall of Famers, Josh Gibson and Carl Yastrzemski, as short-printed RetroFractor cards. Yastrzemski even has an autographed version of his card available.
In terms of parallels, the collection offers both paper and chrome formats. Collectors can look forward to new Aqua/Pink and Red/Green Gradient Borders, as well as exclusive Orange Borders available only in hobby boxes. Chrome cards introduce several new refractors, such as Lunar Glow and Fuchsia Lunar, among others.
The collection also pays homage to the 1954 Bowman baseball design with the Bowman 1954 Flag Variation inserts. This nostalgic insert showcases young players against the backdrop of their home flags. In addition, collectors can find the Bowman Draft Glass and Chrome Prospector’s Special Die-Cut inserts, which add another layer of excitement to the collection. New inserts for this year include Transformative Talents and Draft Picks & Prospects.
One of the biggest attractions of this collection is Tom Brady’s Dream Draft Picks card. This card raises the intriguing “What if?” question and comes in various limited Refractor parallels. Collectors can also find a diverse range of autographs, such as Chrome Prospect Autographs, Mood Ring Red Autographs, and Bowman ’54 Flag Variation Red Refractor autographs.
The collection showcases dual signatures in Franchise Futures Dual Autographs, and the Class of 2023 Autographs highlights this year’s notable MLB draft choices. The set also includes special autographed booklets and Under Armour Game Autographed cards, offering collectors a comprehensive and exciting array of autographs to discover.
Speaking of autographs, the Class of 2023 Autographs section is a true highlight of the collection. Limited to just 99 cards, these autographs feature the most prominent MLB draft picks of the year. This year, collectors will also find Green Refractor parallels, adding a new level of rarity and value to these autographs. Other parallel options for this section include Gold, Red, and SuperFractor.
The inclusion of Tom Brady as a “Dream Draft Pick” adds an extra layer of excitement to this collection. Brady’s Gold Refractor parallels are limited to only 50 cards, making them a highly sought-after item. Other Refractor parallels of Brady’s card include Orange, Red, and the incredibly rare SuperFractor, each offering a unique collectible for fans of both football and baseball.
The set also features Base Set Gold Retrofractor Autographs, which are limited to 50 cards and follow the same parallel configuration as the Brady autographs. These autographs provide an additional layer of rarity and value to the collection.
Another exclusive aspect of this collection is the Draft Glass Autographs, numbered to 99. These autographs come with Lava, Gold Mini-Diamond, hobby-exclusive Orange, Red, and SuperFractor parallels, providing collectors with a diverse range of options to choose from.
For collectors seeking even more unique items, the set includes Image Variation Autograph parallel cards. Numbered to 99, these cards offer a fresh visual perspective on some of the players included in the set, adding an element of surprise and diversity to the collection.
The autographed booklets in this year’s set are particularly special. Limited to just 10 copies, the “Positioned for Excellence” booklet and the “Picked for Excellence” Autographed booklet are exceptionally rare and highly sought-after. Each of these booklets also has a Red Refractor parallel, limited to 5 copies, and a SuperFractor, which is a one-of-a-kind collectible. These autographed booklets are sure to be some of the rarest and most coveted items in the entire collection.
Finally, the set includes Under Armour Game Autographed cards. With varied serial numbers, these cards offer a wide range of autographs from some of the most promising young talents in baseball, perfect for collectors looking for a unique addition to their collection.
In conclusion, the 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball set is a comprehensive and exciting collection that blends a mix of new prospects, established stars, and the unique inclusion of a football legend. Its variety of cards, parallels, and autographs make it a highly anticipated release for collectors and fans of the sport.
