The 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball collection is set to be a must-have for enthusiasts of MLB draft picks and rising stars. This year’s release has an exciting addition that is sure to catch the attention of fans: Tom Brady, the NFL’s legendary figure, is featured as an insert and autograph card. Brady, a 1995 draft choice of the Montreal Expos, is celebrated in the collection as a “Dream Draft Pick,” although no preview images have been made available.
Scheduled to hit the shelves in mid-December, this collection follows the success of the 2023 Bowman Baseball and Bowman Chrome releases. It includes notable prospects like Wyatt Langford, Paul Skenes, and Ethan Salas. The collection offers Hobby Jumbo and Super Jumbo boxes, with a wide variety of cards, autographs, and parallels in each.
The base set of 200 cards highlights top draft picks and MLB prospects, with special “1st Bowman” notations and image variations for 10 players. It also features Hall of Famers Josh Gibson and Carl Yastrzemski as short-printed RetroFractor cards, with Yastrzemski also having an autographed version.
What sets this collection apart from others are the numerous parallels in both paper and chrome formats. Collectors can expect new additions like Aqua/Pink and Red/Green Gradient Borders, as well as hobby box exclusive Orange Borders. Chrome cards introduce several new refractors, including Lunar Glow and Fuchsia Lunar, among others.
The inserts in this year’s collection pay homage to the classic 1954 Bowman baseball design with the Bowman 1954 Flag Variation. These inserts showcase young players against their home flags, adding a unique touch to the collection. The Bowman Draft Glass and Chrome Prospector’s Special Die-Cut inserts are also featured, along with the debuts of Transformative Talents and Draft Picks & Prospects inserts.
Tom Brady’s “Dream Draft Picks” card raises the intriguing “What if?” question and offers various limited Refractor parallels. 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 are showcased in Franchise Futures Dual Autographs, and the Class of 2023 Autographs spotlight this year’s 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 previously mentioned features, the set offers collectors an opportunity to find unique and rare autographs. The Class of 2023 Autographs section highlights the most prominent MLB draft picks of the year, featuring Green Refractor parallels, which are new this year. These, along with Gold, Red, and SuperFractor parallels, offer a variety of options for collectors.
Tom Brady’s inclusion in the set as a “Dream Draft Pick” 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, each offering a unique collectible for fans of both football and baseball.
The set also features Base Set Gold Retrofractor Autographs, limited to 50 cards and following the same parallel configuration as the Brady autographs. These autographs provide an additional layer of rarity and value to the collection.
Furthermore, Draft Glass Autographs, numbered to 99, present another exclusive aspect to the set. These autographs come with Lava, Gold Mini-Diamond, hobby-exclusive Orange, Red, and SuperFractor parallels.
For collectors seeking 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, adding an element of surprise and diversity to the collection.
The autographed booklets in this year’s set are particularly special. The “Positioned for Excellence” booklet, limited to 10 copies, and the “Picked for Excellence” Autographed booklet, limited to just 5 copies, are exceptionally rare and sought-after. Each of these booklets also has 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, featuring varied serial numbers and offering a wide range of autographs from some of the most promising young talents in baseball.
Overall, the 2023 Bowman Draft Baseball set is a comprehensive and exciting collection. It blends a mix of new prospects, established stars, and the unique inclusion of a football legend. With its variety of cards, parallels, and autographs, it is no surprise that this release is highly anticipated by collectors and fans of the sport.
