Once a standalone competitor of the Topps Company, Bowman
was acquired following the 1955 Major League Baseball season. Fast forward to
1989 and Bowman has become a staple in the card collecting space. Focused on delivering
minor leaguers or up and coming prospects, the yearly offerings are gobbled up
like candy by those interested in the hobby. Bowman Baseball 2019 hits shelves
on April 17, and this new offering is not expected to be any different.
For each mainstream Bowman offering, the collecting focus is
placed on a few key areas. First and foremost, the cards producing the highest
level of desire are those designated as a player’s “1st Bowman”
card. Chrome holds more value than paper base cards, and colored parallels
generate an even higher level of scarcity. Obviously, the autographed cards carry
the highest premium, and the collector’s focus is to view the product through
the lens of a stock market. With many unproven players, holding until a certain
level of production creates the most value is where Bowman draws most of its
allure.
The Twins have one of the best farm systems in baseball, but
many of their top prospects are already beyond “1st Bowman” cards.
At any rate, there’s plenty to be excited about here for Minnesota fans.
Base Set
Split into base sets featuring both prospects and big
leaguers, Minnesota is well represented in Bowman Baseball 2019. On the big-league
side, there’s rookie cards of Willians Astudillo and Jake Cave. The veteran duo
includes Jose Berrios and Eddie Rosario. Looking at prospects, Minnesota touts
Brusdar Graterol, Brent Rooker, Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and Ryan Costello’s
1st Bowman card. Each of the prospects also has a chrome version to chase.
Inserts
Bowman isn’t a checklist focused on inserts, but there’s a
handful of subsets to be made from the master. The Top 100 and Talent Pipeline inserts
are mainstays, and Sterling Continuity returns this year. You can find
Kirilloff, Lewis, Graterol, Rooker, and Nick Gordon represented among these
offerings. Each of the insert cards should be of the chrome variety.
Hits
Bowman is traditionally a hit driven product, with the chrome
prospect autographs carrying the biggest premium. There’s no relics in this
product, and everything will be signed on card. You can expect a couple of
players to be offered through redemptions.
The Twins have two cards in the chrome prospect autograph
checklist. Costello debuts his 1st Bowman autograph, and Andrew
Bechtold joins this group with his 1st as well. Royce Lewis will
have signed versions of his Top 100 card, and Brusdar will offer up his
signature on the Bowman Sterling set. With just four total autographed cards in
the entire product, group breaks should have you picking up the Twins on the
cheap.
