2020 Bowman Draft once again delivers the first look of the 2020 MLB draft class in their MLB team uniforms.
Despite the minor league season being cancelled due to COVID-19, Topps was able to utilize the magic of photoshop to create a fresh set of 1st Bowman Cards for the newest draft class. I was somewhat skeptical of their ability to pull off a set with no actual game action, a more compressed production schedule, and the extensive editing process that would be necessary.
I should have known better. Bowman Draft is one of the most popular products in the 4th quarter, and if there is money to be made, Topps is going to make it!
The Breakdown
Following the same pattern we’ve seen over the last few years, the set contains 200 cards with players having both a paper and chrome version. The chase of most Bowman collectors comes from the 1st Bowman cards of a whole crop of new prospects. 2020 Bowman Draft delivers on that point with almost 120 1st Bowmans on the checklist. Spencer Torkleson, and Heston Kjerstad are a couple of the guys most people seem to be excited about in this years class and all are carrying some good value.
Both the paper and chrome cards have a variety of parallels to chase ranging from unnumbered refractors to 1/1s. There are 9 different paper parallels and 11 different chrome parallels. In addition, a select number of players have photo variations to add yet another chase element.
Four different insert sets provide yet another way to celebrate the new class of minor leaguers. Each of those cards also have a variety of parallels. The scarcity of these sets fall from 1:3 packs to 1:12 packs.
If 1st Bowmans are the base and chrome cards you want from these prospects, then the 1st Bowman Auto is the signature you want! The auto checklist for this year’s release is enormous.
There are almost 120 subjects on the base autograph checklist, and another 63 different insert autos. As with the regular cards, there are also several tiers of numbered auto parallels.
Here are examples of the front and back of the 2020 Bowman Draft base cards.
Box Break
Ok, I didn’t actually get to break a box of the product this year. I did however pick up about 2,500 base cards from a couple collectors who opened several boxes worth. I was skeptical at first about how the set would look, but I’m pleasantly surprised! I kept a set for myself and have listed several sets on eBay and singles on Sportlots and have been very pleased with the rate of sales. With so many 1st Bowmans, there is strong demand for a good portion of the checklist, and even some of the players who already had cards are still in high demand. Jasson Dominguez, Adley Rutschman, and Andrew Vaugjn are a few of the players to make a repeat appearance.
Checklist
You can find the full checklist on TCDB.com
Wrapping It Up
I was pleasantly surprised with the way the product turned out. As you look through the set, you would never know there wasn’t even a minor league season in 2020. With sealed wax prices being at record highs, my suggestion would be to pick up singles or hand collated sets on the secondary market. If you still want to take a shot on wax, you can find sealed boxes on eBay or your favorite local card shop!
Also, if you haven’t heard, I started a new Podcast called the WaxPackHero Sports Card Minute! It’s available here directly on the site at the Podcast link at the top of the page, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and TuneIn! Check it out, let me know what you think, and tell your friends!
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