Bowman baseball means heavy emphasis on rookies and prospects, and the latest version is no different. 2018 Bowman baseball will offer 24 packs in a hobby box, with 10 cards to a pack including five prospects. Topps is promising one autographed card per hobby box. In jumbo boxes, that promise bumps up to three autos per box with a total of 32 cards (16 prospects).
Each box of 2018 Bowman baseball also will contain a guaranteed Bowman Sterling Continuity insert and a new Chrome Prospect Atomic Variation Refractor. Jumbo boxes will have two Sterling Continuity cards.
While the checklist (see below) will have some notable veteran stars, the newly minted pros are always the big attraction. Parallels will include Sky Blue Paper versions, along with Gold Chrome and Chrome Refractors. Of course, the card everyone will be looking for is the 1/1 Bowman Chrome Superfractor of Shohei Ohtani.
Making its debut in the 2018 issue will be #BowmanTrending, an insert that gives a nod toward social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. These cards will focus on top prospects whose stocks have risen dramatically during the past year. Bowman Sterling will return, but not as a separate product. It will be an insert set that will be spread over several Bowman releases in 2018.
The autographs for the 2018 Bowman set will be on-card signatures. Chrome Prospect Autographs will feature key young players, while Chrome Rookie Autographs will celebrate first-year players. Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani has signed autographs for Bowman, which could lead to strong demand.
ROY Favorites will be exclusive to hobby and jumbo boxes and will capture the front-runners for the Rookie of the Year honor. Bowman Sterling Autographs will place a signature on the main Continuity insert and can be found one to a hobby box and two to a jumbo. Making its debut will be the Dual Bowman Prospects Autograph card, which will have a different player on each side and signatures for both.
All-America Game Autographs will showcase this year’s top prospects and recall their appearances in the high school All-America games.
2018 Bowman baseball is due out the week of April 25.
You can check out boxes, cases, breaks and more on eBay here.
2018 Bowman Baseball Checklist