As always with what’s become one of the hobby’s most popular brands, 2022 Bowman Chrome Baseball gives collectors plenty of chew on. There are rookies, prospects, veterans, autographs, inserts and parallels.
That’s just a start. The product repeats its 2021 format with three different configurations — Hobby, Hobby Lite and HTA Choice. Each format has its own exclusives and breakdowns of hot cards. There are “1st Bowman” cards, which have become a staple of the set.
The product is expected to release November 30. Topps is promising two autographs per Hobby box, three signatures in HTA Choice and five exclusive Black & White Mini-Diamond Refractor parallels, numbered to 199, in Hobby Lite.
Hobby boxes will contain 12 packs, with five cards per pack. Hobby Lite will have 10 packs per box and five cards to a pack. And HTA Choice will have one pack with three cards — all autographs.
Base set
There is a lot to unpack in this product. The base set contains 100 base cards and includes top veterans and rookies. There will also be short-printed Rookie Image variations.
In hobby boxes, collectors will find the new Aqua RayWave Refractor parallels numbered to 199. Another newcomer is a Yellow Refractor, numbered to 75.
Other parallels include Base, numbered to 499, Fuchsia (299), Purple (250), Blue (150), Green (99), Gold (50), Orange (25), Red (5) and SuperFractors (1/1).
In addition to the base set, there are 100 Chrome Prospects. And there are plenty of refractor parallels, including four hobby exclusives: Fuchsia/Pink Vapor Refractor, numbered to 199; Aqua/Pink Vapor Refractor (125); Yellow/Orange Vapor Refractor (75); and Red/Aqua Vapor Refractor (5).
Here are the other parallels:
- Shimmer Refractor, which fall one in 12 packs
- Base Refractor (numbered to 499)
- Speckle Refractor (299)
- Purple Refractor (250)
- Purple Shimmer Refractor (250)
- Fuchsia Shimmer Refractor (199)
- Blue Refractor (150)
- Aqua Refractor (125)
- Green Refractor (99)
- Green Shimmer Refractor (99)
- Yellow Refractor (75)
- Gold Refractor (50)
- Gold Shimmer Refractor (25)
- Orange Refractor (25)
- Orange Shimmer Refractor (25)
- Red Shimmer Refractor (10)
- Red Refractor (5)
- Black Shimmer Refractor (1/1)
- SuperFractor (1/1)
Inserts
Insert cards will start off with a four new subsets, starting with Shades of Greatness. This insert concentrates on top rookies and prospects who have “shaded up” on glimpses of what they can do. Parallels include Atomic Refractor (numbered to 150), Orange Refractor (25) and SuperFractor (1/1).
The Bowman Invicta insert drops once every 24 packs and is a continuation from the Bowman and Bowman Draft sets. Parallels include Atomic Refractor (numbered to 150), Gold Refractor (50), Red Refractor (5) and SuperFractor (1/1).
AFL Fall Stars, which will appear once in every six packs, highlights the top players from the Arizona Fall League. Parallels feature Atomic Refractor (numbered to 150), Orange Refractor (25) and SuperFractor (1/1). There is also an MVP short-print card that is a hobby exclusive that also has a 1/1 SuperFractor parallel.
It Came to the League, falling once per 12 packs, takes its inspiration from monster films of the past and features MLB’s next monster prospects. Parallels can be found in Atomic Refractor (numbered to 150), Orange Refractor (25) and SuperFractor (1/1).
The toughest insert to find will be Bowman Ascensions, which appear once in every 144 packs. It is a collaboration set with the artist duo, Invisible Creature (Don and Ryan Clark). The series has four different styles. Parallels include Orange Refractors (numbered to 25) and SuperFractors (1/1). Its design echoes some of the elements of the 1963 Topps baseball set, although the design elements are in different places.
Autographs
There will be plenty of different autographs for collectors to chase. The majority that will be found are Chrome Prospect Autographs. These are players that will have their 1st Bowman Chrome autographs.
And the parallels? Lots of them:
- Black and White Mini-Diamond Refractors (Hobby Lite exclusive)
- Refractors (numbered to 499)
- Speckle Refractors (299)
- Purple Refractors (250)
- Blue RayWave Refractors (150)
- HTA Choice Refractors (150 and exclusive to HTA Choice)
- Atomic Variation Refractors (100)
- Green Refractors (99)
- Green Atomic Refractors (99; another HTA Choice exclusive)
- Yellow Refractors (75)
- Gold Refractors (50)
- Gold Mini-Diamond Refractors (50; a hobby exclusive)
- Shimmer Gold Refractors (50; an HTA Choice exclusive)
- Orange Refractors (25; hobby exclusive)
- Orange Wave Refractors (25; HTA Choice exclusive)
- Shimmer Orange Refractors (25; hobby exclusive)
- Red Refractors (5)
- Red Wave Refractors (5; HTA Choice exclusive)
- Shimmer Red Refractors (5)
- SuperFractors (1/1).
In addition to Prospect autographs, rookie signatures are also represented in 2022 Bowman Chrome. Chrome rookie cards will also have some parallels, including:
- Black and White Mini-Diamond Refractors (Hobby Lite exclusive)
- Refractors (numbered to 499)
- Blue Refractors (150)
- Green Refractors (99)
- Gold Refractors (50)
- Orange Refractors (25; hobby exclusive)
- Red Refractors (5)
- SuperFractors (1/1)
Other autograph cards include Prime Chrome Signatures, numbered to 50. Parallels include HTA Choice exclusive Orange Refractors (numbered to 25) and 1/1 SuperFractors.
Chrome Auto Relics throw a game-used factor into the equation. These cards have parallels, too: Gold Refractors, numbered to 50; Orange Refractors, a hobby exclusive numbered to 25; and 1/1 SuperFractors.
Shades of Greatness Autographs are numbered to 99 and have an Orange Refractor parallel numbered to 25, along with a 1/1 SuperFractor.
The ongoing All-American Game Autographs set gets some additions as well.
Rounding out the signature cards are 1/1 All-American Game Autographs, which have varied serial numbers.
You can check box prices for 2022 Bowman Chrome on eBay here.
2022 Bowman Chrome Baseball – Checklist
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