Beckett First look: 2011 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects

[blowoutcards]

Beckett First look: 2011 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects

July 6, 2011 at 4:45 PM



By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Topps‘ next wave of Bowman products will arrive late this year — 2011 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects — packing yet another chance at a Bryce Harper autograph (this time Green) and plenty of this year’s top draft picks once they sign.

The Harper autograph will be limited to just 350 copies, while am autographed Relic — featuring a piece of his Futures Game jersey to be used soon — will be limited to just 69 copies. That card also will be paralleled with a Red 1/1, a Green limited to five, a Gold limited to 25 and a Blue card limited to just 50.

The basic set will consist of 110 rookies in both Bowman and Bowman Chrome format with two Bowman cards, two Chrome cards, one parallel and two Futures Game stars or USA Baseball team members per pack. On the prospect side, the set will consist of 110 players including Future Stars and the 18 USA Baseball 16U team members.

Each 24-pack hobby box will include one Chrome autograph, while there will be USA Baseball autos inserted as bonus sigs. The autograph checklist will consist of 21 draft picks and young stars each with SuperFractors, printing plates, Red, Purple, Orange, Gold, Blue and standard Refractor versions.

Meanwhile, this product will include the first look at the 2011 USA Baseball 16U National Team — the youngest prospects found on licensed cardboard. In addition to autographs, these cards will be found as SuperFractors, printing plates and more with the most plentiful being standard Refractors at just 199 copies.

Read more and see more images after the jump.


The standard set will feature three parallels — Red 1/1s, printing plates, Blues (/499) — while the Chromes will have Canary Diamond 1/1s, SuperFractors, printing plates, Red, Orange, Gold, Blue and standard Refractors.

New for this series will be Futures Game Relics with jumbo patch versions limited to just five copies, Futures Game patches limited to one and MLB Logoman 1/1s as well. Also included will be Aflac All-American autographs, Topps 60th anniversary sigs and more.

The prospect checklist is largely TBD — many of the draft picks have not yet signed — but the Aflac autograph lineup so far includes Yordy Cabrera, Stetson Allie, Tony Walters, Braxton Lane, Jason Thompson and Kyrell Hudson.

Futures Game Relic players will include Harper, Manny Machado, Wil Myers, Mike Trout, Dayan Viciedo, Paul Goldschmidt and many others.


First look: 2011 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects |

[ReinholdMessner]

hmm, nothing especially new and crazy... 21 autos is a significant decrease from last year, right?

[Jaypers]

Here's what I wrote in the comments section below the article:


While I can appreciate Topps wanting to end the suspense of what the format of this product will entail, I have to admit to being extremely disappointed in what I’m NOT seeing – the checklist. If you take a stroll down memory lane and recall their past solicitations for this product over the years, you will notice a disturbing trend – less information is revealed in advance as each year passes, leading us to this year’s offering, which reveals a total of 3 Prospect Autos (out of more than 30) and zero Prospect “base” cards. Topps is clearly banking on Draft’s reputation alone to sell out, which it obviously will, as this year’s draft crop is considered to be far-and-away the best in several years. Naturally I’ll be in the market for wax as I always am with this product, but I am crestfallen to see how Topps has gotten so complacent to the point that they know consumers will basically buy anything with the word “Draft” in it, despite the unknowns.

[Jaypers]

Originally Posted by ReinholdMessner

hmm, nothing especially new and crazy... 21 autos is a significant decrease from last year, right?

That article is incorrect in that regard - it's 31 autos, not 21.

Read the sell sheet -- 2011 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Baseball

[auctionjmm]

Originally Posted by Jaypers

Here's what I wrote in the comments section below the article:


While I can appreciate Topps wanting to end the suspense of what the format of this product will entail, I have to admit to being extremely disappointed in what I’m NOT seeing – the checklist. If you take a stroll down memory lane and recall their past solicitations for this product over the years, you will notice a disturbing trend – less information is revealed in advance as each year passes, leading us to this year’s offering, which reveals a total of 3 Prospect Autos (out of more than 30) and zero Prospect “base” cards. Topps is clearly banking on Draft’s reputation alone to sell out, which it obviously will, as this year’s draft crop is considered to be far-and-away the best in several years. Naturally I’ll be in the market for wax as I always am with this product, but I am crestfallen to see how Topps has gotten so complacent to the point that they know consumers will basically buy anything with the word “Draft” in it, despite the unknowns.

As of today, it would be impossible for Topps to provide us with a checklist because they themselves have no idea who will sign or won't sign. Isn't the deadline August 15th? Assuming the bigger names wait til the last minute to get the most money, and assuming it takes a couple weeks for Topps to get deals with these kids, it would be September before Topps could release a somewhat accurate checklist which would be cutting it too close to their order deadline for shops and distributors. Not to mention, the big decisions that have to be made regarding who to save for 2012 Bowman. It's not like last year where they knew Harper would be their golden guy. Gerrit Cole would never carry 2012 on his own so they may end up having to split some players up between the two products, and again, this can't happen until August 15th at the earliest when they have all the names in front of them.

My beef is the pre-sell prices that they will throw at us. I mentioned this in the other thread too. Assuming cost stays around $539 like it was last year, it will be interesting to see BO and everyone else asking $750-$800 as a starting price compared to $600 last year. That's where you should be concerned. Don't worry about Topps banking on it's customers...worry about BO who will bank $1,000 in profit for every 4 case orders MONTHS before the product even releases

[ReinholdMessner]

Originally Posted by Jaypers

That article is incorrect in that regard - it's 31 autos, not 21.

Read the sell sheet -- 2011 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Baseball

sorry, blocked at work, I 'll check it out when I get home, thanks for the info

[Jaypers]

Originally Posted by auctionjmm

As of today, it would be impossible for Topps to provide us with a checklist because they themselves have no idea who will sign or won't sign. Isn't the deadline August 15th? Assuming the bigger names wait til the last minute to get the most money, and assuming it takes a couple weeks for Topps to get deals with these kids, it would be September before Topps could release a somewhat accurate checklist which would be cutting it too close to their order deadline for shops and distributors. Not to mention, the big decisions that have to be made regarding who to save for 2012 Bowman. It's not like last year where they knew Harper would be their golden guy. Gerrit Cole would never carry 2012 on his own so they may end up having to split some players up between the two products, and again, this can't happen until August 15th at the earliest when they have all the names in front of them.

If you check solicitations over the past couple of years (when the signing deadline was in its' infancy), you'll notice Topps released many more names on the sell sheets, autos and base cards alike, than they are today.

It's as if the information age is going in reverse.

I have an idea.

Since we all know most 1st rounders actually sign well in advance of August 15th (the teams just don't announce them until just before midnight on the 15th, for fear of reprisal from MLB), what if Topps were to find out from teams who have in fact signed their top picks, then have them sign contracts with Topps as well, but keep the information secret from the public until 8/16?

Not sure of the legalities there, but hey - it's an idea. More info for everyone that way.

[remdawg1997]

Originally Posted by Jaypers

If you check solicitations over the past couple of years (when the signing deadline was in its' infancy), you'll notice Topps released many more names on the sell sheets, autos and base cards alike, than they are today.

It's as if the information age is going in reverse.

I have an idea.

Since we all know most 1st rounders actually sign well in advance of August 15th (the teams just don't announce them until just before midnight on the 15th, for fear of reprisal from MLB), what if Topps were to find out from teams who have in fact signed their top picks, then have them sign contracts with Topps as well, but keep the information secret from the public until 8/16?

Not sure of the legalities there, but hey - it's an idea. More info for everyone that way.

Really like this idea.......

[mgugs46]

Problem is Topps doesn't care if we get any info. They know draft will sell out with or without it. I am not an UD fan, but i am fast becoming NOT a Topps fan as well.