December marked the arrival of one of the most highly anticipated releases in the world of baseball card collecting: Bowman Draft. A perennial favorite among enthusiasts, Bowman Draft is renowned for unveiling the first Bowman cards of players selected in the previous year’s draft. It typically showcases a plethora of first-round picks while saving a few prominent names for the subsequent Bowman Baseball release early in the following year.
The 2025 edition adhered to this tradition by holding back notable selections like third overall pick Charlie Condon and eighth overall pick JJ Wetherholt for the upcoming 2026 product. Despite their absence, collectors were treated to a host of captivating prospects and rookies, making this year’s set a must-have for avid collectors and enthusiasts alike.
One of the standout features of this year’s Bowman Draft was the introduction of the first Bowman cards for Travis Bazzana, the coveted first overall pick, and Jac Caglianone, the sixth overall pick. Caglianone, often touted as the “next Shohei Ohtani,” held special significance in this release. Making history during his collegiate tenure at the University of Florida, Caglianone inked an exclusive deal with Fanatics and Topps, becoming the first college baseball player to do so. While Topps refrained from releasing cards featuring him during his college career, collectors now have the opportunity to own cards showcasing his memorable time at Florida through alternative channels.
Baseball’s distinctive player development pathway sets it apart from other major sports like basketball and football, where athletes frequently make immediate splashes in the professional leagues. For baseball prospects, the journey involves years of refinement in the minor leagues, making investing in their First Bowman cards a strategic exercise in both patience and foresight. The value of these cards often skyrockets once a player ascends to the big leagues and fulfills their potential.
Topps’ foray into college-themed cards aligns seamlessly with the changing landscape of collegiate athletics, particularly with the advent of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements. Capitalizing on this shift, Topps ventured into college football and basketball products following the introduction of NIL rules. While they unveiled their first college-focused Bowman product in decades in 2021, it wasn’t until now that college baseball cards made their way into the coveted Bowman Draft lineup.
The 2025 Bowman Draft introduces a captivating subset of Chrome College Variations, injecting a fresh and unique twist into the collection. Though not a dedicated college-specific set, these cards represent Topps’ closest embrace of college baseball within its revered Bowman brand. The resonance among collectors has been immense, exemplified by the recent sale of Jac Caglianone’s college card from this set fetching an astounding $6,500—a record-breaking price for a Florida Gators card.
The subset features ten standout players, including Travis Bazzana, Hagen Smith, Jac Caglianone, Christian Moore, Ryan Waldschmidt, Carson Benge, James Tibbs III, Braden Montgomery, Cam Smith, and Blake Burke. These cards are exceptionally rare, with base versions appearing at odds of 1:713 in hobby packs and 1:185 in super jumbo packs. In addition to the base versions, collectors can pursue limited parallels such as gold refractors (numbered to 50), orange refractors (numbered to 25), red refractors (numbered to 5), and the highly coveted 1/1 Superfractor.
The scarcity and allure of these cards have turned them into sought-after commodities, appealing to both traditional collectors and new fans attracted to the infusion of college aesthetics into the Bowman Draft lineup. It’s an exhilarating moment for collectors—one that seamlessly blends the excitement of prospecting with a touch of collegiate sports nostalgia.
As Bowman Draft continues to evolve, the incorporation of Chrome College Variations underscores Topps’ unwavering commitment to innovation within the hobby. As collectors eagerly unwrap packs in search of these rarities, the bond between baseball’s future stars and their formative years grows even stronger. This year’s Bowman Draft transcends being just another card set; it symbolizes a celebration of baseball’s rich past, exciting present, and promising future, all narrated through the lens of a hobby that remains as dynamic and vibrant as ever.
