Preview: 2013 Bowman Platinum Baseball

Schedule Release Date: July 31, 2013
Box Configuration: 5 cards per pack/20 packs per box
SRP: $90/box

 

 

Box Break:

2 Autographed Prospect Refractors

1 Autographed Relic Refractor
7 Parallels

 

 

My Thoughts:

When it comes to Topps products the various Platinum sets are among my favorites. Originally I didn’t care one way or the other but I have since been drawn in and for some reason I am hooked on all things Platinum. I like that Topps has decided to go with on-card autographs for the Autographed Prospects insert, good decision.

 

Bowman Platinum is a set for prospect collectors, a 200 card base set highlights 100 rookies/veterans and 100 prospects. The base checklist has three parallels while the prospect checklist has 7 parallels.

 

Base Parallels: Gold (1:5 packs), Blue Sapphire (1:10 packs) and Ruby (1:20 packs)

 

Prospects Parallels: X-Fractors, Green (#/399), Blue (#/199), Gold (#/50), Red (#/25), Atomic (#/5) and SuperFractors (1/1). The Atomics and SuperFractors are only in hobby packs.

 

The Autographed Prospects Refractors are signed on-card and there are 7 parallels besides the base versions; Green (#/399), Blue (#/199), Gold (#/50), Red (#/25), Atomic (#/5), SuperFractors (1/1) and Printing Plates. The Atomic, SuperFractors and Printing Plates are only available in hobby packs.

 

A couple of the relic inserts that are included come from a new contract that Topps signed with the Arizona Fall League and include relics from the Rising Stars Game. There are also Jumbo Relics and Prospect Bat cards.

 

Topps is continuing the Blue Sapphire program which highlights the best Bowman players of all time. The cards will depict the players on a reprint of their first Bowman cards and are numbered to #/40 or less, there are autographed versions #/5 too.

 

The 2012 MLB #1 draft pick Carlos Correa (Houston Astros) as well the #3 Mike Zunino (Mariners) are both included in the set. Just from the preview images Correa has an Autographed Prospect Red Refractor card and Zunino has an Autographed Relic card.

 

 

Pros:

Prospects, Prospects, Prospects

Reasonable Price
3 Hits
Some On-card Autographs

 

 

Cons:

Some Prospects Will Never Pan Out

Some Sticker Autographs
Lots and Lots of Parallels

 

 

 

 

Rating:

I give this set 4 out of 5

There are plenty of good reasons to go with this set if you are a prospect collector, the only down side is the sticker autographs and I am sure plenty of these kids may never make it in the majors but that is part of prospecting, you take the good with the bad.