Amid the Acuña news, collectors have been anticipating the release of 2018 Bowman Baseball, which dropped today. As a Braves collector, I was thrilled to hear news that leaked back in January that Cristian Pache would be included on the prospect autograph checklist in 2018 Bowman.
Cristian posted this photo on his Instagram story (Jan. 2018) indicating that he was signing cards for the upcoming product. Although Braves fans have Pache on their radar, I have been curious as to how the rest of the hobby would react. Although the product released today, many distributors will open early in order to be the first to list on eBay. The one and only sale so far for Pache’s base auto was an even $50. With 9 hours left, there is a gold shimmer autograph on bids that is currently at $340. Here is a photo of what the card looks like.
LHP Joey Wentz, who was selected 40th overall in the 2016 Draft, is also included in this year’s Bowman Baseball. His sales are currently between $15-$20 for a base auto. Now would be a great time to buy while he is selling for relatively cheap.
This year’s Bowman Baseball is highly sought after in the midst of Ohtani mania. Shohei Ohtani is included in the Bowman mix with a rookie autograph starting at $2500 for a base. With these prices the race is on to find any card with Ohtani’s name on it, which drives prices of boxes through the roof. My personal advice? If you are chasing one particular prospect, you may be better off buying singles rather than purchasing overpriced boxes in search of a diamond in the rough.
Happy collecting! Tweet me your pulls and purchases @slmsolo