Bowman vs. Topps Pro Debut, Finding A Winner For Prospects

Which product should collectors pick based on their preferences?
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin who was the ninth overall pick in first round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft in the batting cage
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin who was the ninth overall pick in first round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft in the batting cage / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Prospecting has become one of the most popular things to do within the baseball card world. Through products like Bowman and Topps Pro Debut, collectors can get cards of some of the next up-and-coming players in the game and following them from as early as the beginning of their professional career.

While both products allow collectors to find and buy some of the first cards of their favorite team's prospects, each one has it's positives and flaws regardless of which product a collector prefers.

Pro of Bowman

The flagship prospect product and larger upside value

When baseball card collectors hear the word "prospect" in the card space, a majority of them will think of "1st Bowman". A player's "1st Bowman" card, which is labeled as such on the card, marks the very first professional baseball card a player will have. Oftentimes a player's "1st Bowman" will come out immediately following the MLB Draft in July or in the following Bowman product the following spring. Most of the top stars in the game today have "1st Bowman" cards from products released more than a decade ago. With Bowman products being synonymous with prospects, this is the first thing collectors will flock to for Minor League Baseball cards.

As a result of Bowman being the go-to product for prospecting for a long time, the value of Bowman cards from some of the top current stars in baseball maintain value longterm and often rise to higher levels of value as the players settles into the Major League game.

Con of Bowman

Cost of the product

While notoriety and longterm value provide positives for collectors, it comes at a cost (literally). For a hobby box with one guarenteed on-card autograph of 2025 Bowman collectors will have to pay $300, with a jumbo hobby box with three autographs costing over $600. While the aforementioned upside is there, there is also a wider range of paying large amounts of money on a box with not much to show for it.

Pro of Pro Debut

Affordability of the product with more household names featured

Pro Debut, which first came out in 2009 finds the best way to incorporate as many of the top names in Minor League Baseball in a single product. In the 2024 edition of the release, player such as Paul Skenes, Jackson Chourio, Jackson Holliday, Dylan Crews and Roman Anthony highlighted a loaded checklist with each of them featuring autographs in the product. Different from Bowman, Pro Debut makes it a focus to include as many high-profile prospects as possible, giving collectors a better change of pulling one of the top prospect's "Pro Debut" card.

While Bowman is king when it comes to prospecting, Pro Debut allows for the baseball fans on a budget to get in on the fun. A hobby box of 2024 Topps Pro Debut with four guaranteed autographs inside currently costs $150.

Con of Pro Debut

Lack of longterm value

While a better checklist and cheaper to buy is good for collectors, Pro Debut is not the top option if someone is looking to buy and hold to invest in top prospect's cards. The product's cards often do not hold high value longterm nor have as large of a ceiling as a "1st Bowman" card may as much of the Pro Debut autograph cards are sticker autographs rather than Bowman's on-card.

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Dan Gardella
DAN GARDELLA

Dan Gardella is a Red Sox fan and collector growing up in Yankee territory in Connecticut. While only reviving his love for the hobby a few years ago, he provides knowledge into baseball cards from prospects to the big leagues.