Sleeper prospects and cards from Bowman Draft 2024
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Baseball season has come and gone. Post season awards are being announced with Nick Kurtz winning the AL Rookie of the Year award. Now fans' attention is turning toward next season, with several big dates on the horizon including the MVP announcement and the Winter Meetings.
From a hobby perspective, the last big Bowman release of the year will happen in December with the release of Bowman Draft 2025. However, this is a look back at some of the best sleeper prospects from Bowman 2024 and their current hobby markets with an eye toward the future.
RELATED: 2025 Bowman Chrome Baseball Release Breakdown
Bryce Rainer SS, Tigers
Bryce Rainer was one of the top two prep shortstops in the 2025 MLB Draft, the other being consensus number one overall pick Konnor Griffin. Taken with the eleventh pick by the Tigers, Rainer began his season at Low A Lakeland. After a slower start, Rainer began to show off the tools that made him a top prospect in the 2024 draft. In limited action at high A, Rainer slashed .288/,388/.448 to go along with five home runs in 125 at bats. He also played well at short and is still projected to be the best defender at that position in the Tigers’ farm system. Unfortunately, Rainer’s season was cut short after an injury but he is projected to make a full recovery before spring training.
In terms of his collectibles market, Rainer’s Bowman First autographs sell for rather modest amounts considering his prodigious upside. According to data from 130point, Rainer Bowman chrome base autos have been in the $40-$50 range. It’s highly probable that Rainer’s cards are selling for less than expected due to his injury shortened season. However, Rainer’s upside is still incredibly high even if his hobby market doesn’t reflect that yet. Should Rainer take a step forward this year, those prices should rise making his cards a strong buy low candidate before the start of the season.
Travis Bazzana SS, Guardians
It might be weird to some collectors and fans to see a Bazzana on this list. After all, Bazzana was the first overall pick in the 2024 Draft. Many prospect evaluators and collectors alike expected Bazzana to make a quick rise through the minors and challenge for a MLB roster spot. While Bazzana did ascend through the minors, his results were more mixed. Like Rainer, Bazzana dealt with an oblique injury that led to those results, as he missed several months during the season with an oblique injury. Despite that unfortunate setback, Bazzana still made it all the way to AAA. He also still has the skill set that made him the top number one pick overall and the top chase Bowman Draft 2024.
From a collectibles market standpoint, Bazzana card sales also sell for a more modest amount than one would expect from a former highly touted number one pick just a year after he was drafted. Per 130point sales data, Bazzana Bowman Chrome First base autos have been selling for between $75-$80 with a true blue PSA 10 selling for around $450. Again should Bazzana reach his lofty potential, collectors can expect those prices to increase making him another great buy low candidate similarly to Rainer.
