BOWMAN’S BEST
Four Signed Cards in Every Hobby Box
Pretty much every set under the Bowman banner combines prospects, rookies and veterans. 2021 Bowman’s Best Baseball does it, arguably, with the most color and flair — and that’s before delving into the many Refractors and parallels.
It’s also autograph forward with four signed cards in every hobby box.
The base set is a modest 100 cards. Typically, it’s divided up into separate numbering for current players and prospects, however advance info from Topps did not indicate exactly what that looks like here.
One of the things that sets Bowman’s Best apart from the main Bowman line is its designs. Rather than standard photo backgrounds, here it’s much more abstract and bright.
But this is a chromium Bowman product so there are plenty of parallels. Basic Refractors are one per pack. Additional colors include:
• Atomic Refractors – 1:12 packs • Purple Refractors – /250
• Aqua Lava Refractors – /199
• Blue Refractors – /150
• Green Refractors – /99
• Gold Lava Refractors – /75
• Gold Refractors – /50
• Orange Refractors – /25
• Red Refractors – /10
• Red Lava Refractors – /5 • Superfractors – 1/1
The three types of Lava Refractors are making their Bowman’s Best debut.
AUTOGRAPHS
2021 Bowman’s Best Baseball hobby boxes are packaged as two six-pack mini boxes. In each mini box is two autographs (four total per master hobby box).
Best of 2021 Autographs lead the signatures in 2021 Bowman’s Best Baseball. Historically, this is one of the few places where collectors will find ink from current players and prospects on the same specific part of a checklist.
The design is different from the base set, but it still has a comparable rainbow: • Refractors
• Blue Refractors – /150
• Green Refractors – /99
• Gold Lava Refractors – /75
• Gold Refractors – /50
• Atomic Refractors – /25
• Red Refractors – /10
• Red Lava Refractors – /5
• Printing Plates – 1/1
• Superfractors – 1/1
Dual Autographs (/25) have a pair of signers. Atomic Refractors (/10) and Superfractors (1/1) are the lone parallels here.
INSERTS
Inserts keep with the theme of bold designs. Bowman Future Vibrance is the most common at 1:3 packs. These combine colors, lines and a celestial backdrop to further showcase promising prospects. Atomic Refractor, Lava Refractor (/50) and Superfractor (1/1) versions are available. Select cards also have autographs that have their own Lava Refractors (/50), Atomic Refractors (/25) and Superfractors (1/1).
Heat Wave Die-Cuts (1:6 packs) have the look of something melted. Atomic Refractors, Lava Refractors (/50) and Superfractors (1/1) are also available here. So are autographs, which come numbered and bring additional Lava Refractors (/50), Atomic Refractors (/25) and Superfractors (1/1).
Rookie Craftsmanship (1:8 packs) takes a puzzle theme with first-year players. Atomic Refractors, Lava Refractors (/50) and Superfractors (1/1) make up the basic parallels. Autographs come numbered to 99 and have Superfractors (1/1) as well.
Finally, there’s Bowman Masterpieces (1:18 packs), which take a page from ’60s pop art. Atomic Refractors aren’t numbered but they’re tough pulls at every other case. Lava Refractors (/50) and Superfractors (1/1) are also on the checklist. For certain cards, there are also Autographs (/99) and Autograph Superfractors (1/1).