Platinum Status

 

A reasonably priced blaster? In 2021? 

 

I had a decent day at the monthly card show last Saturday once I got over the fact that 95% of the tables are not for me. So many people involved in this business have tables full of marked up retail products and ten cent cards in dollar boxes. I spent most of my time at the show in dime boxes at a couple of tables, and even found a blaster that wasn't marked up at all on my way out the door.

Bowman Platinum is never my favorite product, as the foilboard heavy product always tends to veer towards tackiness rather than something special. I do think Walmart usually comes up short in their retail exclusives versus the other big box chain.

This design isn't terrible, but I'm not sure I'll remember it in a few years. Dylan Carlson's RC is one of four Cardinals on the base checklist, which checks in at 100 cards. There's also the expected Prospects cards, where the Cardinals only have one participant.

I also pulled a "foil ice" parallel of the third place finisher in the NL ROY award. I surely can't complain about that.

I also ended up with both versions of the George Springer card, but no other cards for my collection.

I'm not sure how "Renowned" this catcher who played 10 games for the Rangers in 2020 is, but he's still rookie eligible in 2022.

I think this is supposed to be an insert design called Periodic Elements, but the gimmick is ruined a bit by the player obscuring part of the design. Also, it's weird to see his name printed as R.Hassell on the card (his first name is Robert.)

Here's what the Prospects design looks like (in foil ice form.)

Jake Cronenworth was one of the better players who had RCs in 2021 products.

Here's another one of the foil ice Prospects cards. This reminds me that I still have a boxed up bunch of Nationals cards with no address to send them to, because the person who claimed them claimed to be a fan of Cade Cavalli.

Brailyn Marquez is apparently one of the Cubs better prospects, but he didn't pitch at all in 2021. I'm guessing there was some sort of injury at play.

The best card of the box was objectively this Ronald Acuña Jr. card, which is numbered to just 99. This one heads to my trade box.

Bowman Bonanza

George approves! 

Another spring season means another Bowman set hits the shelves. While I can barely tell the difference between this design and last year's, I had a much more positive initial experience with these cards than I did last year around this time. Was it because of the cards I was lucky enough to pull? Probably! At the City Target, I picked up five loose packs (from a box that actually appeared to be untouched), plus a jumbo rack pack and a 3-pack (plus bonus!) from the rack.

Ohtani ended up being the very first 2018 Bowman card I laid my eyes on, sitting on the very top of my first pack. I was initially very skeptical of him from the get go, but now it seems like his greatest obstacle might be staying healthy... well, until batters and pitchers start figuring him out, of course.

Alcantara was a Cards prospect that was lost in the Marcell Ozuna trade this past offseason. Here he is Photoshopped into his new uniform. Alcantara didn't make the Marlins out of spring training, so he still has some work to do after his cup of coffee with St. Louis last year.

Here's one of the Cardinals I pulled. With Grichuk and Piscotty gone, the path has been somewhat cleared for Bader to stick as a fourth outfielder.

#silly. Look at all of those ones and zeros.

Delvin Perez isn't someone I know a lot about, but I know that he returns from past Bowman sets.

A staple of past Bowman sets, the Scouts' Top 100 is back as an excuse to make more cards of the better prospects.

I first heard of Brent Honeywell in a feature on MLB Network. A few days later, he was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery.

This is certainly more promising than the other kind of pipeline that occasionally floods the dugouts in Oakland.

At 6'3", Riley Pint is not small for a baseball player. It's probably good that he isn't a basketball player, though. Just think of all of the name-related comments!

Tommy John surgery is #trending apparently.

This is a rare non-prospect Bowman insert. I don't know what is so special about Kyle Schwarber's birthday, though. Birthdays are a fairly common thing to have.

The three-pack special comes with three extra "camo" prospect parallels. These aren't great, but are at least an improvement over the boring yellow of previous years.

Tyler O'Neill came over from the Mariners in a midseason deal last year and has already squeezed in some at-bats with the big club this year. I don't expect him to make much of a contribution, yet, but he's an intriguing player with a lot of (so far minor league) power. (I also pulled the Chrome version of this.)

Hey look! Trea Turner has a birthday, too!

In yet another insert design, here's a Dodgers guy because there's always Dodgers guys in my packs. Stupid West Coast bias.

Vlad Jr. is #1... really? I guess he is super young and the rankings probably don't have a lot to do with how close someone is to contributing to a MLB club.

This #trending card makes it a pair of Lil' Vlad inserts.

I have to admit was pretty shocked to get this numbered Acuña card. I've heard that he's good! Usually, my (admittedly few) Bowman serial numbered cards are of light hitting middle infielders that are barely a blip on anyone's radar.

There was even an autograph in this whole bunch of cards. It looks like Santana gave up part way through signing his sticker. I mean, there were probably hundreds more of these things left to sign after all.