From rookies and prospects to parallels, inserts, autographs and more, collectors ripping packs of 2024 Bowman baseball cards will find plenty to enjoy.
As always, a look towards the future is a consistent theme throughout the checklist...
The 100-card base set is accompanied by 150 prospect cards that give a first look at many up-and-coming young players.
Eye appeal is pretty strong throughout, with new inserts like "Prospect Power-Up" and "Bowman In Bloom" upping things in the creativity and styling department.
Speaking of creativity, "Bowman A.I." capitalizes on the A.I. hype to use data and stats to predict the futures of 20 of MLB's best young players.
Overall, 2024 Bowman is as solid as ever.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
2024 Bowman #33 Shohei Ohtani
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
Since his rookie-of-the-year campaign in 2018, Shohei Ohtani has pushed things to the point where many ask if he's the greatest ever to play the game.
There have been better hitters.
There have been better pitchers.
But outside of Babe Ruth, no one has been able to dominate at both as Ohtani can.
Only time will tell where he ends up on the list of all-time greats.
He's still got many years left to go.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made headlines ahead of the 2024 season when they signed Ohtani to a jaw-dropping ten-year, $700 million contract.
And they did so knowing that his rehab from an elbow injury wouldn't even allow him to pitch in 2024.
It didn't matter.
The Dodgers wanted him in Chavez Ravine.
And they got him.
Amazingly, he was so good in 2024 that many even forgot his pitching.
The 29-year-old DH stepped up to the plate and proceeded to piece together the first 50/50 season ever.
His 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases made him a no-brainer as the unanimous MVP.
However, the ultimate prize came in watching Ohtani help the team get their second World Series title of the decade.
2024 Bowman #59 Bobby Witt Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
When the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets 4-1 to win the 2015 World Series, few would have guessed it would take nine years to see a winning record again.
But it's true.
From 2016 to 2023, the Royals were not good.
At times, they were downright awful, losing 100+ games on more than one occasion.
But after finishing with a dreadful 56-106 record in 2023, the losing stopped.
Witt and crew righted the ship in 2024, earning their first playoff appearance since winning that World Series nearly a decade earlier.
And they didn't stop there.
Witt had two massive hits to help KC sweep the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card.
Unfortunately for Royals fans, they met a Yankee brick wall in the ALDS.
Still, all of baseball witnessed Witt morph into the superstar he'd been hyped up to be.
Witt went 30/30 for the second consecutive year (32 home runs, 31 stolen bases) and topped 100 RBIs (109) and 100 runs (125) for the first time.
His 211 hits and .332 batting average were both tops in the Majors.
And to top it all off, Witt became the first Royals player since George Brett (1985) to finish runner-up for AL MVP.
2024 Bowman #7 Aaron Judge
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
Aaron Judge put up video game numbers in 2024.
Slashing .322/.458/.701, all career bests and tops in the Majors, Judge tore the cover off the ball day in and day out.
The hulking 32-year-old center field also paced the majors in homers (58), RBIs (144), walks (133), OPS (1.159) and WAR (10.8), among other categories.
His performance was one of the greatest offensive campaigns in MLB history.
Judge's bat was a key driver in the Yankees' first-place finish in the AL East at 94-68.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Judge didn't bring his bat with him in October.
In fourteen playoff games, Judge slashed just .184/.344/.408 with a gut-wrenching 20 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances.
He did come up big with three home runs.
But overall, the negatives outweighed the positives.
For Judge's sake, hopefully, he gets more chances to redeem himself in the playoffs.
He's been great for the game of baseball and, whether you like him or not, it was tough to watch him during the 2024 postseason.
Yes, the Yankees made it to the World Series.
However, it was despite their best player, not because of him.
2024 Bowman #22 Elly De La Cruz Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
It didn't take long for Elly De La Cruz to become one of the most exciting players in baseball.
With blazing speed and a youthful flair for the game, De La Cruz has been a much-needed spark for the Cincinnati Reds.
But even though he's been a net positive, Elly's game has come with a cost.
His lack of discipline at the plate has often cost the Reds more run-scoring opportunities.
In 427 plate appearances in 2023, De La Cruz struck out 144 times, or roughly 34% of the time.
His OBP cratered to .300 as a result.
In 2024, his strikeout percentage remained a problem, shrinking to only 31%.
He darn near set the single-season MLB record with an MLB-worst 218 strikeouts.
The good news is that when De La Cruz does get on base, he's a nightmare for opposing teams, as shown by his MLB-best 67 stolen bases and 105 runs scored in 2024.
If he can increase his discipline at the plate, he may turn those down-ballot MVP votes into an award.
2024 Bowman #36 Yoshinobu Yamamoto Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's reputation preceded him to the Majors.
Five NPB All-Star appearances.
Three Japanese Triple Crowns and three Pacific League MVPs.
A 2022 Japan Series championship and two no-hitters.
That's not even half of what Yamamoto accomplished in his seven years of Japanese professional baseball.
So, when the Dodgers signed him on a blockbuster 12-year, $325 million deal before the 2024 season, the bar was understandably high for his first year in the trademark blue.
The results, however, were more mixed. Yamamoto suffered a shoulder injury in June and pitched just 90 innings during the regular season.
His 3.00 ERA was great, but many eyebrows remained raised over his October potential.
Fear not, Dodgers fans.
After three abbreviated starts to open the postseason, Yamamoto made #4 count, tossing 6.1 innings of one-run, one-hit ball in a Game 2 World Series win over the Yankees.
"Yamamoto, he was made from these moments," teammate Teoscar Hernandez said. "He was doing it in Japan before he got here."
2024 Bowman #49 Gunnar Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
Expectations were sky-high for Gunnar Henderson entering his sophomore campaign.
Coming off a brilliant 2023 season that saw him take AL Rookie of the Year honors, Orioles fans couldn't wait to see what he had in store for an encore.
And he didn't disappoint.
Henderson put any fears of a sophomore slump at ease by slashing .281/.364/.529 while adding 37 home runs, 92 RBIs, 118 runs scored and 21 stolen bases.
A fourth-place finish in the MVP race solidified his place as one of MLB's best young players.
In a world where Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and Juan Soto didn't have incredible campaigns of their own, Henderson would have been an easy MVP winner.
But more importantly, the Orioles were in the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Unfortunately, despite the 23-year-old shortstop's stellar play, the Orioles fell at home to the upstart Kansas City Royals in a two-and-out Wild Card Series sweep.
Still, Henderson's first two Big League seasons have put him on a trajectory to finish among the greatest players in Baltimore Orioles history.
2024 Bowman #17 Jasson Dominguez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
Since signing with the New York Yankees in 2019, Jasson Dominguez has been one of baseball's most highly-touted young talents.
Like many teams, the Yankees marveled at his five-tool abilities.
As a display of confidence, New York allocated $5.1 million of their $5.4 million budget for international signings for Dominguez to put pen to paper and sign with the club.
Since then, it's been a bumpy ride.
Nicknamed "The Martian," Dominguez began working through the Yankees minor-league system and became ready for his call-up to the Majors in 2023.
His Yankee debut on September 1, 2023, started with a bang.
Literally.
Facing none other than Jason Verlander on the road in Houston, Dominguez took the second pitch he ever saw over the left field wall.
Yankees fans went nuts.
The baseball world went nuts.
The hype surrounding Dominguez was instantly justified.
And then, injuries cut his 2023 season short and sidelined him for most of 2024.
As the Yankees projected starting left fielder for 2025, Dominguez has nowhere to go but upwards and onwards.
2024 Bowman #19 Mike Trout
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
Whether you are a fan of his or not, the past several years of Mike Trout's career have been hard to watch.
When he's on the field, Trout is as incredible as ever.
His love for the game is genuine.
And few players are as exciting to watch as the former perennial MVP candidate.
Unfortunately, outside of the 2022 season, Trout just hasn't been able to stay healthy since winning his third MVP in 2019.
Things looked promising at the beginning of the 2024 campaign.
Trout started on an absolute tear during the first several weeks, hitting a home run in just under every eleven at-bats to lead the Majors with ten dingers.
Yet, once again, the injury bug came roaring back.
On April 29, 2024, during a homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies, Trout tore the meniscus in his left knee.
And then he ruptured it once again during rehab in August.
We'll see how the future turns out, but as of now, Trout's career is causing flashbacks of Ken Griffey Jr.'s similar string of frustrating injuries that robbed the legend of some of his best prime years.
2024 Bowman #31 Colton Cowser Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
In 2024, Colton Cowser became the latest in a crop of incredibly talented young Baltimore Orioles to compete for AL Rookie of the Year honors.
Gunnar Henderson ran away with the award in 2023 and Adley Rutschman finished runner-up in 2022.
Needless to say, the Orioles are doing something right when it comes to developing talent.
And the future looks bright in Baltimore.
Cowser's mix of offensive and defensive skills was a big part of the Orioles' second-place finish in the AL East.
A Gold Glove finalist in the outfield, Cowser also showed plenty of pop with the bat.
In 153 games and 499 at-bats, Cowser slashed .242/.321/.447 while placing first among AL rookies in runs scored (77), first in fWAR (4.0), third in doubles (24), third in RBIs (69), and third in OPS (.768).
And no American League rookie came close to matching his 24 home runs.
Having so much young talent on their roster is a luxury for Baltimore.
But, the clock is ticking.
After being swept by the Texas Rangers in the 2023 ALDS and swept again by the Kansas City Royals in the 2024 AL Wild Card, the postseason hasn't been so kind to Baltimore just yet.
2024 Bowman #32 Ronald Acuña Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
During the 2023 season, Ronald Acuña Jr. had some questioning if he was even from this planet.
The Atlanta Braves superstar was seemingly good for a home run, stolen base, or both on any given day.
I remember how big of a deal it was when Jose Canseco became the first member of the 40/40 club when he hit 42 home runs and stole 40 bases in 1988.
As a kid, I even had a poster on my wall that commemorated that moment.
Then, Barry Bonds matched him in 1996, with Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano joining the club in 1998 and 2006, respectively.
But then it was quiet until Acuña decided to create his own club in 2023: the 40/70 club.
In one of the best seasons by any player in MLB history, Acuña blended power and speed by posting a stat line that included 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases.
Unfortunately, there would be no encore in 2024.
A torn ACL, the second in his short career, limited him to 49 games.
2024 Bowman #37 Bryce Harper
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
Few players can match the passion and drive that Bryce Harper has for the game of baseball.
Since being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019, Harper has become the heart and soul of the team.
And in 2024, Philly fans had the luxury of seeing their beloved superstar healthy for the first time since winning his second MVP in 2021.
Injuries and Tommy John surgery forced Harper to miss nearly 100 regular-season games during that timespan.
It was clear that he needed to make a change from being a full-time outfielder to reduce further risk.
Sometimes, a player as passionate as Harper can let his drive and determination get the best of him, being too stubborn to change.
But Harper put the team first and moved to first.
By no means was he a Gold Glover at first base.
But he was good enough.
It was more critical that Philadelphia had his bat in the lineup as much as possible.
The transition paid off.
Harper stayed healthy and received down-ballot MVP votes, slashing .283/.373/.525 with 30 home runs and 87 RBIs to lead Philly to an NL East crown.
2024 Bowman #40 Mookie Betts
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
If there's anything that Mookie Betts has shown us over the years, it's that he's one of the most versatile superstars in the game.
No, he can't hit and pitch like his teammate, Shohei Ohtani.
But Mookie can play at a high level as both an outfielder and infielder.
As an outfielder, Betts has racked up six Gold Gloves between his time in Boston and Los Angeles.
However, in recent years, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has slowly transitioned Betts to address the team's needs in the infield.
Betts looked like a lock to be the Dodgers' starting second baseman ahead of the 2024 season.
Instead, Gavin Lux struggled to keep up in the spring, and Betts was suddenly thrust over to shortstop.
Lux eventually settled at second, and Betts split time at short and right field.
The bottom line is that wherever the Dodgers needed Betts, he was there.
Named a Silver Slugger for the sixth time in seven years, Betts brought his bat with him in October, hitting .290 with four homers, 16 RBIs, and 14 runs scored in the Dodgers' 16-game championship run.
2024 Bowman #77 Adley Rutshcman
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
For Adley Rutschman, the 2024 MLB season was a tale of two halves.
Rutschman played All-Star-caliber baseball during the first half, earning his second trip to the Midsummer Classic in as many years.
Slashing .276/.339/.441 with 16 home runs, 59 RBIs through and 47 runs scored in the first half, Rutschman helped lead Baltimore to a blistering start.
But he was a much different player in the second half.
Injury wasn't to blame.
Maybe it was the wear and tear of being an MLB catcher.
Visibly worn down, Rutschman slumped and slumped hard.
His OPS dropped nearly 200 points from .780 in the first half to .585 in the second half.
Altogether, Rutschman slashed .207/.282/.303 with 3 home runs and 20 RBIs in 234 plate appearances in the second half.
Something was very wrong.
Some Orioles fans were so spooked that they openly wondered if the team made the wrong choice with the first pick of the 2019 Draft as they watched Bobby Witt Jr.'s ascent in Kansas City.
As their catcher faded, so did the Orioles.
Baltimore ultimately fell in a two-game Wild Card Series loss to Kansas City, with Rutschman going 1-for-8 in the home debacle.
2024 Bowman #87 Austin Wells Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $15
2024 Bowman #78 Juan Soto
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $15
During his six seasons between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres, Juan Soto emerged as one of the biggest stars in MLB.
And no one was shocked when he parlayed all that production into an eye-popping one-year, $31 million contract with the New York Yankees.
The Yankees banked on Soto being the last piece to help them return to the World Series since winning it in 2009.
It turns out they were right.
Together with Aaron Judge, they created one of the best 1-2 punches in recent memory.
Judge played out of his mind, winning his second MVP.
Soto wasn't too shabby, either.
His .989 OPS, 41 home runs, 109 RBIs and AL-best 128 runs scored earned him a third-place finish in the MVP race.
And unlike Judge, Soto stayed red hot in the playoffs.
During New York's 14-game AL pennant run, Soto hit a solid .327 with a 1.101 OPS and 12 runs scored.
With that performance, many assumed Soto would remain with the Yankees for the long term.
Ultimately, he did decide to stay in New York.
But he shocked the world when he signed a 15-year, $765 million contract to wear a Mets uniform instead.
2024 Bowman Baseball Cards In Review
Year in and year out, the Bowman brand helps give collectors a look toward up-and-coming rookies and prospects.
Yes, there are plenty of big-name veterans and superstars, but most hobbyists look to this product to land first-look cards of the younger and unproven players.
I think this set does a great job of balancing design and content.
The look and feel is solid.
The parallels, refractors, inserts, and autographs do a fantastic job of building the chase factor into these cards.
Rookie cards of Elly De La Cruz, Jasson Dominguez, Colton Cowser and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are among the biggest draws.
And time will tell if some of the prospects in the checklist emerge as eventual superstars.
Overall, this set delivers a quality and balanced experience for the casual and dedicated hobbyist alike.