Last year, I was penning the Bowman Draft preview before Thanksgiving, and this year we’re running up against Christmas for the preorder, which officially begins at 12 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 22. Needless to say, the always-anticipated release is a little late this year (as most Topps brands have been) and won’t be popping up under the tree this holiday season.

Bowman Draft remains as popular as ever, and Fanatics has some new tricks up its sleeve for the latest rendition likely releasing in mid January, including a new buying format that should significantly expand access to what is historically one of the highest-priced Bowman products.

Typically, there is a single player who will drive Bowman Draft. The beauty of it is that, at the time of release, it’s anybody’s guess who that’s going to be. Last year at this time, everyone was hitching their wagons to Travis Bazzana and Jac Caglianone. Right now, the drivers of the $1,000-plus sealed box sales on secondary markets are Konnor Griffin and Nick Kurtz. With prospects, anything can happen, and hopefully we can drop some nuggets to keep you ahead of the curve.

Who are the names to know in the checklist? Who am I hunting? Let’s dive in.

Most Famous Names In The Set

The set has 30 out of 40 players selected in the first rounds of the draft, which is about on par with last year. All 30 have base, chrome and autograph variations of their Bowman First card. While the volume is similar, the makeup of that volume is quite different, as we have a pitcher-heavy slant at the top of the draft. Last year, we had 10 position players in Bowman Draft that were selected in the top 15 picks, and this year we only have six.

Notable omissions from this set include Ethan Holliday (Rockies, No.4) and Aiva Arquette (Marlins, No. 7). More on that in a bit.

First, here are the 10 highest 2025 Draft picks in the set:

Eli Willits (Nationals, No. 1 pick and Baseball America’s No. 28 overall prospect)

Tyler Bremner (Angels, No. 2 pick and BA’s No. 73)

Kade Anderson (Mariners, No. 3 pick and BA’s No. 29)

Liam Doyle (Cardinals, No. 5 pick and BA’s No. 63)

Seth Hernandez (Pirates, No. 6 pick and BA’s No. 26)

JoJo Parker (Blue Jays, No. 8 pick)

Steele Hall (Reds, No. 9 pick)

Billy Carlson (White Sox, No. 10 pick and BA’s No. 75)

Jamie Arnold (Athletics, No. 11 pick and BA’s No. 59)

Gavin Fien (Rangers, No. 12 pick)

Inserts To Target: In Action Returns, Crystalized Debuts, Dream Draft Pick Teased & More

Bowman Draft mixes returning insert sets with a splash of new. Bowman In Action was met with mixed reviews following its debut in 2024 Bowman Draft, but it’s back for another round with this year’s crop of draft talent. The die-cut insert features an action figure-type design complete with stocking shelf hang tag. It returns along with autographed variations for about half of the players on the base variation checklist.

The Crystalized insert set that debuted with 2025 Bowman gets its first taste of Bowman Draft with a 15-card checklist including four of the top five picks in this draft class. Crystalized features each player in front of a unique geode backdrop. This will be one of the more eye-catching inserts for sure. Here’s a look at JoJo Parker’s 2025 Crystalized card:

We have two announced Retrofractors: Sadaharu Oh and Lou Brock. Oh will be the headliner here. For those unfamiliar, Oh played 22 years for the Yomiuri Giants in the Nippon Professional Baseball League, where he hit 868 home runs while maintaining a .301 batting average. The market for Japanese baseball players has never been hotter, and the inclusion of the 85-year-old legend in this set won’t go unnoticed. His autographed variation will be one of the most sought-after cards in the entire product, thanks in part to the extremely limited availability of his signature in the marketplace.

In the product listing, Topps has confirmed the return of the wildly popular Dream Draft Pick card “that imagines a legendary athlete, originally drafted by an MLB team, in an alternate baseball timeline.” While the 2025 version has yet to be announced, in 2023 we got Tom Brady and in 2024 we got John Elway.

For fans of the ballpark snack refractor versions the super-rare 2024 Bowman Draft Variety Packs, yes, they are returning, as well. There will be gum balls, sunflower seed and popcorn variations of your favorite players occasionally sitting on top of the expected stack of packs in the hobby box distribution.

The ultra-rare Ping Pong ball inserts featuring balls used in the draft lottery are also returning for 2025.

Etched in Glass and many other variations of the base set can be found in the checklist. Other insert sets to be on the lookout for include newcomers like Axis and Prized Prospects, as well as familiar sets like Draft Night, Spotlights and Final Draft.

Bowman Draft Mega Boxes will bring Laser Refractors and Mega Autographs to Draft for the first time.

Who We’re Hunting

Steele Hall, SS, Reds

The Reds took Hall, a prep shortstop out of Alabama, with the ninth-overall pick in the draft. Of the top prep players selected, he has some of the more exciting physical tools in the class, headlined by 80-grade speed. A mix of Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson, Hall has the defensive chops and makeup of Swanson and the stature and twitch of Turner. If he hits, he has as much upside as any one player in this draft class.

Dax Kilby, SS, Yankees

If there’s one place you’ll always find me fishing, it’s in the pocket between the end of true the first round and the end of round three. Kilby was the 39th-overall pick in this year’s draft, but he may have had the most impressive pro debut of any player in the class. Kilby is strong, fast and has an outstanding bat. So, why did he fall to 39? Many scouts didn’t see a long-term home at shortstop. But while that may be true, there is plenty of athleticism to suggest another premium position—center field—is very much in play.

Nick Becker, SS, Mariners

Becker went 57th overall to the Mariners. This is a long and athletic shortstop prospect who is maybe flying under the radar a little bit given he didn’t go earlier, but he’s worth dialing in on. He’s the brother of Virginia shortstop and No. 11 overall prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft, Eric Becker. And like his brother, it’s a pretty polished package of bat and defense. 

Kane Kepley, OF, Cubs

Kepley was selected 56th overall by the Cubs, and while the power upside is limited, he looks a true center fielder with outstanding contact skills and plate discipline. He also has premium speed to buoy the profile.

Brandon Compton, OF, Marlins

Brandon Compton was the 46th-overall pick for the Marlins, and he has about as much power as any player in the class. The tools are nitro, but there’s some boom-or-bust risk here.

Jake Cook, OF, Blue Jays

Jake Cook went 81st overall to the Blue Jays. He’s another player with limited power ceiling, but he was the fastest runner at the 2025 MLB Draft Combine and has premium plate skills. If you follow prospects, you know the Blue Jays like to quietly move hit-tool prospects up the ladder. Cook could very well be one of the next to begin climbing.

Breaker Value & Teams To Target

In determining value tiers for team breaks in 2025 Bowman Draft, I’m looking at volume (of inserts, autographs, etc.) and quality of position players in the marquee sets. Bowman First autos, all autograph sets, Etched in Glass and Crystalized are my main considerations for this set. The Sadaharu Oh Retrofractor Auto, Image Variation Autographs and Draft Lottery Ping Pong Ball Autographs are the big chases. I have teams broken into tiers with value score in brackets below.

Tier 1: Nationals [5518], Pirates [5309]

There’s much to be said here with the Nationals. They had the first-overall pick in the draft and took a prep shortstop out of Oklahoma with MLB bloodlines in Eli Willits, who can be found across every autograph checklist. While he’s no Konnor Griffin in that he’s more average-sized and the tools are more toned down, the bat is special. I think the hope here is that he follows a Kevin McGonigle-type profile with maybe a bit less thump and more defense. He’ll be plenty collectable for the foreseeable future.

Beyond Willits, second-rounder Ethan Petry provides some intrigue as a massive SEC performer with power. Two hard-throwing prep arms also grace the autograph checklists in Landon Harmon (third round) and Miguel Sime Jr. (fourth round). If the Nationals’ new front office can tap into the upside, this could be a high-yield draft crop.

I don’t think there’s a hotter name to collect right now than Konnor Griffin. While it’s not his first Bowman card, he is across a number of the autograph checklists. Additionally, the Pirates made Seth Hernandez the sixth-overall pick in 2025. And while he’s an arm, he has immediately slotted in as BA’s 26th-ranked overall prospect and is in every notable set. The Pirates have depth, as well, with Murf Gray (competitive balance round B) and Easton Carmichael (third round) also signing for this product.

Tier 2: Brewers [5054], Cardinals [4830]

The Brewers are inflated in what is a draft-focused product by the inclusions of both Jesús Made and Luis Peña on meaningful autograph checklists in Prospect Dual Autographs and Achromatic Autographs. Made also appears on others. As for actual draft picks, Brady Ebel, a prep third baseman from Corona High School in California signed for this product along with a pair of college arms in second-rounder JD Thompson and third-rounder Jacob Morrison.

The inclusion of JJ Wetherholt on autograph checklists anchors the Cardinals’ status in Tier 2. Of course, the fifth-overall pick, Liam Doyle, being on every major checklist doesn’t hurt, either. Early-round draft picks like Jack Gurevitch, Ryan Mitchell and Tanner Franklin also signed for the product, so there’s some depth here, and there’s a Lou Brock Retrofractor to chase, too.

Tier 3: Mariners [3608], Tigers [3538], Blue Jays [3470]

For the Mariners, this is the Kade Anderson (first round) and Nick Becker (second round) show. Anderson can be round across everything in this product, including the two top chase sets, Image Variation Autographs and Draft Lottery Ping Pong Ball Autographs. Beyond those two, there isn’t much to chase, but those two are pretty darn good.

The Tigers’ inclusion in Tier 3 is akin to the Brewers inclusion in Tier 2, Kevin McGonigle and Bryce Rainer autographs sit at the top of the intrigue list despite not being 2025 MLB Draft picks. Max Clark also makes appearances in a handful of non-autograph setlists across the product. As for draft picks, Jordan Yost (first round), Michael Oliveto (competitive balance round A) and Malachi Witherspoon (second round) all signed for this set.

JoJo Parker makes up 18 of 28 Blue Jays cards in 2025 Bowman Draft. Expect to find the eighth-overall pick in pretty much every major set in this product with the exception of Draft Lottery Ping Pong Ball Autographs. Parker is a prep prospect out of Mississippi who was taken for his bat, as many expect the high school shortstop to move off the position. The Jake Cook Bowman First Auto is the other notable callout here. 

Avoid: Marlins [547], Padres [144]

As we mentioned, Marlins top 2025 pick Aiva Arquette is a notable omission from this set. That leaves Brandon Compton (second round) and Max Williams (third round) to carry the load here. As mentioned above, Compton is an exciting prospect who has equal chance to boom and bust. The Marlins lack top-end intrigue and depth in this set.

The Padres have just 11 total cards in the entire 800-plus card checklist and their top name to collect in the set is their third-round pick, Ryan Wideman out of Western Kentucky, who had a less-than-stellar pro debut. It’s an easy pass on the Padres.

Top Names To Watch For 2026 Bowman

Every year, Bowman holds back a handful of high draft picks for inclusion in 2026 Bowman. Two notable omissions from 2025 Bowman Draft are Ethan Holliday and Aiva Arquette.

With the lack of prep position player talent in this class, Holliday would have been one of the headliners based on prospect prestige and last name alone. Arquette, meanwhile, is a large-bodied shortstop who has a chance to hit for power and stay at the position. The Oregon State product could move quickly and should be viewed as a key future piece for the Marlins.

Needless to say, these are a couple of really interesting names for the hobby to anticipate in the spring when 2026 Bowman drops next year.

Formats, Pricing & Where To Buy

While we won’t know for sure until the preorder begins, it’s safe to assume that 2025 Bowman Draft will return with a Hobby and Jumbo format. Topps has already announced the Mega Format will make its debut with Bowman Draft, and it’s nice that Topps is presenting a more affordable (at least out of the gate) entry point for collectors who want to get in on Bowman Draft. If past circulation of Mega Boxes is an indicator, this new format should be available at big box retailers like Walmart and Target.

Last year, hobby boxes had 12 packs per box with 32 cards per pack, including three guaranteed autos. The Topps site listed them on release day for $520. 

Last year’s jumbo boxes were a whopper. The boxes featured just five packs per box, but each came with 120 cards for 600 cards total. Each jumbo box guaranteed five autographs and likely netted the entire 200-card base checklist multiple times over. Last year’s Topps release day price for a jumbo box was $740.

Again, this is the first year that Topps will offer Mega Boxes for the Bowman Draft format, which will likely feature 30-40 cards with a whittled-down checklist and a handful of exclusive refractors and chase cards and no guaranteed autographs. Most recent Topps Mega Boxes have been in the $50-$100 price range.

The 2025 Bowman Draft presale begins on the Topps website at 12 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 22, at which point we will have more information on formats, pricing and the eventual release date.