{"id":520495,"date":"2026-01-14T21:01:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/520495\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T21:01:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:01:10","slug":"10-prospects-to-target-in-2025-bowman-draft-based-on-keith-laws-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/520495\/","title":{"rendered":"10 prospects to target in 2025 Bowman Draft based on Keith Law\u2019s rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the first cards for can\u2019t misses like Paul Skenes<\/a> to the pleasant all-time surprises like Aaron Judge<\/a>, nothing signals the lead-up to a new MLB season for baseball card collectors like Bowman Draft release day. With the 2025 edition<\/a> hitting shelves Wednesday, it brings one of the hobby\u2019s ultimate games of chance: collecting MLB prospects.<\/p>\n

One of the most desirable cards for Major Leaguers is their 1st Bowman autographed card. Not every top prospect lands on a Bowman Draft checklist, but that\u2019s where a heavy majority of them make their first card appearance in an MLB uniform.<\/p>\n

But this set is different from any other sport because collectors chase players who\u2019ve never played in an MLB game, and may never play in one. That doesn\u2019t happen with NFL or NBA cards since those players\u2019 first professional cards are their actual rookie cards.<\/p>\n

This makes collecting players within Bowman Draft such a shot in the dark. Take, for example, last year\u2019s class. Kansas City Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone and Cleveland Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana served as box coverboys for the 2024 set<\/a> and were lauded as the top two players to chase starting release day.<\/p>\n

How well did that hold up for those two players? Not as well as collectors might have hoped \u2014 even though Caglianone\u2019s cards briefly reached Skenes status<\/a> last summer.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at some of the biggest price decreases for the players\u2019 1st Bowman base autographed card with a Gem Mint PSA 10 grade, via Market Movers \u2014 an online card sales database. It includes major prospect names like Bazzana, Caglianone, Cam Smith and Christian Moore:<\/p>\n

PlayerStarting priceLast salePrice change%<\/p>\n

Braylon Payne<\/p>\n

$167.00<\/p>\n

$53.00<\/p>\n

-68.2<\/p>\n

Christian Moore<\/p>\n

$280.00<\/p>\n

$100.00<\/p>\n

-64.3<\/p>\n

Travis Bazzana<\/p>\n

$438.00<\/p>\n

$257.00<\/p>\n

-41.3<\/p>\n

Seaver King<\/p>\n

$110.00<\/p>\n

$67.10<\/p>\n

-39<\/p>\n

Cam Smith<\/p>\n

$155.00<\/p>\n

$99.00<\/p>\n

-36.1<\/p>\n

Jac Caglianone<\/p>\n

$490.00<\/p>\n

$354.00<\/p>\n

-27.8<\/p>\n

And then there are the players whose cards have shot up in value, including the likes of Nick Kurtz<\/a> and Konnor Griffin<\/a>:<\/p>\n

PlayerStarting priceLast salePrice change%<\/p>\n

Trey Yesavage<\/p>\n

$85.00<\/p>\n

$510.00<\/p>\n

500<\/p>\n

Payton Tolle<\/p>\n

$55.00<\/p>\n

$284.00<\/p>\n

417<\/p>\n

Ryan Sloan<\/p>\n

$31.77<\/p>\n

$162.00<\/p>\n

410<\/p>\n

Nick Kurtz<\/p>\n

$180.00<\/p>\n

$915.00<\/p>\n

408<\/p>\n

Konnor Griffin<\/p>\n

$191.00<\/p>\n

$820.00<\/p>\n

330<\/p>\n

Caleb Bonemer<\/p>\n

$45.00<\/p>\n

$160.00<\/p>\n

256<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Bowman Draft set will include eight of the top 10 picks from the 2025 MLB Draft, along with 20 of the top 26 selections.<\/p>\n

The most recognizable name from the class won\u2019t reside within the latest Bowman Draft set, though, with No. 4 pick Ethan Holliday<\/a> absent from the checklist<\/a>. It\u2019s fair to expect the Colorado Rockies\u2019 shortstop prospect to be the centerpiece of the 2026 Bowman flagship release later this year, however. Seventh pick Aiva Arquette joins Holliday on the bench with the Miami Marlins\u2019 shortstop as the only other top 10 player not in this Bowman Draft set.<\/p>\n

So which prospects should collectors target in 2025 Bowman Draft? Below are 10 to watch, with heavy guidance from The Athletic\u2019s expert on the matter, Keith Law, who\u2019s updated top 100 prospects will be out soon.<\/p>\n

1. Liam Doyle, pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fifth pick in the draft ranked No. 23 in Law\u2019s mid-summer prospect rankings<\/a>, only three spots behind Holliday, who was the top 2025 draft pick in the mid-summer rankings.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoyle was the top pitcher on my pre-draft board, as he had the draft\u2019s most unhittable fastball, up to 100 with life up in the zone that hitters struggled to pick up out of his hand,\u201d Law wrote. \u201cHe has No. 2 starter upside and, at worst, looks like he\u2019d be an animal out of the pen.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Kade Anderson, pitcher, Seattle Mariners\u00a0<\/p>\n

Anderson, the third pick in the draft, sat one slot below Doyle in the mid-summer rankings at No. 24. One of the two Bowman Draft box coverboys, along with the Washington Nationals\u2019 Eli Willits (more on him shortly), Anderson is coming off a National Championship season with LSU in which he was named College World Series Most Outstanding Player (like another former LSU pitcher: Paul Skenes).<\/p>\n

\u201cHis pitches grade out extremely well \u2026 he\u2019s a tremendous competitor who led Division I in strikeouts and doesn\u2019t give in to hitters at all,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n

Hmm sounds familiar. But don\u2019t take those comparisons too far<\/a>, according to Law.<\/p>\n

3. Ike Irish, outfielder\/catcher, Baltimore Orioles\u00a0<\/p>\n

Selected 19th in the draft, Irish may be a steal for the Orioles. He ranked fifth on Law\u2019s predraft board and No. 41 in his mid-summer rankings.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was one of the best pure hitters in the class regardless of position,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n

Plus with a name like \u201cIke Irish\u201d it\u2019s easy to see him becoming a hobby favorite if he shows just the slightest signs of future success.<\/p>\n

4. Jamie Arnold, pitcher, Athletics\u00a0<\/p>\n

Add another one to the As\u2019 hobby pipeline like Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson? Maybe. Law said the 11th pick might not be too far from the Majors. The pitcher ranked No. 43 on the mid-summer prospect list, but expectations should be measured.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere may not be huge upside here given where his stuff sat this spring, but he\u2019s as close to big-league ready as any pitcher in this draft class,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n

5. Gavin Kilen, shortstop, San Francisco Giants<\/p>\n

Law\u2019s second-best hitter entering the 2025 draft ended up going No. 13 to the Giants. The shortstop then came in at No. 45 on the mid-summer list.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if he\u2019s more of a 12-15 homer guy \u2014 and I think he\u2019s better than that \u2014 he has such a strong feel to hit that he should be at least an above-average regular at second base,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n

6. Eli Willits, shortstop, Washington Nationals\u00a0<\/p>\n

This goes to show it\u2019s no guarantee the No. 1 pick, who joins Anderson in the Bowman Draft box image, should be the No. 1 chase. The shortstop ranked No. 48 in the mid-summer rankings, only one slot lower than former Bowman Draft darling Travis Bazzana. Law wrote Willits projects to be more of a doubles and triples hitter rather than homers in his best years.<\/p>\n

FIRST LOOK: Gold Ink Autographs limited to 15 copies in existence will appear in 2025 Bowman Draft. pic.twitter.com\/KQdPtBVpsz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Topps (@Topps) January 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Kyson Witherspoon, pitcher, Boston Red Sox<\/p>\n

The 15th pick slotted as Law\u2019s top right-handed pitcher in the 2025 draft class. Ranking No. 54 on the mid-summer list, Witherspoon could be \u201cat least a mid-rotation starter here, and his athleticism and easy velocity point to the potential for even more,\u201d according to Law.<\/p>\n

8. JoJo Parker, shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays<\/p>\n

Law\u2019s description of the No. 8 pick certainly sounds like someone card collectors should watch:<\/p>\n

\u201cParker (No. 55 mid-summer) offered one of the best pure hit tools in the high school class, as he controls the zone well, has bat speed, and rarely misses, with the strength to hit for average or better power if he stops drifting out over his front side through contact.\u201d<\/p>\n

9. Seth Hernandez, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates<\/p>\n

The sixth pick was considered the best high school pitcher in this class and one of the best in the past five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s at least No. 2 starter upside here, but the risk of any high school arm is that they get hurt or don\u2019t have the command and control to get to the majors,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n

10. Tyler Bremner, pitcher, Los Angeles Angels<\/p>\n

The Angels\u2019 selection of Bremner at No. 2 stood as the surprise of the 2025 draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cBremner came into the spring as a potential top-five pick, but his stuff wavered and his results weren\u2019t great \u2026 There might be a mid-rotation starter here with some delivery help, and maybe the addition of a two-seamer,\u201d Law wrote.<\/p>\n

Wild card entry not on Law\u2019s list: Dan Marino, shortstop\/pitcher, Kansas City Royals<\/p>\n

Similar to the past couple editions with Tom Brady and John Elway<\/a>, this year\u2019s Bowman Draft curveball card chase will be the Hall of Fame Miami Dolphins quarterback. The Kansas City Royals selected Marino<\/a> in the fourth round of the 1979 draft as a high school two-way prospect in the fourth round. Could he have beaten Bo Jackson to two-sport stardom? Topps imagines a world in which he did\u2026<\/p>\n

The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.<\/p>\n