Now Available: 2022 Bowman Draft, Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Platinum

Topps has been burning a hole in the wallets of collectors throughout the hobby since the beginning of October with so many new releases, and they didn’t let the holidays stop them. In the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the hobby saw the releases of Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Platinum, and Bowman Draft.

Topps Heritage Minors is what it sounds like…a minor league version of Topps Heritage. Released using the same 1973 Topps card design, Topps Heritage Minors is a 220-card that includes Prospect Stars at each position and League Leaders. The final 20 cards in the set are short prints and the base set also comes with five different serial numbered parallels for the first 200 cards in the set, image variations, and autographs.

Topps chose the basic Mets top prospects to include in the base set and there are no Mets short prints or autographs. The lack of signed cards from any of the Mets prospects included in the set seems a bit shortsighted. I was able to track down some reasonable listings on eBay to piece together the team set, but it took some time.

The Bowman Platinum release seems to be released quietly every year. It’s a simple 100-card set of veterans and rookies plus another 100-card Top Prospects set. Bowman Platinum is much different from every other Bowman release as it super imposes the player over a futuristic background. I’ve been able to find reasonable listings for all of the base set cards and the Top Prospects on eBay.

Included in the Bowman Platinum release is Topps’ continued infatuation of have a dozen different parallel sets, autographs, memorabilia cards, and several insert sets. Collectors will be extremely thrilled with the high volume of autographs included in the Bowman Platinum from their top prospects and other current and former stars.

Released just days before Christmas, Bowman Draft is always one of the hobby’s most sought after products on the release calendar. Bowman Draft is usually one of, it not the final product released by Topps every year due to Topps representatives running around the country trying to obtain signed contracts from the top players drafted in the June draft. Bowman Draft is not just recent draft picks, though. It also includes some of the game’s top prospects.

For 2022 Bowman Draft, they really outdid themselves as there are several autographed cards included in the set from Mets first round draft picks Kevin Parada and Jett Williams. Nevermind the fact that there are over a dozen different serial numbered parallels for Bowman Draft and the Chrome parallel. This set gives collectors and Mets fans alike the chance to get the first cards for both Parada and Williams.

Of course, with every release there is a downside. Parada and Williams are the only Mets draft picks to be found in the Bowman Draft base set and Simon Juan is the only Mets prospect, too. I would have loved to have seen someone like Mike Vasil make his cardboard debut, or possibly the inclusion of Alex Ramirez. I feel this was a huge missed opportunity. Finding a reasonable price for cards of Parada and Williams has proved challenging.

Below you will find a full checklist of the Mets cards included in Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Platinum, and Bowman Draft.

2022 Topps Heritage Minors

Base
5 Mark Vientos – Syracuse Mets
16 Brett Baty – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
72 Francisco Alvarez – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
76 Alex Ramirez – St. Lucie Mets
115 Ronny Mauricio – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
184 Brett Baty – Prospect Stars – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
187 Francisco Alvarez – Prospect Stars – Brooklyn Cyclones

2022 Bowman Platinum
Base
9 Francisco Lindor
32 Max Scherzer
42 Jacob deGrom
56 Starling Marte
63 Tylor Megill (rookie card)
65 Pete Alonso
72 Nick Plummer (rookie card)

Top Prospects
TOP-65 Calvin Ziegler
TOP-74 Jaylen Palmer

Minted in Merit
MM-2 Brett Baty
MM-11 Ronny Mauricio
MM-12 Francisco Alvarez

Minted in Merit Autographs
MM-2 Brett Baty
MM-11 Ronny Mauricio
MM-12 Francisco Alvarez

Platinum Pairings Patch Relics
PLPP-AB Brett Baty/Francisco Alvarez
PLPP-CD Jacob deGrom/Gerrit Cole

Platinum Pairings Patch Relics Autographs
Gerrit Cole/Jacob deGrom
Francisco Alvarez/Brett Baty

Platinum Patches
PLP-BB Brett Baty
PLP-PA Pete Alonso

Platinum Patches Autographs
Brett Baty
Pete Alonso

Platinum Pieces Autograph Relics
PPAR-BB Brett Baty
PPAR-FA Francisco Alvarez

Platinum Plating Die-Cuts
PPDC-8 Pete Alonso

Platinum Plating Die-Cuts Autographs
PPDC-8 Pete Alonso

Precious Elements
PE-20 Francisco Alvarez

Precious Elements Autographs
PE-20 Francisco Alvarez

Top Prospects Autographs
TOP-65 Calvin Ziegler
TOP-74 Jaylen Palmer

2022 Bowman Draft
Bowman Base
BD-47 Kevin Parada
BD-52 Simon Juan
BD-190 Jett Williams

Bowman Chrome
BDC-47 Kevin Parada
BDC-52 Simon Juan
BDC-190 Jett Williams

Bowman Draft Night
BDN-4 Kevin Parada

Bowman Draft Night Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
Kevin Parada

Bowman Invicta
BI-9 Kevin Parada
BI-12 Jett Williams

Bowman Invicta Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
Jett Williams

Chrome Prospect Autographs
CDA-DS D’Andre Smith

Chrome Prospect Autographs
CDA-JWS Jett Williams
CDA-KP Kevin Parada
CDA-TST Tyler Stuart

Class of 2022 Autographs (serial numbered to 250)
C22A-JW Jett Williams
C22A-KP Kevin Parada

Franchise Futures Dual Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
FFDA-PW Kevin Parada/Jett Williams

Heir Apparent
HA-9 Kevin Parada
HA-12 Jett Williams

Heir Apparent Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
Jett Williams
Kevin Parada

Image Variations
BD-47 Kevin Parada

Image Variations Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
BD-47 Kevin Parada

Mood Ring
MR-6 Jett Williams
MR-9 Kevin Parada

Mood Ring Red Autographs (serial numbered to 5)
Jett Williams
Kevin Parada

Positioned for Excellence Autographs (serial numbered to 10)
PEA-HJLNWY Jett Williams/Cole Young/Zach Neto/Termarr Johnson/Brooks Lee/Jackson Holliday