Top Padres prospect is taking the baseball card collecting hobby by storm

For San Diego Padres fans who collect sports cards, you are already aware of how crazy things can get when it comes to highly sought after Bowman cards. The product, has become the go-to source of a player's "true" rookie cards in the form of Bowman "1st" cards, which can fetch exceedingly large amounts of cash. Top Padres prospect Ethan Salas is a great example from last year's Bowman of just how much hype around a prospect can lead to crazy money getting thrown around.

However, the hype around Salas' cards seems to be getting dwarfed by what could be on the horizon. The Padres signed arguably the best international prospect this year in Leo De Vries, who has quickly become one of the hottest prospects in all of baseball. His combination of raw talent, present hitting ability, and athleticism is the recipe for a potential All-Star and many folks are already on his bandwagon.

Well, all of that chatter is about to turn very tangible as 2024 Bowman Chrome is going to be released on September 11 and De Vries' Bowman 1st cards are going to be included.

Leo De Vries is about to get his first licensed Bowman baseball cards and they are going to fetch a fortune

Without getting too in the weeds with the ins and outs of collecting, all Padres fans really need to know is that to get these cards, you are going to have to pay up. The base and base chrome cards are likely going to be approachable in terms of price, but short-printed parallels (and especially autographs of his) are going to command large sums. De Vries does have autographs in non-licensed products like Elite Extra Edition and some Leaf products, but those cards don't carry anywhere near the same premiums that Bowman 1st autos do. They're a nice option for budget-conscious collectors.

Just for some context, there are already breaks (where you buy the rights to a given player/team for a case before it is opened and where nothing is guaranteed) being pre-sold right now where, if you want only all the De Vries cards, the bidding has already reached thousands of dollars. What's crazier? Those auctions have a week-plus left before they end. Despite being just 17 years old, De Vries is already big business for retail sellers and high-end collectors.

If you are a casual collector or just a Padres fan that would like a fun De Vries card to have a keepsake, it is wise to stick to opening some retail Bowman Chrome products (such as a mega box) to try to find a chrome De Vries 1st. Either that or buy base singles which shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. However, if you are wanting his first licensed autograph or anything fancy, you are going to have to open up your wallet. Unlike the late 1980s and early 1990s, baseball card collecting at a high level is not for the faint of heart or light of bank account.

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