2025 Bowman Baseball: Charlie Condon and other prospect and rookie redemption cards to target
Baseball card collectors typically run far away from anything having to do with the Colorado Rockies. But with Wednesday's release of 2025 Bowman Baseball, one of the most anticipated sets of the year for prospect collectors, the National League West basement dwellers might possess the biggest chase cards out there.
Topps even felt brave enough to place Charlie Condon, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, as one of the two box coverboys, along with Washington Nationals budding star James Wood.
Condon should be among the most sought after prospects in this Bowman set, making the Rockies one of the highest-priced teams for those collectors hopping into pick-your-team box breaks for this product. The Rockies outfield prospect was ranked as the No. 1 player by The Athletic's Keith Law leading into last year's draft. Condon ranked 34th among Law's top 100 prospects entering the 2025 season.
FIRST LOOK: Charlie Condon's first professional autograph cards arrive in 2025 Bowman Baseball.
Pre-order tomorrow at 12 PM EST ⏰ pic.twitter.com/0LBwxzeMf3
— Topps (@Topps) April 8, 2025
Two other prospects ranked higher than Condon in Law's preseason top 100 list will also have their coveted 'Bowman 1st' cards (a first licensed pro card which can be more valuable than a player's actual MLB rookie card) in this set: Detroit Tigers second baseman Kevin McGonigle (No. 23) and St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (No. 32). Only Wetherholt has been active all season among the top three players, with Condon and McGonigle missing time with injuries.
Here's a glimpse at the players among Law's top 100 preseason prospect list with Bowman 1st cards in the newly released set:
23. Kevin McGonigle, 2B, Tigers
Law pre-2025 season analysis: 'McGonigle is probably going to have a very long career as an above-average regular who ranks among the league leaders in OBP with just average or fringy power and solid defense at second … and, if he hits what I'd arbitrarily call a 95th percentile outcome, retire with 2,500 hits.'
32. JJ Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals
Law: 'Regardless of Wetherholt's position, his swing mechanics and his approach at the plate point to high averages and a lot of doubles power, enough to make him a long-time regular who might challenge for some batting titles.'
34. Charlie Condon, OF, Rockies
Law: 'Condon is a 30-homer bat with the kind of contact quality that leads to high BABIPs and averages, and he should be a plus defender in an outfield corner — but there's more uncertainty here than there was on draft day (.180/.248/.270 in 109 minor league plate appearances).'
42. Franklin Arias, SS, Red Sox
Law: 'Arias has the upside of a plus defender at short with above-average OBPs and 20 homers a year, with the only major risk just his age (19) and the distance he has to travel to get to the majors.'
55. Quinn Mathews, P, Cardinals
Law: 'Mathews has clearly passed most of the Cardinals' other pitching prospects and is probably the best guy called up for a rotation spot in the majors if there's an injury — or if they move one of their veterans in a trade before Opening Day.'
57. Thomas White, P, Marlins
Law: 'White did a great job preparing himself for the season last winter and the Marlins might have a future ace.'
78. Jesus Made, SS, Brewers
Law: 'I very rarely put international free agents on my top 100 before they've played a game in the U.S. complex leagues, but two things worked in Made's favor this year: the minors are as thin as ever in elite prospects, and he's really *&^ing good. … Made could easily be a top 20 prospect at this time next year if the approach and the loud contact carry over to the ACL or even Low A.'
86. Slade Caldwell, OF, Diamondbacks
Law: 'Caldwell isn't the next Corbin Carroll, another undersized outfielder who the Dbacks selected and developed into a superstar, but he could move quickly through A-ball if his plate discipline is really as good as advertised.' Red Rookie Redemptions add another chase to Bowman
Roki Sasaki's Red Rookie Redemption card. (Image: Topps)
A new wrinkle to this year's set will give collectors an additional chase outside Bowman 1st autographs and popular anime insert cards.
The Bowman Red Rookie Redemption campaign debuts in 2025 Bowman, where red 'RC' logos will be stamped onto a 'limited' number of rookie refractor cards and placed in packs. If any of the 30 players with red rookie refractors win AL or NL Rookie of the Year honors, collectors can turn in the card for $100 in Fanatics FanCash, which can be used to buy cards and apparel through Topps parent company Fanatics. The redemption value jumps if collectors hold the card and the player wins MVP or Cy Young awards as well as Hall of Fame induction.
Here's a list of the 30 players with red RC logo cards (* denotes players not eligible for 2025 ROY honors):
Luisangel Acuña, SS, Mets Kevin Alcántara, OF, Cubs Adael Amador, 2B, Rockies Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals Caden Dana, P, Angels Adrian Del Castillo, C, Diamondbacks David Festa*, P, Twins Jackson Jobe, P, Tigers Jace Jung, 3B, Tigers Hyeseong Kim, 2B, Dodgers Brooks Lee*, SS, Twins Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners Rhett Lowder, P, Reds Orelvis Martinez, 2B, Blue Jays Coby Mayo, 3B, Orioles Jhonkensy Noel*, OF, Guardians Connor Norby*, 3B, Marlins Ben Rice*, 1B, Yankees Kumar Rocker, P, Rangers River Ryan, P, Dodgers Thomas Saggese, 2B, Cardinals Roki Sasaki, P, Dodgers Spencer Schwellenbach*, P, Braves Tomoyuki Sugano, P, Orioles Drew Thorpe*, P, Tigers Hurston Waldrep, P, Braves Shay Whitcomb, SS, Astros Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics James Wood*, OF, Nationals
Nick Yorke, 2B, Pirates
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
12 minutes ago
- Washington Post
McCarthy, Vikings value Jefferson's presence and leadership in offseason practices
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings urged Justin Jefferson to fully participate in their offseason program, a commitment some established NFL stars aren't willing to make each spring. The sixth-year wide receiver was already a step ahead of the coaching staff. This is a critical offseason for Jefferson and the Vikings, breaking in a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy , so he was planning to make his attendance a priority. 'It's definitely important to gain a little bit of a sight of what the new year is coming to look like, to build that connection with my teammates and especially with my quarterback,' Jefferson said after practice on Monday. 'It's definitely great to be out here early to kind of get into the feel.' These late spring practices, known in league parlance as organized team activities, are when the basic installation of the playbook begins, even though only the three-day minicamp next week is contractually mandated. It's also a prime opportunity to build that rhythm and trust between the quarterback and his receivers. 'He's a tremendous talent, tremendous leader, but his leadership really shows up when he's here,' said McCarthy, who accompanied Jefferson to a Timberwolves playoff game last month when they sat together in courtside seats. 'Just being able to get that chemistry building on and off the field has been invaluable.' Jefferson, whose 7,432 receiving yards are the most in league history through a player's first five seasons, said he doesn't concern himself with the style or tendencies of who's throwing. 'As long as the ball gets close to my face, I'm going to try to catch it,' he said. 'It doesn't matter how fast the ball is going, the spin of it or if it's coming from a lefty or a righty. My job is to catch the ball.' What's most important to Jefferson is the quarterback learning to adjust to his route-running preferences, with an exceptional stride length and side-to-side agility that helps set him apart. 'It's that timing, those reps,' McCarthy said. 'All of that has to be built up over time.' Which is why Jefferson being around all the time is so valuable. 'He's an energy igniter of the whole building, and I think he's come back with a purpose and a mindset,' coach Kevin O'Connell said. 'You hear his voice, you hear his interaction with teammates, and they just carry such a long way.' Not just for the quarterback. 'The guys in that locker room know, 'If this guy, one of the best in the world at what he does, is pushing himself in May and June, I sure as heck better be doing the same thing,'' O'Connell said. McCarthy, whose rookie season was spent entirely in the training room recovering from knee surgery, at least had some meaningful time in strategy meetings that helped him start to build the knowledge base in the offense even if he wasn't taking snaps on the field. 'I've been really surprised by some of the things that he does know. You're like, 'Man, we covered that in a 10-minute burst in Week 11 last year. How do you remember that?'' O'Connell said. 'And then there's some other things where you're like, 'Oh, I assumed he knew that.' So it's our job — baseline teaching and stacking days and layered learning so that we're constantly making him feel like he's growing but never comfortable.' Jefferson can see that too. 'He definitely has an arm, that's for sure. He can definitely zip it whenever he needs to,' he said, before recounting his advice to McCarthy at this stage of the offseason. 'Just let everything happen. Don't try to make the best play every single play.' ___ AP NFL:
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
McCarthy, Vikings value Jefferson's presence and leadership in offseason practices
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings urged Justin Jefferson to fully participate in their offseason program, a commitment some established NFL stars aren't willing to make each spring. The sixth-year wide receiver was already a step ahead of the coaching staff. This is a critical offseason for Jefferson and the Vikings, breaking in a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, so he was planning to make his attendance a priority. 'It's definitely important to gain a little bit of a sight of what the new year is coming to look like, to build that connection with my teammates and especially with my quarterback,' Jefferson said after practice on Monday. 'It's definitely great to be out here early to kind of get into the feel.' These late spring practices, known in league parlance as organized team activities, are when the basic installation of the playbook begins, even though only the three-day minicamp next week is contractually mandated. It's also a prime opportunity to build that rhythm and trust between the quarterback and his receivers. 'He's a tremendous talent, tremendous leader, but his leadership really shows up when he's here,' said McCarthy, who accompanied Jefferson to a Timberwolves playoff game last month when they sat together in courtside seats. 'Just being able to get that chemistry building on and off the field has been invaluable.' Jefferson, whose 7,432 receiving yards are the most in league history through a player's first five seasons, said he doesn't concern himself with the style or tendencies of who's throwing. 'As long as the ball gets close to my face, I'm going to try to catch it,' he said. 'It doesn't matter how fast the ball is going, the spin of it or if it's coming from a lefty or a righty. My job is to catch the ball.' What's most important to Jefferson is the quarterback learning to adjust to his route-running preferences, with an exceptional stride length and side-to-side agility that helps set him apart. 'It's that timing, those reps,' McCarthy said. 'All of that has to be built up over time.' Which is why Jefferson being around all the time is so valuable. 'He's an energy igniter of the whole building, and I think he's come back with a purpose and a mindset,' coach Kevin O'Connell said. 'You hear his voice, you hear his interaction with teammates, and they just carry such a long way.' Not just for the quarterback. 'The guys in that locker room know, 'If this guy, one of the best in the world at what he does, is pushing himself in May and June, I sure as heck better be doing the same thing,'' O'Connell said. McCarthy, whose rookie season was spent entirely in the training room recovering from knee surgery, at least had some meaningful time in strategy meetings that helped him start to build the knowledge base in the offense even if he wasn't taking snaps on the field. 'I've been really surprised by some of the things that he does know. You're like, 'Man, we covered that in a 10-minute burst in Week 11 last year. How do you remember that?'' O'Connell said. 'And then there's some other things where you're like, 'Oh, I assumed he knew that.' So it's our job — baseline teaching and stacking days and layered learning so that we're constantly making him feel like he's growing but never comfortable.' Jefferson can see that too. 'He definitely has an arm, that's for sure. He can definitely zip it whenever he needs to,' he said, before recounting his advice to McCarthy at this stage of the offseason. 'Just let everything happen. Don't try to make the best play every single play.' ___ AP NFL:
Washington Post
22 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Brian Snitker excited to reunite with his old friend and former Braves boss Fredi González
ATLANTA — Braves manager Brian Snitker knows the unique nature of Atlanta's coaching change this week, but he's also excited about reuniting with an old friend. Former Braves manager Fredi González will be the team's new third base coach , replacing Matt Tuiasosopo. The team announced the change Monday. The Braves opened a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
