The top 1st Bowman chases in 2025 Bowman Draft

The latest edition of Topps Bowman Draft hit shelves this week, and with that brings out the Major League scout in everyone. Bowman Draft is one of those releases where it is all about speculation, as the chases in the product are the players new to officially licensed Topps cards, of course designated by the “1st Bowman” icon shown on the front of the card.

Most of the guys who’s 1st Bowman cards are being chased are under the age of 21, which turns Bowman Draft into a fun guessing game aspect. Collectors have to dig into the weeds of scouting reports to discern which prospects are going to work out the best and make it to the majors. While regular rookie chases have this aspect to it, the arduous process through the minor leagues has stunted many top prospects over the years.

This also leads to a flipside, however, where a few players will have cards that are less sought after on release but will become key chases later in the product’s life, even after it is out of print. 

With all of that in mind, here are a few top chases in the newest iteration of Bowman Draft.

Jamie Arnold (LHP, ATH)

At just over six-feet tall, and around 190 pounds, Arnold is actually on the smaller side for what a pitcher typically looks like in the current game, but his pitching arsenal still packs a heavy punch. The lefty’s final season at Florida State in 2025 saw him post an ERA of 2.98 across 84.2 innings, with a K/9 of 12.6. 

Arnold ended up sliding in the draft a little bit, as the projected top-10 pick found his way to the A’s at 11th overall, and he’ll serve as a very nice complement to the incredible core of young hitters the A’s have built. That is a team in desperate need of talented arms, and a 21-year-old with a slider that projects to be elite and a fastball that can reach the upper-90s should make his way up the A’s system sooner rather than later. Arnold currently sits as the 38th ranked prospect on MLB’s top 100 prospect list and it would only make sense to see him rise those rankings.

Eli Willits (SS, WAS)

It makes sense that the number one overall pick in the most recent draft would find his way onto the list of chases in Bowman Draft. At just 18-years-old, Willits is still projected to be pretty far away from making it to the show, with an ETA of 2029 according to mlb.com, which makes sense as position players almost always take longer to rise through the ranks than pitchers, especially with as young as he is. 

Willits has a fun allegory to one of the hobby’s most collected players as well, as he is the youngest player selected first overall in the draft since Ken Griffey Jr in 1897. Willits is touted for being particularly polished at the plate for a hitter of his age, which is more impressive when you consider that he is also a switch hitter. Of all the 1st Bowman chases in this newest release, Willits is the highest rated prospect on mlb.com. 

JoJo Parker (SS, TOR)

If you’re not going to be a pitcher, a short stop is the way to go, and between their other top prospect Arjun Nimmala and Parker, the Jays have a rich crop of middle infield prospects rising through the ranks. As a 19-year-old still in rookie ball, Parker will have a lot of time to get the seasoning he needs before he makes his way to the show. At 6’2, 200 lbs, he fills the model of what a current short stop is built like, and still has room to further grow into his frame. 

It’s possible that in the long term, Parker could move to a different spot in the infield but that is almost a luxury of coming up as a shortstop. Wherever Parker finds himself on the diamond, Jays fans should be excited about his potential. Parker also joins his twin brother, Jacob, on the Top 100 prospects list, making for some good baseball pedigree. 

Kade Anderson (LHP, SEA)

Anderson joins a long line of highly touted Mariners pitching prospects, as he will look to join the ranks of George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller, but what stands out about him from those other four guys is that he is a lefty in a sea of righties. 

Anderson dominated at one of the best baseball schools in the country, as during his final season at LSU, he pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 119 innings. Any lefty that can touch 98 on their fastball is going to be a hot commodity, especially if they can do it accurately like Anderson can. Collectors should be used to putting Mariners pitchers on their watch list, and Anderson is certainly no exception. 

Seth Hernandez (RHP, PIT)

And speaking of teams that have recently had top flight pitching prospects, the Pirates added another one to their mix during last year’s draft, selecting Seth Hernandez sixth overall. 

Hernandez is now in the same lineage of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Bubba Chandler, and has potential to rise through the system about as quickly as the other three did, even coming out of high school like he did. 

Hernandez tracks to be a top of the rotation arm for many years in the majors, with a fastball that can approach 100, good breaking pitches, including a classic 12-6 curveball, and a good change-up. Similarly to the Mariners, collectors are very used to scooping up Pirates pitchers over the last few years and Hernandez gives people another opportunity to do so.