A new red rookie card with its own redemption program is coming to 2025 Bowman Baseball later this year.
Announced by Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan during the Topps Industry Conference in Atlanta on Tuesday, the Bowman Red Rookie Redemption program will make its debut as part of this year’s Bowman Baseball release May 7.
According to Topps, a limited number of base rookie cards will be stamped with a new red rookie shield and randomly inserted into all Bowman products.
Collectors holding red rookies will be able to redeem the cards for varying amounts of Fanatics FanCash based on future awards.
Red rookies can be redeemed for $100 in FanCash if the player goes on to win Rookie of the Year in November 2025.
Collectors can also hold the cards to potentially earn higher cash amounts. A player who wins an MVP or Cy Young Award can be redeemed for $300. Red rookies for a player who wins two MVPs or Cy Young Awards can be redeemed for $500, or $700 if they win three.
Red rookies for a player who is inducted into the Hall of Fame within 10 years of retirement can be redeemed for $1,000 in FanCash.
A player who wins Rookie of the Year and an MVP or Cy Young in the same season will have the redemption value combined to reach $400.
Starting in November, collectors can use Fanatics FanCash to purchase team merchandise, live breaks on the Fanatics Live platform and hobby boxes or single cards on the Fanatics Collect marketplace.
Considered one of the most iconic brands in the trading card hobby, the Bowman Gum Company began making trading cards in the 1930s.
The success of Bowman’s cards made it a key competitor for Topps by the early 1950s, and Topps eventually acquired Bowman in 1956 and halted its card production.
Topps resurrected the Bowman brand in 1989 and eventually introduced the Bowman Draft and Bowman Chrome sets.
Most associated with baseball prospects, collectors often hunt for 1st Bowman cards of MLB’s top stars before they make their big-league debut.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.