2023 Bowman Baseball Prospect Review

The highly anticipated 2023 Topps Bowman Baseball ushers in a fresh wave of MLB prospects for the 2023 MLB season! Bowman has a diverse range of offerings, including the customary blend of Bowman and Bowman Chrome, which feature Chrome Prospect Autographs and a colorful array of Refractors. Each standard hobby box includes an autograph, while hobby jumbo boxes boast three autographs.

Below is our review of some of the top baseball prospects of the 2023 season that many will be chasing in Topps Bowman Baseball!

Written by: Titus Bishop, Jay Grusznski and Emil Cienik

*Players are listed in no particular order.

Druw Jones (OF – Diamondbacks)

Already the 13th overall prospect in all of baseball, the son of Braves legend Andruw Jones is sure to carry some serious hype for 2023 Bowman. Druw was drafted 2nd overall to the Diamondbacks and received the 3rd highest signing bonus in Draft history at just under $8.2MM. He is the true meaning of a 5-Tool player and his upside is massive due to his pure athletic ability. If his high school highlight clips were any indication of future success, we’re going to be in for a good time watching Druw crush his way through the minors.

 

Spencer Jones (OF – Yankees)

Drawing comparisons to Aaron Judge is never a bad thing, and Spencer Jones might find himself playing alongside Judge soon. The 25th pick out of Vanderbilt has been CRUSHING to start his professional career – debuting this season in High A with a .344 average and 3 bombs through his first 8 games. His large frame, massive pop, and great hit tools will make him a force to be reckoned with.

 

Lazaro Montes (OF – Mariners)

Dubbed “Baby Yordan” after his training partner Yordan Alvarez, Lazaro Montes looks and plays the part. After hitting a growth spurt this past offseason, he now has a towering 6’7″, 240-lb build at only 18 years old. The Mariners could not be more excited about his bat and the power it brings, but he also surprised people with his defensive ability in the outfield – allowing him to be more valuable going forward.

Roman Anthony (OF – Red Sox)

Most people first heard of Roman Anthony after he absolutely destroyed a 450-ft shot in the 2021 High School All American Game. Now one of the more “sleeper” draftees in 2023 Bowman (if sleeper is even the correct word) – The Red Sox loved what they saw in Roman’s massive power potential and drafted him 79th overall last year. With back-to-back state titles and a Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, look for Roman to keep mashing his way to success.

 

Jacob Berry (3B – Marlins)

Coming in with the #6 pick in the Draft, the Marlins took one of the top college bats off the board with LSU’s Jacob Berry. Berry raked in his last collegiate season with a slash line of .370/.464/.630 & 15 HR. He’s been compared to a switch-hitting Andrew Vaughn that is equally as productive from both sides of the plate. His defensive skills have been questioned, and it looks like Berry will end up as a DH/1B in the pros.

 

Cam Collier (3B – Reds)

Originally projected as one of the top prospects for the 2023 MLB Draft, Collier reclassified to 2022 and spent a year at Chipola Jr College and played in the Cape Cod League as a 17 year old. His father Lou was a 31st round pick in 1992, but Cam only lasted until pick 18 of the first round, where the Reds selected him and gave him an over slot bonus. The offensive upside of his smooth left-handed swing is his calling card and he hit .370 with 2 home runs in his 9 game professional debut last year.

 

Justin Crawford (OF – Phillies)

The son of four time All Star Carl, the Phillies picked Justin 17th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft out of powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. A gifted athlete like his father, Crawford’s speed is currently his biggest asset, both on the bases, he had 10 steals in 16 games last season, and in the outfield, where he can play an elite centerfield. He’ll look to add power to his game as he matures.

 

Gabriel Gonzalez (OF – Mariners)

Signed for $1.3 million out of Venezuela by the Mariners in 2021, Gonzalez has been impressive in his two Minor League seasons so far. He spent the 2021 season in the Dominican League before making his stateside debut in 2022. In 121 professional games coming into this season, Gonzalez has shown the ability to hit for average, hitting over .300, and has some pop in his bat with 29 doubles and 14 homers. The 19 year old is off to a strong start this year as he looks to zoom up the prospect lists.

 

Josue De Paula (OF – Dodgers)

Despite having two cousins that played in the NBA, Sebastian Telfair and Stephon Marbury, the 6’3” De Paula chose baseball as his sport of choice. Born in the US, De Paula moved to the Dominican Republic and signed with the Dodgers as an international free agent. He was fantastic in his professional debut in the Dominican League, hitting .349 with 20 extra base hits and 16 stolen bases. The lefty has an advanced feel at the plate for a 17 year old, walking more than he struck out last season, and lots of projectable power in his big frame.

 

Gleider Figuereo (3B – Rangers)

After a solid but not spectacular professional debut in 2021, Figuereo transformed his body, with the help of former big league pitcher Edinson Volquez, and it paid immediate dividends. The Dominican Republic native hit nine homers in just 35 games in Rookie ball to go with five doubles and five triples. The lefty swinging 18 year old has struggled defensively at third so far in his career, so a position change, potentially to a corner outfield spot, may be necessary.

 

Alex Ramirez (OF – Mets)

Ramirez actually received his 1st Bowman in 2021 Chrome, but not have any autographs in the set. Ramirez now gets his first auto and has risen up the Mets prospect rankings, becoming a Top 100 prospect in all of baseball. He is an athletic center fielder that carries the above average strength and speed that scouts dream of. Still just 20 years old, Ramirez should continue filling out his frame and adding strength as he rises through the Mets system this year.

 

Junior Caminero (3B – Rays)

The #100 MLB prospect on the dot, Junior was acquired from the Guardians in 2021 after he dominated the DSL. Caminero slashed .295/.380/.534 over 43 games and racking up 9 home runs. He proceeded to follow this up with a very similar season in ’22 across Complex League and Low-A stops. Caminero is an incredible offensive talent with just average defensive tools. If he continues to hit in Double-A, we may see the Rays accelerate his development as he will need to be added to the 40-man roster this year to avoid the Rule-5 Draft.

 

Edouard Julien (2B – Twins)

After a dominant 2022 season and leading the World Baseball Classic in OPS, Julien debuted with the Twins on April 12th. The Canadian. Julien does it all at the plate, leading all of the minors in walks in 2021 before putting up 17 HRs in 2022 while batting .300. He is a below-average defender, settling in at second base recently. If he continues to hit, he will have no problem finding his way into the Twins lineup on a daily basis.

Deyvison De Los Santos (3B – Diamondbacks)

While he only has base in this product, I was still pumped to see Deyvison finally on the checklist. I suspect that his autos were moved to Chrome with Druw Jones already headlining the Diamondbacks in this product. Deyvison begins the 2023 season still at just 19 years old, but carries elite power that is among the best in baseball. He does strike out a ton, but has still managed to win batting titles while amassing impressive power numbers. He will likely end up becoming a heart-of-the-order first baseman in a big league lineup.

Matt Mervis (1B – Cubs)

Nicknamed “Mash,” Mervis hit an absurd 36 HRs last year across three stops from High-A all the way to Triple-A (where he hit 15 of them). He begins the 2023 season at Triple-A and we can expect to see him at Wrigley soon. He makes consistently hard contact at the plate and I can’t imagine the Cubs waiting too much longer before they try out Mervis over Mancini or Hosmer.