The baseball card collecting hobby has changed a lot over the years. Gone are the days when card products were simple and what was considered a “hit” was easily understood by everyone. Even the definition of what a player's "true" rookie card is has expanded in recent years. While the RC logo still matters and denotes the player's debut year, it is players' first prospect cards, aka "Bowman 1sts," that are often chased the hardest, and Atlanta Braves fans are finally going to get their chance to get their hands on top shortstop prospect Alex Lodise's arguably best cards very soon.
The Braves card-collecting sickos out there (including yours truly) have had a lot to chase after in recent years. Unsurprisingly, Ronald Acuña Jr. has been very popular among collectors, Drake Baldwin's ROY run saw his cards rise in popularity, and Eric Hartman's ascension led to quite the chase in this year's Bowman flagship set for his Bowman 1sts a few months ago.
What we HAVEN'T seen is Lodise's first official prospect cards since joining the Braves. He was held out of 2025 Bowman Draft somewhat surprisingly and wasn't included in 2026 Bowman. Well, the time has come, as Lodise's Bowman 1sts are in 2026 Bowman Chrome, and a quick look at the checklist shows that he is going to be one of the top names to chase in the entire product period.
Alex Lodise's baseball card debut in 2026 Bowman Chrome will tell us a lot about how excited Braves fans are for him
Lodise has a lot going for him as a prospect in general as well as specifically for prospective collectors. Through almost 500 at-bats, Lodise has overcome an uneven start to his pro career in low-A and now is the proud owner of an .844 OPS on the season. While his glove at shortstop so far (26 errors so far in 2026 is a lot) has real questions, Lodise's bat actually improved upon getting promoted to High-A Rome earlier this season. His second promotion to Double-A hasn't been as successful, but the fact that the Braves were willing to promote Lodise twice in the same season tells us what they think of him.
So we have a highly ranked prospect bat with some loud numbers at a premium position who was a star in college at Florida State and who plays for a very highly visible organization in the Braves. Yep, that is a recipe for being a chase prospect in Bowman products. Bowman Chrome is traditionally a product that emphasizes international prospects that weren't included in flagship Bowman as well as remaining top rookies who got promoted too late to be in earlier releases. Lodise is not a member of either of those two demographics, but the fact that he will have 1sts will still get attention.
Now, whether or not Lodise will actually be worth chasing in a meaningful way with one's hard-earned dollars is a different question entirely. His time in Rome was very encouraging, but Lodise has to clean up his defense and make better swing decisions if he is going to play a meaningful role in the big leagues. The physical tools are there, though, and Lodise has 25+ homer upside if he makes enough contact. If Lodise continues to progress and installs himself as the Braves' shortstop of the future, those who got in on the ground floor of his card market will be glad they did.
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