Paul Skenes and Tom Brady highlight new Bowman 2023 Draft card set

Christmas may still be a few weeks away, but for baseball card fanatics, Santa came a little bit early. That's because on Tuesday, Topps dropped its final Bowman set of the year with the highly anticipated 2023 Bowman Draft set. The 200-card collection is not just the final drop of the year from Topps and Bowman, but it's also the only set that has many of the top prospects drafted this past summer -- including first overall pick Paul Skenes.

Oh yeah, and there's a guy you may have heard of named Tom Brady, who is popping up in the set, too. Here's everything you need to know so you can get collecting:

Wait. You mentioned Topps and you mentioned Bowman. What is the difference?

We understand how it can get a little confusing. Topps bought the Bowman brand in 1956 before reintroducing it in 1986. But really, think of it this way: Topps -- whether it's the base set, Allen & Ginter, Heritage or Stadium Club -- is largely focused on the Major Leagues. Bowman is devoted to the world of prospects.

What is the difference between Bowman Draft and other Bowman sets?

Great question! Bowman Draft comes out near the end of the year and is the first card set with players selected in the MLB Draft. While there are other prospects in the checklist that have appeared in other Bowman sets, this is best source for 1st Bowmans for many players.

The other major Bowman sets are the base set, which releases in May and should feature the big name draftees that did not make the cut in this set, and Bowman Chrome, a higher-end release that comes out later in the summer.

What are the cards I should be searching for?

There are a few things to look out for in this set, including a number of 1st Bowmans for top prospects Paul Skenes (Pirates), Max Clark (Tigers), Wyatt Langford (Rangers), Jacob Wilson (Athletics), Rhett Lowder (Reds), Blake Mitchell (Royals), Chase Dollander (Rockies), Bryce Eldridge (Giants) and Brayden Taylor (Rays) among others. You'll be wanting to look out for both the base cards, as well as autographs and parallel inserts of these players.

There are also a number of insert cards like Mood Ring, Bowman Invicta, Transformative Talent, and others.

Of course, the No. 1 chase card will be a Tom Brady autograph. You can see the full checklist of players and insert cards here.

Tom Brady? I thought you said this was a baseball prospects card set?

Yes! And Brady, who you may recall, was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1995 Draft as a catcher. So, in this set, you can find Tom Brady autographs that imagines a world where he did sign with Montreal and entered its Minor League system. So, yes, in a way, this is where you can get your Tom Brady baseball "rookie" card.