2026 Bowman delivered another deep 1st Auto class, and these are the names I keep coming back to at their current market prices. This is not a checklist of the most expensive or highest-ranked cards in the set. Instead, it is a breakdown of where the true value lives right now, profiles whose tools and raw upside completely outrun what the market is asking.
Every player highlighted below is a bet on projection rather than a finished stat line. We are targeting loud raw power and impact among the bats, alongside a mix of ceiling and pitchability among the arms. Some are high-upside swings while others represent steadier bets, but each is a foundational 1st Bowman Chrome autograph I would happily buy at today’s number and hold. A handful of honorable mentions round out the group as cards I like just a notch below my primary targets.
What follows is a short, honest read on each: the profile, where the bat or arm is trending, and the role I expect them to grow into.
About the Author:Andrew Dahl is the founder of Prospect Pulse, the ultimate Bowman Chrome Market Edge platform for serious collectors. Built specifically for 1st Bowman Chrome Auto hobbyists, Prospect Pulse provides live eBay auction tracking, comp-based pricing, and portfolio tools powered by an analysis of over 400,000+ sales across 2,000+ prospects.
Edward Florentino
Florentino is a big, long-levered corner outfielder with a projectable 6-foot-3 frame. His plus raw power is the clear carrying tool, supported by elite-for-his-age exit velocities and a left-handed swing built for natural loft. This allows him to lift the ball with pull-side authority to all fields. The hit tool is advanced for his age, anchored by high in-zone contact and patient, disciplined plate appearances that drive strong walk totals, though his bat can occasionally be tested up in the zone.
Defensively, he profiles best in right field, where his average arm strength fits the position, though first base remains a realistic fallback as he continues to fill out. He runs efficiently on the bases and has posted high steal totals, but his pure footspeed will likely settle into an average grade as he matures physically. He projects as a middle-of-the-order corner regular whose offensive ceiling carries the profile.
Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Speed: 45 | Field: 50
Justin Gonzales
Gonzales is a towering, right-handed corner outfielder whose carrying tools are massive raw power and a cannon of an arm, built on a tight-end frame that is still filling out. He pairs an advanced, disciplined approach with surprising contact ability for his size, showing a willingness to work counts and utilize the opposite field. Sharpening his recognition of secondary pitches is the next crucial step to letting the bat play to its full potential.
The thump is entirely real, featuring top-of-the-charts exit velocities to all fields; flattening a groundball-heavy bat path will be the key to turning that raw juice into over-the-fence game production. He moves adequately for his size without being a true base-stealing threat, and his arm fits cleanly in right field. He projects as an everyday corner power bat once his swing decisions fully catch up.
Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Speed: 45 | Field: 45
Roldy Brito
Brito is a compact, twitchy switch-hitter whose elite speed headlines a well-rounded set of tools from an athletic, up-the-middle frame. His carrying asset shows up immediately on the bases; his aggressive, high-volume stealing has prompted the organization to leverage his speed by sliding him from the middle infield out to center field.
At the plate, he pairs above-average bat-to-ball skills from both sides with sound, patient swing decisions, peppering line drives gap to gap while his game power climbs steadily toward average over-the-fence impact. Defensively, he handles multiple spots up the middle and in the outfield, where his actions and range play well even if his arm offers only modest carry. He projects as a dynamic everyday regular and table-setter, with his speed and feel to hit anchoring the profile.
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Speed: 65 | Field: 55
Juan Sanchez
Sanchez is a big-framed, 6-foot-3 right-handed infield prospect whose calling card is loud, projectable power from a balanced swing. Signed by Toronto out of the Dominican Republic, he debuted with a thunderous 2025 line and has been pushed aggressively to full-season ball at just 18 years old, where his impact bat plays best inside the zone.
The hit tool is the ultimate swing factor here: his contact output can come and go as he adjusts to stateside arms, but the in-game thump projects as a true offensive driver. A plus arm anchors his defensive value and points toward a comfortable long-term home at third base, complemented by steady hands and reliable actions on the dirt. He is a station-to-station runner who will not lean on his legs. He projects as a power-hitting corner regular if the bat matures.
Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Speed: 40 | Field: 45
Dasan Hill
Hill is a projectable 6-foot-5 left-hander whose lanky, still-filling frame and dramatic velocity climb give him one of the loudest arms in the minor leagues. The fastball is the headliner, sitting mid-90s and touching triple digits with real carry up in the zone. It pairs beautifully with a changeup that flashes plus, featuring heavy fade and a near-50% miss rate at its best.
His low-80s sweeper provides a second genuine swing-and-miss weapon with sharp two-plane bite, while a high-70s curveball serves as an effective chase offering. Hill misses bats at every level, posting strikeout rates north of 30 percent throughout his climb. The walk rate remains the gating skill, and tightening his strike-throwing is the central focus of his development. He projects as a mid-rotation starter if the command sharpens, with a high-leverage left-handed bullpen role as a fallback.
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Command: 45
Honorable Mentions
Marek Houston
Houston is a tall, athletic shortstop whose calling card is plus defense, characterized by smooth, easy actions, deft hands, an excellent internal clock, and the slot versatility to fire accurate throws from any angle—even when off-balance. He pairs that elite glove with a disciplined, contact-oriented bat, working a short, direct stroke to control the strike zone and spray line drives gap to gap.
His present strength points more toward a doubles-and-on-base profile than over-the-fence thump, meaning the hit tool and approach will carry his offensive value. On the bases, he is an above-average runner with the instincts to steal in volume, and his accurate arm deepens the defensive package. He projects as an everyday shortstop whose glove anchors the profile while a steady, professional bat keeps him in the lineup.
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Speed: 55 | Field: 60
David Shields
Shields is a projectable 6-foot-2 left-hander with a graceful, repeatable delivery and a feel for pitching well beyond his teenage years. His calling card is command: he locates all three offerings to both sides of the plate and pounds the zone with elite efficiency. His fastball sits around 90 mph with life and natural deception, playing up through extension and pinpoint placement rather than overpowering velocity, leaving plenty of room for more as he matures physically.
The low-80s slider is his best secondary offering—a swing-and-miss breaker that anchors the arsenal—while his circle changeup has grown into a real weapon with armside fade. He misses bats in bunches and limits free passes despite being young for his level. He projects as a back-end starter, with mid-rotation upside if the fastball velocity ticks up.
Grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Command: 60
David Davalillo
Davalillo is a lean, control-driven right-hander whose profile is anchored by a plummeting low-80s splitter that grades as a true out-pitch. The offering kills spin and falls off the table, generating a spectacular swing-and-miss rate in the mid-to-upper-50 percent range. His fastball sits in the low-90s and can reach the mid-90s, but it works primarily because of his command and his ability to change eye levels rather than pure velocity.
A sweeping slider gives him a reliable second breaking offering, and he rounds out a deep mix with a curveball, changeup, and cutter, throwing all of them for strikes with advanced sequencing and feel. His strike-throwing is a genuine carrying trait, evidenced by elite walk rates as he climbed into the upper minors. He projects as a high-floor back-end starter whose splitter and command let the entire profile play up.
Grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Splitter: 65 | Command: 55
The Bottom Line
Step back and a clear pattern emerges: every name on this list is a bet on tools and projection rather than a finished stat line. Because the professional samples are still small, we are buying the physical frame, the carrying tool, and the upward developmental arrow—not a proven track record.
Among the bats, the through-line is real raw power and impact from the international ranks, with the hit tool acting as the crucial swing factor that determines how much of that power translates into games. Among the arms, the choice splits between raw projection and velocity in Dasan Hill, versus advanced pitchability and command in David Shields and David Davalillo.
What makes the timing work right now is the price. Most of these cards have seen their market values settle just over five weeks after release. Historically, this is the exact window where you want to buy a foundational 1st Bowman Chrome autograph. If even a couple of these profiles click, there is far more room above today’s prices than below them.
Shohei Ohtani
Jake Bauers
Kyle Stowers