You’ve probably seen the video. A bunch of retired legends sitting in a Montreal bar, reminiscing about the glory days. Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, and Larry Walker are all laughing, talking about their old teammate. The guy they’re talking about? Tom Brady.
Wait, what?
It sounds like a fever dream or some weird AI-generated fan fiction. But in late 2023, the trading card world essentially stopped spinning when Fanatics and Topps dropped the tom brady expos baseball card into packs of 2023 Bowman Draft. It wasn't just a gimmick; it was a massive "what if" that rewritten hobby history.
Honestly, the story behind it is cooler than the card itself. Most people know Brady was a sixth-round NFL draft pick. Fewer realize he was actually an 18th-round pick for the Montreal Expos back in 1995. He was a left-handed hitting catcher with "prodigious power."
Basically, the Expos thought he was going to be the next Joe Mauer. Instead, he became the GOAT of football. Now, his baseball card is one of the most expensive pieces of cardboard on the planet.
The Day Tom Brady Almost Became a Catcher
Let’s go back to 1995. Long before the seven rings and the TB12 diet, Brady was just a kid at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo. He was a two-sport beast. He hit .311 with eight homers in high school, but scouts didn’t care about the stats as much as the "makeup."
👉 See also: Why the Marlins Won World Series Titles Twice and Then Disappeared
Expos scout John Hughes once said Brady had everything. He could throw, he had a high baseball IQ, and he had that left-handed swing that looked like it belonged in the big leagues. The Expos drafted him 507th overall.
They actually tried to sign him, too. They offered him money that was pretty significant for an 18th-round pick at the time. Brady’s dad later said that if they had offered just a little bit more, or if Tom hadn't been so obsessed with Michigan football, we might be talking about Brady’s 3,000 hits instead of his 89,000 passing yards.
Breaking Down the Tom Brady Expos Baseball Card
When Topps decided to include the tom brady expos baseball card in the 2023 Bowman Draft set, they didn't just print a basic insert. They treated it like an actual "1st Bowman" card—the gold standard for baseball prospects.
The design is a throwback to the 1995 Bowman set. It’s got that classic, slightly busy 90s aesthetic but printed on modern Chrome stock. If you're hunting for one, you need to know what you're looking at because there are a few versions that range from "expensive" to "buy-a-house" money.
The Rarity Tiers
The base card is a short print (SP), but the real money is in the parallels. Topps only released 81 total autographed copies of this card. Why 81? Because that’s the number of passing touchdowns Brady threw in his first three seasons? No, it’s just a randomly specific number Topps chose to keep the market tight.
✨ Don't miss: Why Funny Fantasy Football Names Actually Win Leagues
- Gold Refractors: Numbered to 50.
- Orange Refractors: Numbered to 25.
- Red Refractors: Numbered to 5.
- Superfractor: The 1-of-1. The Holy Grail.
The 1-of-1 Superfractor actually surfaced and sold for over $158,000 shortly after release. For a card of a guy who never actually played a single inning of professional baseball, that is absolutely insane.
Why Does a "Fake" Card Cost So Much?
You might be thinking, "This is just a marketing stunt." And yeah, you're kinda right. It is. But in the sports card hobby, "cool factor" and "scarcity" trump everything else.
The tom brady expos baseball card works because it bridges two worlds. It appeals to the hardcore football collectors who want every Brady "rookie" variation possible, and it appeals to baseball collectors who love the "1st Bowman" chase.
Also, the inscriptions on the autographed versions are legendary. Brady actually wrote "If only I had played baseball" on some of them. On others, he made jokes about Bill Belichick or the Montreal Expos' move to Washington. That level of personality is rare in modern sports cards.
Spotting a Fake vs. The Real Deal
Whenever a card gets this much hype, the scammers come out of the woodwork. If you're looking to buy a tom brady expos baseball card on eBay or at a card show, you have to be careful.
🔗 Read more: Heisman Trophy Nominees 2024: The Year the System Almost Broke
- Check the numbering: The authentic autographs are serial-numbered on the back. If someone is selling a "1/1" that isn't a Superfractor, run away.
- The "Novelty" Trap: There are hundreds of "custom" Brady Expos cards on the market. They look similar but usually use different photos or cheap cardstock. The official 2023 Bowman Draft version has the Topps and Bowman logos and the specific "Dream Draft Picks" branding.
- Grading Matters: Most of the high-value sales are PSA 9 or PSA 10. Because these were "chase" cards inserted into packs, many came out with surface scratches or poor centering. A raw (ungraded) card is a gamble.
The Market Outlook: Is it a Bubble?
Predicting the card market is like trying to predict the weather in April. It’s volatile. However, Brady is one of the few athletes whose "Blue Chip" status is almost guaranteed.
Right now, the base (non-auto) tom brady expos baseball card in a PSA 10 slab is hovering around $1,000 to $1,500. During the initial hype, they were higher. Some people think they’ll drop as the "newness" wears off. Others argue that since Topps will likely never be able to do this specific "1st Bowman" look again, the supply is permanently capped.
Personally? I think the autographs will hold their value forever. The base cards might dip a bit, but any card featuring the GOAT in a "what if" scenario is going to have a permanent spot in the hobby's Hall of Fame.
What You Should Do Next
If you're looking to get your hands on a piece of this history, don't just go buying the first one you see. Prices fluctuate daily.
- Monitor Auction Houses: For the high-end refractors, sites like Goldin or Heritage Auctions are better than eBay. You get better authentication and a more serious pool of bidders.
- Check the "Comps": Use a tool like 130Point to see what the card actually sold for, not just what people are asking. People list these for $5,000 all the time, but they might be selling for $1,200.
- Verify the Auto: If you're buying a signed version, ensure it has the Topps "Certified Autograph Issue" stamp. Brady has a very specific signature that changed over the years, and these 2023 versions are very clean and deliberate.
The tom brady expos baseball card isn't just a piece of cardboard. It’s a reminder of a moment in 1995 when one of the greatest athletes to ever live was standing at a crossroads. He chose the helmet over the catcher's mask, and the rest is history—but it sure is fun to look at what might have been.
Next Steps for Collectors:
Verify any card you intend to purchase against the official Topps checklist for 2023 Bowman Draft to ensure the parallel color and numbering match the official release. If you're hunting for value, look for "short-printed" non-auto refractors which often carry a lower entry price but higher growth potential than the base cards.