2016 Bowman Chrome Purple Refractor Juan Soto PROSPECT AUTO /250 #CPA-JS PSA 10

On May 15, 2018, Juan Soto had three hits for the Harrisburg Senators as his meteoric rise through the minor leagues was nearing its conclusion with a brief stop at Double-A. Meanwhile, his parent club, the Washington Nationals, battled the New York Yankees to a 3-3 tie that night before rain interrupted their game in the sixth inning. By the time that suspended game was completed on June 18, Soto had been promoted to the majors and had already smashed five home runs. When he entered as a pinch hitter against the Yankees, he socked the fifth pitch he saw into the second deck at Nationals Park for what is officially scored as the first home run of his career—even though his official major-league debut came on May 20. Time travel is not among the skills baseball players would typically list on a résumé, but Juan Soto is not your typical baseball player. When the Nationals signed Soto as a 16-year-old, they saw a disciplined hitter with a “graceful” swing, and that scouting report helped land him a spot in the 2016 Bowman Prospects set. Soto's autographs from the release, and their associated parallels, have become some of the most sought-after ""1st Bowman"" cards ever produced. With Soto's headline-making move from the Yankees to the Mets this offseason, examples such as this PSA 10 Purple Refractor are sure to garner plenty of attention in the weeks leading up to the start of the 2025 MLB season. And if Soto continues to play like a perennial MVP candidate, that interest will only increase as he plays on one of baseball's biggest stages. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 02/04/25.