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Friday, April 19, 2024

Random Wax: 2023 Topps Baseball Blaster

2023 ToppsJose Ramirez is an excellent hitter that seems to fly under the radar in Cleveland.  He's a 5X All-Star and 4X Silver Slugger.  He was also top six in MVP voting five times.
I do like this set and this box was full of good cards.  The photo on the Albert Pujols card is great.  2023 was his last season so this was very appropriate.
Brandon Marsh had a really good 2023 and is looking to build on that this season. Downs has already been traded and waived twice in his young career.  Michael Massey had a decent 2023 but is starting off 2024 injured.
These are solid League Leader cards.  Maybe they could have gotten their actual numbers on the fronts as well but overall no complaints.
These Stars of MLB are popular of late, and that Freddie Freeman is a Chrome version.
Checklist card with some fun photography.
Some fun photos here.  This was a random blaster I found on the shelf two weeks ago.  It was pretty beat up but I took a chance on it.  The cards were fine and I'm glad I grabbed it.
The backs of one of my League Leaders.  It hits the mark for me.  I always enjoy looking back at these years down the road.
These hurlers all had really good 2022 seasons for their teams.  Robbie Ray (Giants) and Dylan Cease (Padres) are no longer with the teams on these cards while McClanahan is having to undergo Tommy John surgery.
The 1988 Topps Baseball inserts are fun.  Not a set I love but I do like it I think?  I go back and forth.  I like the Welcome to the Club insert and I'd probably done that Home Run Challenge with Vlad Jr. if it was a 2024 card.
The back of the Boston Red Sox team card.  Not having the numbers for the each of the team leaders is so weird.  Why tell me Xander led the team in homers but not tell me how many?  Fail.
I like these Team Logo Commemorative Patch inserts that come in the blasters.  Just a cool look to me.
Fun box.  Good pull and nice cards.

BREAKDOWN:
99 – Total Cards
12 – RC
7 – Stars of MLB
4 – Future Stars
4 – League Leaders
2 – Checklist
2 – Team Cards
1 – Rainbow Foil
1 – Royal Blue Parallel
1 – 1988 Topps Baseball 
1 – Home Run Challenge
1 – Chrome Stars of MLB 
1 – Welcome to the Club
1 – Team Logo Commemorative Patch



10 comments:

  1. I notice that the manu-relic used to get its own pack, as a bonus in addition to the packs. Now it's just in a pack. Another little bit of shrinkflation.

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  2. Luke warm on the 2023 flagship design. Don't love it... but don't hate it either. One thing about this product is that it has made me appreciate the 1988 Topps design a tad bit more.

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    Replies
    1. I'm all over the place on that '88 set. Still not sure where I land on it.

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  3. Nice eye-pleasing base card design, definitely a step up from the 2022 and 2021 designs. Congrats on a nice break!

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  4. I've always preferred the Upper Deck season highlights for their checklists rather than Topps putting more superstars on theirs. I think Topps has been doing Greatest Hits for a couple of years now so if they keep that up I'll be satisfied.

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    Replies
    1. I'm okay with these but I want the art checklist cards to come back. That'd be my nirvana as it relates to checklist cards.

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