Random Wax: 2022 Topps Opening Day Blaster

2022 Opening Day:   Vlad Jr. and the Blue Jays have their work cut out for them after making it to the World Series last year.  He's started out well though home runs and runs batted in weren't there for him.  I'd love to see this team do well consistently for years to come but it's not easy to do in the AL East.

I miss Opening Day, but I do get why Topps no longer does it.  2022 was a good design for Topps and Opening Day was a good compliment.  Three good photos here.  Juan Soto had a quick start to his season with the Mets.

Really good-looking card.

Plenty of youngsters.  All three of these have had good starts to their career.

Topps Celebration kind of fills the space of Opening Day to some extent now.  You'll at least see mascots there as well as other fun features.  Don't think it is a cheaper option though, but I haven't really researched it or seen them at retail.

Great photo and card.

I know he's struggling but I miss Xander Bogaerts as a Red Sox.  It was fun seeing him get 2 World Championships with Boston though.

Triple Play insert.  Kind of cool and not really perforated.

Another nice horizontal card.

Mascots!

Topps was killing it with the photos on the horizontal cards in this box.

Cutch is now a Texas Ranger and had a good start to his season.

Nice card and cards are always better with Ohtani and Trout appearances.

Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are pitching this year but with Detroit and Toronto respectively.

Another Triple Play card and all three are no longer with the Red Sox.  It happens.  I picked up this blaster in 2022 and finally showing it off.

Bomb Squad inserts are nice.  Gives us another shot at seeing and pulling stars of the sport.

We'll end it with a few of my favorite current players.

BREAKDOWN:
154 – Total Cards
21 – RC
11 – Future Stars
8 – Bomb Squad
7 – Mascot
5 – Rookie Cup
4 – Opening Day
3 – Triple Play
2 – Retired Greats
2 – Opening Day Blue Foil

Random Wax: 2022 Topps Hanger Box

 

2022 Topps: One of the greatest right-handed hitters of the modern era, Kirby Puckett was also just an easy guy to like.  Him and the powder blue Twins jersey help make this 1987 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary inserts a winner.

Good pull in this hanger box and some PC guys like Adam Wainwright and Mookie Betts.  No complaints with a Harper pull either.

Arizona Diamondbacks team card.  Nothing special but I like that photo.

Young players get their day.  Max Kranick is having a good year, unfortunately as a New York Met.  Jake Cousins is a cousin of the NFL's Kirk Cousins.

We love League Leaders cards, but they are much better when we get the numbers on the front.  They could have made that happen.

Stars of the MLB and 2021's Greatest Hits inserts.  I like the Greatest Hits inserts.  Stars isn't bad but it has gone stale for me over the years.

This is a great photo from the home run derby on this Checklist card.

Chapman is with the Giants, Turner is a Chicago Cub and Joey Votto has retired.  The 2022 design is one I like.  It's simple and does have some similarities to an 80's Donruss design.

Logan Gilbert has had a good career with Seattle posting a 42-31 record.

2021 was Buster Posey's last year prior to retiring.  He batted .304 with 18 home runs in his final season.  Clayton Kershaw is injured and hasn't made his debut this year in what will be his age 37 season.

Fun box of cards.  Good design, good pull and plenty of players I like, like Fernando Tatis Jr.

BREAKDOWN:

65 – Total Cards

9 – Team Cards

4 – RC

4 – Future Stars

4 – Stars of the Game

3 – League Leaders

2 – Checklist

1 – 2021’s Greatest Hits

1 - 1987 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary

2022 Topps Red Sox Team Set (Blister)

Xander Bogaerts was a 4X All-Star and 5X Silver Slugger award winner, including 2021, during his time with the Red Sox.  He also won two championships in Boston.

Evoldi led the starters in WAR (4.3) and ERA (3.57).  JD Martinez led the league with 42 doubles.  I purchased this blister pack team set in July of 2022.

I thought I was going to get a Braves - Red Sox World Series but Houston eliminated Boston in the 2021 ALCS.

Vazquez and Dalbec were 2021 starters though I'm not convinced their combined on base percentage was above .300.

Devers delivered 38 home runs and 113 runs batted in in his fifth season.

Christian had some fun highlight moments in 2021 and his photo feels appropriate.  These blister packs were found at Wal-Mart and each had 17 cards.

Great photo and 2021 was probably Enrique's (Kiki's) best season of his career.

This team really had a good mix of young talent with a few veterans sprinkled in.  Feels like they needed just a bit more pitching and health to have gotten by Houston.

I like the 2022 design.  Kind of feels more like Bowman but it works.  But no matter, this fun team and some nice photos make it a good set to own for a Red Sox fan.

2022 Topps Braves Team Set (Blister)

Topps 2022:  Jorge Soler is only a 1X All-Star but he'll be forever known to Braves fans as one of the keys to Atlanta's run to the Championship in 2021.  He capped it off with a great World Series and the World Series MVP award.

The Braves run to the 2021 World Series title was so much fun and unexpected.  So many great stories and great years for players.

Freddie Freeman needs no introduction and led the league in runs while batting .300.

Max Fried and Charlie Morton led the Braves with 14 wins each in 2021.  Fried won game 6 of the World Series to clinch the title.  These blister packs were on Wal-Mart shelves at the time, and I couldn't resist.  I picked up the Angels, Braves and Red Sox who I'll show off tomorrow.

Pederson, Duvall and Rosario were part of the patch work outfield after Ronald Acuna went down and wow, did they deliver time and time again in the regular season and in the playoffs.

Smyly and Ynoa were key contributors to the starting lineup during the regular season.  There are 17 total cards in these blister team sets.

Ian Anderson won 9 games during the regular season and game three of the 2021 World Series.

Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley were huge parts of the offense.  What a year and it's so fun to relive some of those memories.  And a perfect time to look back as we start the 2025 season today in ernest.  Enjoy Opening Day!

Random Wax: 2022 Topps Hanger Box

2022 Topps:  The Blue Jays poor season overshadowed another great season by Vlad Guerrero Jr.

2022 Topps gives us a simple design that I liked.  Pretty clean with good design elements.  Salvador Perez also had a really good year and is probably on his way to the Hall of Fame once his playing days are done.

Lars Nootbar is the standout of these youngsters.

Great looking team card.

More youngsters and my Royal Blue Parallel.  McClanahan developed into a really good starter while Clase was a shutdown closer last year.  Fun looking back and seeing how the young players turned out.

My 1987 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary and Welcome to the Show inserts.  I like the '87 design and Welcome to the Show is growing on me.

Bichette struggled mightily last season.  I like him and hope he can figure it out in 2025.

Folks seem to like these Stars of MLB and I enjoyed the 2022 versions as well.  Purchased this hanger two years ago but finally getting it up on the blog.

A nice Ohtani appearance on my Rainbow Foil Parallel.

Fun box of cards and lots of star power.  Soto is no longer a National...or Padre...or Yankeee...after signing with the Mets.

BREAKDOWN:
65 – Total Cards
10 – RC
2 – Team Cards
2 – Checklist
1 – Royal Blue
1 – Rookie Cup
1 – Future Stars
1 – Rainbow Foil
1 – Welcome to the Show
1 - 1987 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary