From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there’s a box you’d want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2017 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 5
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion:
29 of 100 (29 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Base cards of note – Royce Lewis, Ken Griffey Jr., Jake Burger, Alex Faedo, Brendan McKay, Jeren Kendall, Todd Helton, Alex Bregman
Insert cards: 5 (all in gallery below along with a few base cards)
Longevity Holofoil (1) – Ken Griffey Jr. (/99)
Longevity (4) – Mike Siani, Coleman Brigman, Jasiah Dixon, Anthony Kay
Autographs/Memorabilia: 6
Quad Materials (1) – Royce Lewis, Quentin Holmes, Calvin Mitchell, Mike Siani (/199)
18U National Team Signatures (1) – Mike Siani (/499)
Collegiate National Team Signatures Red Ink (1) – Brendan McKay (/10)
Jumbo Swatch Silhouettes Signatures Bats (1) – Evan Skoug (/99)
Jumbo Swatch Silhouettes Black Gold Signatures Jerseys (2) – Gabe Briones, Triston Casas (/99)
What’s Buzz-worthy: The revamped format for Panini America’s USA Baseball stars of the past and present means fewer base cards but plenty of hits. You get just 40 cards in a box and more than a fourth of those are hits. This box included a nice parallel card of a guy you might not immediately associate with USA Baseball, Ken Griffey Jr., while it also included cards of some of this year’s first-rounders in the MLB Draft (and likely later rounds, too). This box included some rare autos, some auto-mem and the start of a Mike Siani collection with a base card, parallel, a memorabilia appearance and an autograph. You’ll find plenty of young stars here — some born in the 2000s (feel old?) — and with fewer base cards per box or case there will be less bulk cardboard around later when some of these players become in-demand. These boxes are among some of the most-affordable in the hobby and pack plenty — and that makes them worth a rip — maybe even a 20-box case if you want to do some chasing. In the wake of the MLB Draft, it’s easy to land a rarer card of a new player on a new team and have it pay for the box, making the rest of them gravy. And if a player wasn’t drafted this time (out of high school) and instead opted for college you’ll have college fans potentially watching them until that next draft window comes. These have a long shelf life atop of delivering plenty of fun and quality hit potential. One example? This box’s rarest card is of Brendan McKay, who was the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft (Tampa Bay Rays) and was the winner of the Howser Trophy as college baseball’s player of the year. He went 10-3 with a 2.34 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 104 innings for Louisville while also batting .343 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI. This one card should pay for the box at its present price.
Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A
Fun Grade: A
Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com
BlowoutBuzz.com 