Buzz Break: 2018 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball rack set

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The pack: 2018 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball rack set (two)
Where to buy: $12 via USA Baseball (sold out -- click here for hobby)
Cards per pack: 69
Set completion: 
66 of 66 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Casey Mize, Bryce Tucker, Cadyn Grenier, Will Banfield, Triston Casas, Ryan Weathers, Raynel Delgado, Nolan Gorman, Michael Siani, Matthew Liberatore, Mason Denaburg, Landon Marceaux, Kumar Rocker, J.T. Ginn, Jarred Kelenic, Ethan Hankins, Cole Wilcox, Brice Turang, Anthony Seigler, Alek Thomas, Tyler Holton, Tyler Frank, Travis Swaggerty, Tim Cate, Steven Gingery, Steele Walker, Seth Beer, Sean Wymer, Ryley Gilliam, Nick Sprengel, Nick Meyer, Nick Madrigal, Konnor Pilkington, Jon Olsen, Johnny Aiello, Jeremy Eierman, Jake McCarthy, Grant Koch, Dallas Woolfolk

Insert cards: None -- hit hobby for those and memorabilia cards.

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SET No. 1 (see all autographed cards in gallery below)

Autographs: 3
Contenders Season Ticket Autographs (3) – Grant Koch, Will Banfield, Michael Brooks (/100)

SET No. 2
Autographs: 3
Contenders Season Ticket Autographs (3) – Gianluca Dalatri, Carter Young, Masyn Winn (/100)

What's Buzz-worthy: Want a bargain-basement buy that's got prospecting potential right now and maybe even more later? That's usually answered with "USA Baseball" but this one takes that, simplifies it, offers an exclusive inclusion every time and does it all on the cheap. This is the 66-card 2018 Panini America USA Baseball Rack Set -- a modified version of the set found in hobby packs that includes three autographs atop that in every pack -- that was just $12 initially only available via the USA Baseball Store on its website. (It's now sold out.) The cards are the three USA Baseball squads from last year -- the Collegiate National Team, the 18U National Team and the 15U National Team. (It's missing card Nos. 1, 28 and 49 in the numbering as those were team cards in the original release.) All of the players noted above were drafted and those who weren't picked could be in the future. The autographs here are all Contenders cards limited to just 100 copies. The sets include one auto per squad, so your long-term prospecting will be balanced and steady unlike the Longevity blasters that are packed with guys who won't be potentially drafted for a few years. There was a limit of how many you could pick up from USA Baseball and it did an excellent job shipping these -- my four sets came sleeved, padded and boxed. The hobby version of this USA Baseball release remains the best option because what those include is much more wide in scope, checklist and possibility. But this one is compelling because of its price and Contenders ink only found here.

Product Grade: A
Pack Grades: B for both
Fun Grade: A

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