Buzz Break: 2018 Topps Stadium Club MLB cards (hobby box)

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The box: 2018 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards (hobby)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 16
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 128
Base set completion: 
108 of 300 (36 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rendon, Corey Seager, Gary Sanchez, Dustin Pedroia, Felix Hernandez, Miguel Cabrera, Rickey Henderson, Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Mark McGwire, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, Barry Larkin, Don Mattingly, Will Clark

Rookie Cards (15) – Amed Rosario, Austin Hays, A.J. Minter, Erick Fedde, Breyvic Valeria, Dillon Maples, Jackson Stephens, Dustin Fowler, Brandon Woodruff, Victor Caratini, Luiz Gohara, Cam Gallagher, J.P. Crawford, Anthony Sandtander, Anthony Banda

Insert cards: 18 (all inserts and some base in gallery below)
Chrome (1) – Nolan Arenado
Red parallel (7) – Austin Barnes, Bryce Harper, Jorge Alfaro, Rougned Odor, Michael Fulmer, Garrett Richards, Jackie Bradley Jr.
Black parallel (2) – Brett Gardner, Jay Bruce
Beam Team (1) – Kris Bryant
Beam Team Red (1) – Amed Rosario
Never Compromise (2) – Andrew Benintendi, Anthony Rizzo
Power Zone (2) – Carlos Correa, Andrew McCutchen
Special Forces (2) – Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton

Autographs/Memorabilia: 2
Stadium Club Autographs (2) – Tzu-Wei Lin, Paul DeJong

What's Buzz-worthy: Hobby boxes aren't dramatically larger than blaster boxes -- they're twice as big -- but you get three more cards per pack and a better mix of volume on inserts and parallels in addition to the two autographs. This box delivered ink for a young slugger who hit 25 homers as a rookie last year and that red Beam Team card is a one-in-256-pack (one in 16 boxes) pull -- that's tougher than one per case. This box delivered heavy on rookies but not a lot of the biggest names, while the rest of the base cards had some good names but wasn't super-flashy on that front or with cards with dazzling photos, which is what this brand is known for. (It had some but not enough to make it feel more fun like it should.) You can find some solid autos in this one and an array of other inserts that mix things up, making this one feel like a retro rip from the 1990s or early 2000s with hits in the mix, too. Not all boxes will be big -- there are a lot of younger names in there -- but there are surprises. You could mark me down as someone who would be in favor of Stadium Club getting a second series and another meaty set on an annual basis -- and a few more touches to give it some depth like an Allen & Ginter or Heritage. I think it could be an even bigger winner with that. If you're not buying to flip but instead buying to collect and see what you can land, this is definitely one to rip.

Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: A-
Fun Grade: B

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