Buzz Break: 2020 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (blaster box)

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: 2020 Topps Series 2 baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard, one medallion card pack)
Cards per pack: 14
Cards in this box: 99
Base set completion: 
78 of 350 (22 percent)
Duplicates: 3

Notables on base cards – Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, Keston Hiura, Stephen Strasburg, Trevor Story, Cole Hamels

Rookie Cards (3) – David Bednar, Garrett Stubbs, Scott Heineman

Insert/short-print cards: 18 (all in gallery below with some base)
Advanced Stats parallel (1) – Isiah Kiner-Falefa (/300)
Gold parallel (1) – Tanner Roark (/2,020)
Best of Topps Now  (1) – Luis Robert
1985 Topps (2) – Luis Robert, Dale Murphy
Turkey Red (7) – Mike Schmidt, Noah Syndergaard, Ryan Zimmerman, Chris Paddack, Trent Grisham, Alex Young, Robel Garcia
Turkey Red Blue (1) – Justin Dunn (/50)
Turkey Red Chrome (1) – Reggie Jackson
Significant Statistics (1) – Mike Trout
Empire State Awards Winners (2) – Pete Alonso (Walmart boxes only)
Player Medallion Cards (1) – Brendan McKay

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What's Buzz-worthy: This is my first in-person look at this one as blaster boxes are just now starting to arrive for the second series of the hobby staple due to coronavirus printing and packaging delays. The series is lean in some spots -- see my Rookie Card "haul" here -- but it's also one that is in step with the stronger Series 1 release but is still strong in a slightly less-flashy way. My crop of names in the base set here isn't bad -- just not a lot of depth in a seven-pack box -- but it over-delivered with the inserts. The Blue Turkey Red card here? One in 784 packs (one in 112 boxes), while the Advanced Stats card is one in 65 packs (one in 10 boxes) and the Gold and Chrome cards are, statistically, not found in every box (every other per the odds). Also helping out here? A pair of Luis Robert insert appearances and a Mike Trout along with a couple of Walmart-only Pete Alonso appearances. The coin card here is among the heaviest manufactured Relics I've seen -- perhaps only topped by some jumbo medallion cards of the past -- to round things out with that set about 50 players to make that chase for certain players more rewarding (at least in the short-term). The overall feel here is strong but I'd suggest doing a jumbo hobby box as the volume there is comfy with an auto and other hits guaranteed every time -- plus those boxes have had some collation issues in some instances with insane runs on super-rare cards. (Hit the forum to see ... some crazy multi-Trout, multi-patch runs have happened.) This box was oddly strong but you never know whether they might over-deliver more with the issues and delays that have been found out there. There are SPs in this one, too, with some rare cards also possible in this format -- you never know what might pop up if you rip a few.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade: A+ (three numbered cards -- two pretty rare -- in one box)
Fun Grade: B

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com