Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball cards

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The box: 2022 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a breakdown and gallery of highlights with this one.

Packs per box: 18 (one three-card box-topper pack was planned but cards were loose atop the packs)
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 147
Base set completion: 
127 of 200 (64 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Marcelo Mayer, Kahlil Watson, Jordan Lawlar, Zac Veen, Robert Hassell, Luis Matos, George Valera, Jasson Dominguez, Benny Montgomery, Grayson Rodriguez, Jackson Jobe, Brayan Bello, Brett Baty, Elly De La Cruz, Jordan Walker, Triston Casas, Dustin Harris, Kyle Manzardo, Francisco Alvarez, Henry Davis, Diego Cartaya, Nick Gonzales, Nick Yorke, Justin Foscue, Anthony Volpe, Brennen Davis, Corbin Carroll, Jeter Downs, Triston Casas, Elijah Tatis, J.C. Correa, Darren Baker, Lonnie White Jr., Riley Greene, Yoelqui Cespedes, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Henry Davis, Joshua Baez, Benny Montgomery, Colton Cowser and others.

Insert/short-print cards: 18 (gallery of these and more below)
Short-prints (Nos. 201-220) – None (should have been three)
Green parallels (1) – Triple-A Strikeout Leaders (Matthew Liberatore & Jesse Scholtens) (/75)
1973 Topps Tarjetas (4) – Freudis Nova, Mildred Patino, Gage Workman, Brandon Howlett
1973 Topps Baseball Pin-Ups (3) – Luisangel Acuña, Jordan Walker, Euribiel Angeles
1973 Topps 1953 Reprint (6) – Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, Chipper Jones, Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar, Hedbert Perez
1973 Topps Pack Cover (4) – Jordan Lawlar, Kahlil Watson, Benny Montgomery, Reginald Preciado

Autographs/Memorabilia: 2
Real One Autographs (2) – Aaron Zavala, Luis Gonzalez

What's Buzz-worthy: I always make an effort to grab at least one box of this one each year as the retro feel just feels different with all of those quirky MiLB logos and this year is no different on that front. What was odd this year? I could be wrong here, but it feels like the best names are all jammed into one subset in the release -- the three-player prospect cards -- and that makes for a lean-feeling break and atop that my box didn't include the three high-number SPs that it should have had. Why is that a big deal? That part of the set is loaded with the top names to be found here and three of them can help a box out quite a bit with essentially one in seven boxes including any one guy on that part of the checklist. The feel is definitely 1973 Topps -- it's not the flashiest and I knew that opening here -- while a highlight is the 1953 cards with past and present stars. The Bo Jackson here is nice as is that Deion Sanders and there are others I didn't find that are classics. There are a lot of variants and other chases here but the odds are way, way higher here it seems vs. past years and the only thing I found on that front was the Green parallel that was one in 52 packs. If they made a lot more of this one vs. the norm, these boxes could be around a while, especially with the player crop perhaps (Im not totally sure) a little softer than some other years. (That's my gut feeling but I'm not a guy memorizing Baseball America prospect rankings.) My autos are nice and legible but not money guys this time. I do like a lot here ... but I think other years from the recent past are perhaps stronger right now and they definitely didn't make as much for this release in some past years. I'll probably wait to grab one more -- or maybe more if the price drops -- since so much stuff has been dropping this month.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade: B- (strong names here in streaks but missing all three high-numbers hurts here)
Fun Grade: B- (missing stuff and best names all jammed into trios cards = odd break)

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