Buzz Break: 2023 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (blaster)

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The box: 2023 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview, odds & checklist: Click here

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

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 14 (one with extra manufactured Relic card inside)
Cards in this box: 99
Base set completion: 
84 of 330 (25 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mike Trout, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Nolan Arenado, Jake McCarthy, Alex Bregman, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, Manny Machado

RC logo cards (12) – Josh Jung, Bo Naylor, James Outman, Hayden Wesneski, Ronny Henriquez, Garrett Mitchell, Ken Waldichuk, Yusniel Diaz, Jose Butto, Javier Assad, Nate Eaton, Cody Morris

Insert/short-print cards: 15 (all in gallery below with some base)
Home Run Challenge (1) – Pete Alonso
Stars of MLB (7) – Corbin Carroll, Manny Machado, Masataka Yoshida, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Oscar Gonzalez, Paul Goldschmidt
World Baseball Classic (1) – Jarren Duran
1988 Topps (1) – Bo Naylor
1988 Topps All-Stars (1) – Derek Jeter
Significant Statistics (1) – Tyler Rogers
Foil parallel (1) – Kris Bubic
Purple Sparkle parallel (1) – Jake McCarthy (/799)
Father's Day Commemorative Team Logo Patch Card (1) – Pete Alonso

Autographs/Memorabilia: None (manufactured Relic)

What's Buzz-worthy: The Purple parallel here is one in about seven blaster boxes making it the highlight of the box ... but I can't help but wonder if these kinds of cards need to be this rare -- or if more needs to be added to the lineups to help make the return of a small-format box stronger each time. It's a $2 card on eBay so scarcity isn't a driver ... and I don't mind him. (He's even on my fantasy team.)  Beyond that one, the other highlight-kinda card is the manufactured Relic -- a card type that had been around for years with Topps blasters but didn't make an appearance in all box formats this year. How many will miss it? I don't know but they can at least make a barren box seem less barren. ... As I noted last time I busted one of these, this one is the home to a few key names among the newcomers -- Masataka Yoshida, Corbin Carroll, Anthony Volpe and Jordan Walker -- but I'm not sure that lineup has aged that well ... and my crop is perhaps among the "wait and see" variety and that will happen with a larger-size set. The insert presence here is mostly led by the retail Stars of MLB cards, which are nice but flow so often they can be annoying unless a big name is attached. ... Just like I said for the first series, this one does have a busier design than some recent years but I think it feels tighter and more cleanly printed than some flagship sets. It wasn't perfect but nothing dramatically rough in terms of centering and stock -- and that has been an issue at times off and on of late. The array of inclusions here is good -- and jumbo boxes break with a lot more color and flash than hobby with guaranteed ink and more -- and about the only other thing I'd want to see would be a little more insert/parallel power in every pack in both hobby and here. That doesn't add cost ... just got to add to lineup to add some value here for boxes where the names aren't popping. If you like this one, rip jumbo boxes at their sale prices now a year later as those have guaranteed ink and more. That's where you'll have the best shot at rarer stuff popping up.

Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: B+ (Purple is a rarer find here .. some better names in spots but nothing big enough for an A)
Fun Grade: B-

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