Buzz Break: 2024 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes (mega)

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: 2024 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes baseball cards (mega)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby/H2)

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

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 60
Longevity base set completion: 
30 of 200 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards — see everything in gallery.

Insert cards: 27 (all cards from box in gallery below)
Opening Day parallel (12) – Seaver King, J.C. Pacheco, Cade Allen, Christian Moore, Kaelen Culpepper, Griff O'Ferrall, Zion Theophilus, Nicholas Terhaar, Evan Amos, Chase Cotton, Dominic Fritton, Anthony Martinez
Stripes parallel (12) – Seaver King, Grady Emerson, Trey Yesavage, Brandon Neely, Fran Oschell III, Carter Johnson, Grant Mehrhoff, Landon Schaefer, Colin Anderson, Devin Futrell, Miguel Velazquez, Bradyn Garner
Green parallel (3) – David Ramirez, Evan Chrest, Jack Smejkal

Autographs/Memorabilia: 3
15U National Team Materials (1) – Nolan Traeger
16U/17U National Team Development Program Signatures (1) – Caden Crowell
Holo 13U/14U Athlete Development Program Signatures (1) – Orion Gonzalez

What's Buzz-worthy: Want some of the earliest cards and autographs possible for guys who could end up being stars in the high school, college or pro ranks later all with a universal clean look? Rip into this one or pick off singles. How early? Retail boxes just like this include exclusive autos for players who legit could have five or even 10 years before they arrive on collecting radars -- members of the USA Baseball 13U and 14U Athlete Development Program. If early scouting isn't your thing, then you can also find new MLB Draft selections here, too. (Per USA Baseball, 17 first-rounders this year were past players and they've had almost 600 first-rounders since 1972.) This year's mega box is the same size as last year but with a pretty different feel -- last year everything basic was on Optichrome stock while this year is pearlized foilboard. This year to make up some of that difference, the parallel volume is much higher -- three sets here with two found heavily and one a little rarer in comparison. Atop that, you get three hits -- though last year my last box had four. Also in play for parallels here are rarer Liberty (/10) and 1/1 Black Swirl cards and then a mess of hits. (See the gallery for the full breakdown on the box -- retail is heavy on the future names that can make this one a sleeper or one to break and piece out over time as players arrive as MLB prospects.) Also of note this year? The base set is deeper two -- twice the size of last time -- and that means more cards of the younger names, too. This is a simple way to load up -- a case would be interesting here while hobby includes a lot more -- for cards of the future now. I really wish I would have watched and busted some USA cases from recent years as so many draft picks can be found here first on premium cards years later.

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Product Grade: A (more depth than ever, early cards for many)
Box Grade: A- (this delivers a lot of long-term potential)
Fun Grade: B (more parallels helps but still not a ton of variety)

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