As the world awaits his first MLB Rookie Cards in packs, there's still plenty to chase right now when it comes to this phenom.

Los Angeles Dodgers prospect and former Chiba Lotte Marines superstar Roki Sasaki won't have an in-pack RC until his official regular-season MLB debut and he won't have any other in-pack Dodgers cards as a prospect until the first Bowman sets of the year arrive. But, he's still got a bunch of cardboard already thanks to appearances in World Baseball Classic releases and Nippon Professional Baseball cards made by Topps for the Japanese market.

Sasaki's debut comes next week as the Dodgers take on the Cubs in the Tokyo Series, a two-game set that starts the MLB season in an international way and that location is fitting as Sasaki's four seasons in NPB once included a 19-strikeout perfect game and then eight more perfect innings in his next start after that to put him firmly on the radar of collectors around the world.

What's he got for cards? Keep reading ...

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A young player, international appeal, historic games ... and a Superfractor chase.

Those are some key ingredients making some hot cardboard right now -- if you know about it -- as 20-year-old Chiba Lotte Marines star Roki Sasaki has been arguably the most-dominant pitcher on the planet this month. A week ago, he threw a perfect game with 19 strikeouts in Nippon Professional Baseball action and he followed that up yesterday with eight perfect innings with 14 more strikeouts before the ball was handed to a closer.

Why might this matter to American collectors? Well, he's got 18 cards in both of Topps' 2021 NPB releases you can easily chase (or cash in on if that's your thing) with 10 in Chrome and eight in the basic set. They're all paralleled out so, yes, there's a Superfractor in play out there somewhere as he's dominating the game.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there are a dozen weird, cheap or interesting cards.

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BEFORE THE NBA CAREER ... 
The Card: LeBron James 2003 Sports Illustrated For Kids #264 (BGS 9)
The Price: $11
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There was a time when this was a popular card in the hobby -- maybe not Tiger Woods SI For Kids big, but popular. What is it? It's a card pulled from a perforated sheet in an issue of the kids' magazine, something it has done since the 1980s, showcasing countless big-name athletes and many others who don't have much -- or any -- cardboard. Everybody knows how much hype there was for James back then -- and his first cardboard from SAGE was huge -- but this one was one of only a few options until his NBA cardboard arrival on Rookie Cards (and plenty more) on 2003-04 releases. Ultimately all those early cards don't command as much interest as NBA stuff, but I liked the look and price on this one for a slab -- especially when you consider higher-graded cards can push $50-100 and 10s can be quite big at auction even today ... at least for a card found in a magazine.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... click here for NBA boxes

Keep reading for five more interesting items ...

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