Buzz Break: 2018 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball cards (blaster)

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: 2018 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 5
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 35
Longevity base set completion: 
30 of 100 (30 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Alex Rodriguez, Alex Faedo, Jake Burger, Seth Beer, Tanner Houck, Jon Olsen, Taylor Walls, Tyler Holton, K.J. Harrison, Ethan Hankins, Brice Turang, Jarred Kelenic, Triston Casas, Michael Siani, Mason Denaburg

Insert cards: 2 (all in gallery below along with a few base cards)
Longevity Base Ruby parallel (1) – Nick Pratto (/249)
Longevity Base Emerald parallel (1) – Carter Young (/5)

Autographs/Memorabilia: 3
Jumbo Materials (1) – Ethan Hankins (/299)
14U National Team Signatures (1) – Ryan Bertran (/191)
Silhouettes Signatures Jerseys (1) – Jacob Galloway (/199) 

What's Buzz-worthy: Here's a surprise from the Walmart card aisle -- Panini America has brought its annual Stars & Stripes USA Baseball release to the chain for the first time. Typically a staple of Target as a "Longevity" branded version the set, that's precisely what this one also is -- though it's not labeled that way on the front panel of the box. (The side panel notes it as a 100-card Longevity set.) What else is interesting here? The box notes two autographs and game-worn memorabilia cards per box -- but every single one I've ripped has had three. (And I've ripped a few so look for a few more breaks here in the coming days and weeks.) This one included ink from players on the 14U National Team Development Program born in 2003 so that puts them as ... potential 2021 MLB Draft class members if picked out of high school and as late as 2025 if the go through four years of college? Whoa ... that's some long-range prospecting. Meanwhile, Hankins is a top prospect for this year's MLB Draft who's committed to Vanderbilt. The base set includes a mix of past and recent USA players so you have the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Mark McGwire, guys drafted last year, guys to be drafted this year and then guys who'll possibly get the call in the future. Based on the tiny type on the bottom of the box, everything is potentially in play here -- autos from across the spectrum with parallels, patch cards, button cards, laundry tags and more. Hobby boxes include five packs and a hit in every single one of them as well as a parallel every time. Hobby is likely your safest bet for the biggest pulls, but these deliver very well for the price, considering that they include more than what was planned.

Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A
Fun Grade: A

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