Buzz Break: 2023 Topps Chrome Platinum MLB (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: 2023 Topps Chrome Platinum baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist: Click here ... see odds here

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

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 4-5 (Prism Refractors are inserted as extra cards)
Cards in this box: 35
Base set completion: 
29 of 500 (6 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ronald Acuña Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kirby Puckett, Joe Morgan, Jim Palmer, Ivan Rodriguez, Buster Posey, Manny Machado, Giancarlo Stanton, Bartolo Colon, Felix Hernandez

RC logo cards (8) – Michael Harris II, Shea Langeliers, Yusniel Diaz, Ezequiel Duran, Kyle Stowers, Garrett Mitchell, Buddy Kennedy, Nolan Jones

Insert/short-print cards: 6 (all in gallery below with some base)
Refractors (2) – Brandon Crawford, Christian Yelich
Prism Refractors (2) – Will Smith, Trey Mancini
Blue Prism Refractors (1) – Michael Grove
Topps Refractors (1) – Mason Miller (/499)

Autographs: None

What's Buzz-worthy: The anniversary part of the name is no longer, so this one may have evolved into an annual version of Topps Chrome Heritage though it was yet again a substantially late release (arriving just recently) that probably steals a bit of its potential thunder with the rookies and their demand as, by now, they have plenty of stuff to collect. This time? It's 1954 and it's a marked improvement over the 1953 edition and that got me to bite here along with a seemingly abnormal number of people saying they landed ink here ... 0-for-2 for me for the record. The autos start at one in 61 packs ... so that's not that unusual for them to flow, though that's still a higher mark at basically one in eight boxes (five per blaster case) for ink out of boxes that are not on the cheaper side ... so rip hobby boxes if you're wanting ink. Generally, this one was cleaner than some recent past Chromes but still not flawless on the printing front ... right away I noticed lines on card backs and some minor funk at times on fronts but it's not Bowman U Chrome or 2021 Platinum rough so that's good. Really, the background colors here more than anything are the only minor issue -- I initially tried sorting my pulls by color pack by pack but the greens and yellows looked too similar while the no-colors and the light blues also kind of blended as well while working under a direct light. Not big deals but details that could have been tweaked -- n0thing says you have to match 1954 as there wasn't Chrome in 1954 (to state the obvious). I landed a couple of rookies in this one that caught my attention but with only one numbered card per blaster and then the small array of parallels (the same lineup as last time) ... it still seemed lean. I landed the basic stuff twice with only the numbered card being from a slightly rarer set in both of my boxes. With a big set and small packs, these smaller boxes will be especially hit and miss -- especially with parallels being the big draw in most of them -- but that could help value on singles. For the box price, I'll probably just pick off singles ... or maybe spring for a hobby box if I get a hankering for more after posting the second blaster of basics to come here in future weeks.

Product Grade: B+ (way better than 2022 edition)
Box Grade: B
Fun Grade: B (rip hobby for the guaranteed ink and more volume)

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