There are two ways to look at spring training stats -- they can offer glimpses of reality to come or they can provide false hope.

We're a good ways into this year's slate of spring games and the MLB stat sheet so far shows some hobby-friendly names among the leaders in home runs.

As of today, Maikel Franco and Steven Moya are tops in homers with four apiece -- both good signs as they are young players with star potential who have plenty of cardboard for collectors to chase.

Other established guys like Colorado's Nolan Arenado (.556 average; 10-for-18) have impressive starts as well. Philadelphia's Darin Ruf might get some attention as well, though he's not exactly popular compared to back when he arrived. (Is he a potential bargain to stash? We'll see.)
Sort the stat sheet a different way, and you'll see Atlanta's Hector Olivera with 13 hits and a .433 average, while Detroit's Ian Kinsler has 12 RBI in eight games.

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A card show begins in Los Angeles tonight and lasts all the way until March 26 -- and you have a shot at owning any and all of the superstars in attendance as long as you're there early enough.

The difference? It's at an art gallery -- at Gallery 1988 (East) -- and the cards are prints from California illustrator Cuyler Smith, whose focus is the biggest names in the sports world ... err, the sports movie world.

Buzz caught up with Smith before his show, "Trading Cards," opens with a reception tonight at 7 p.m.

Q: How did you happen to focus on cards and card-size art?
A: It all started when I made a card for a group show at Gallery 1988 focusing on the films of Tom Hanks. I knew I wanted to do something different and the baseball card was a perfect fit for A League of Their Own.

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What: 2016 Topps Anthology Series 1 baseball cards
Arrives: Now on Topps.com.
Box basics: 66 5-by-7 cards per set

What's buzz-worthy: Topps looks back at the most-iconic cards in its 65-year history of MLB cardboard with Anthology, a new online-only release that reprints past classics in a larger format.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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There have been bobbleheads, meetings with Hank Aaron, a news conference to address Internet death rumors, an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and plenty of other attention for a bichon frise mix, but there's about to be a new chapter in the life of Hank, the dog taken in by the Milwaukee Brewers.

He's getting an official Major League Baseball card.

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You can find them in packs. You can find them as 5x7s. You can find them as posters. You can find them as 1/1s.

What are they? They're 2016 Topps MLB Wacky Packages and they arrived on Wednesday in all of those formats via the typical hobby channels or via Topps.com for larger sizes.

Rather than re-hash the details (which you can find on The Buzz with a search), here's a look at many of the pieces from the product.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Over-delivering blasters, legendary packs, the new king in football & more.

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Just signed these bad boys for @toppscards. I am fairly certain this was highly stylish back in the day!! pic.twitter.com/JXMVVf6r1H

— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) March 8, 2016

We all know how 1990s the 1992 Bowman set can be ... but Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones lived it. He also re-lived it recently signing jumbo versions of his early cards for Topps Authentics.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com.

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Steph Curry's Topps Rookie Card keeps on selling, hot 2016 Topps Heritage blaster boxes, Superfractors, big pulls & more.

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The newest Wacky Packages release from Topps is one that pokes fun at Major League Baseball while also bringing some new looks at its biggest stars.

You know, its mascots.

Beyond the 90 MLB-spoofing stickers in 2016 Topps MLB Wacky Packages (click here for our First Buzz preview from October), there are autographs from five notable mascots, five big-leaguers and a selection of Relics from two different areas of the game.

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What: 2016 Onyx Platinum Elite baseball cards
Arrives: April
Box basics: Two autographs per four-card box (25 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Prospecting heads high-end with this product that includes "an epic checklist" according to the company with at least two autographs per box from a roster of signers that includes No. 1 draft pick Dansby Swanson, Brendan Rodgers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and plenty more with a rainbow of parallels, too.

Keep reading for more, including a gallery.

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When 2016 Topps Legacies of Baseball arrives on March 30, the new brand will include a first-time signer for the company.

That signer is Los Angeles Dodgers rookie pitcher Kenta Maeda, who signed with the team after a successful career in Japan and made his spring debut this past weekend.

“Maeda is a popular player on a big market team with dominant international statistics,” said baseball brand manager Zvee Geffen. “It’s a combination driving excitement for fans everywhere, and Topps is the only place collectors will find his Major League Baseball-licensed autographed cards.”

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For 2016 Topps baseball products that don't get a standalone story here on The Buzz when a final checklist is released, we'll place a link to a PDF of the set's checklist right here. (Click here if you need any 2015 Topps baseball checklists.)

You'll be able to find all of them in PDF form as released by the company and all in one spot.(Click here or on Checklist Zone at right for other products and companies.)

Keep reading to see the checklists posted so far.

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They've snuck their way into memorabilia cards in recent years making the actual items used on the field a bit more accessible, but one of the simplest traditions in Major League Baseball is nearly here.

Every big-league team wears green uniforms of some type during action on or around St. Patrick's Day and, of course, fans can get in on the action, too.

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Is your 1967 Topps baseball card set complete? There's a chance it might not be now.

A funny thing happened when Buzz was working to confirm the various errors and variations in the 1967 card set in the weeks before the arrival of this year's homage, 2016 Topps Heritage.

There appears there could be a third version of Mike McCormick's card No. 86. When examining a group of 1967 cards, Buzz noticed a possible version (above) that's not cataloged anywhere among the various error & variations lists or noted on any population reports despite this set being 49 years old. It's a dramatically different version of the card for the Washington Senators pitcher who was traded to the San Francisco Giants, which is the reason for the variations to exist.

It turns out that this card is from the 1967 O-Pee-Chee set, though there is only one version cataloged there. Could a third version like this exist for the Topps card? Or are there two versions for O-Pee-Chee? Keep reading for the details.

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Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Kenta Maeda will be among the notable inclusions when 2016 Topps Tribute baseball cards arrive on July 13.

He was a star in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball with a triple crown, two nods as the top pitcher in the league and five All-Star nods.

But he won't be the only rookie signing on for the brand.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Busting 2016 Topps Heritage, custom cards, RGIII ... and more Heritage.

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Panini America's flagship baseball card release for the year is here in the form of 2016 Donruss, which is a brand that packs three hits per hobby box and even some chicken.

The brand is one that relies on the staples of collecting -- top players from the past and present, autographs, memorabilia, strong photos, vibrant designs and more -- while also harkening back to 1982 and other past Donruss releases.

And more is what you just might find inside a box.

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Topps Authentics is clearly hoarding top young shortstops.

Cleveland Indians star Francisco Lindor is the latest player to sign on exclusively with Topps' autographed memorabilia line after a rookie season that included a .313 average, 12 homers and 51 RBI in just 99 games last year. He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year race to fellow shortstop and Topps Authentics player Carlos Correa.

His autographs will be found on oversized Chrome cards, jerseys, balls and bats as part of the deal and he joins a group that also includes Yankees pitcher Luis Severino, Red Sox pitcher Henry Owens and Braves third baseman Hector Olivera.

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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: 2016 Topps Heritage baseball cards (Hot Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24 (plus one box-topper)
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 216
Base set completion: 
169 of 425 (40 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable names pulled on base cards: Ichiro Suzuki, Kris Bryant, Byron Buxton, Carlos Rodon, Manny Machado.

Rookie Cards pulled (11) -- Notables include Corey Seager, Michael Conforto, Aaron Nola, Henry Owens, Raul Mondesi.

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There's a surprise to be found in some packs of 2016 Donruss that officially arrives Wednesday as cards of Ted Giannoulas -- aka The Famous San Diego Chicken -- can be found inside.

Card No. 151 in the set is not a veteran, Hall of Famer or rookie -- it's a card of the world-famous and Hall of Famer mascot.

But more important than that card and all of its parallels? There are memorabilia cards and autographed memorabilia cards of the legendary mascot to be found as part of the product's overall nod back to 1982 -- the year of the Chicken's "Rookie Card."

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What: 2016 Topps The Mint baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 17
Box basics: Five autographs per hobby box (four boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps takes its baseball cards to high-end levels not seen before with this ultra high-end brand that "will raise the bar for premium card collecting" with a box that packs nothing but autographs and game-used -- oh and an autograph of Atlanta Braves rookie Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh from Bull Durham, too.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Cut autos, new Topps Supreme football breaks & more

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Player collections, Panini Americana, oldschool box breaks and classic wrestling debates.

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The first cards from 2016 Topps Heritage are starting to trickle onto eBay from retail boxes around the country and we're getting our first looks at new names and new faces in new places on the revival of the 1967 Topps design.

That means David Price with his Red Sox threads, Jason Heyward as a Cub and Rookie Cards of Corey Seager, Kyle Schwarber and a pairing of Aaron Nola and Michael Conforto for starters.

Buzz's personal box and break will arrive on Wednesday, but until then we'll update a gallery of images and add short-print info here.

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More than 18,000 big-leaguers have taken the field since the National League was formed in 1876, and today's the day that we can realize how unique some of those players are.

Today's Feb. 29 -- yep, it's a Leap Year -- and in 140 years of professional baseball at the highest of levels just 12 make the cut if you want a unique collection.

How? Only 12 big-leaguers were born on Feb. 29.

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