Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.

1. Wander Franco, SS, Tampa Bay Rays — Low-A Bowling Green Hot Rods
Baseball America’s highlight line: “In 108 minor league games, only one pitcher has managed to strike him out more than once. ... He has not struck out swinging since May 20, and has not struck out at all since May 24. ... Through June 2, Franco is hitting .326 in the Midwest League as an 18-year-old. Two years ago, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was in the Midwest League as an 18-year-old, he hit … .326."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 300
First Chrome auto: 2019 Bowman 
One auto to consider: 2018 Elite Extra Edition
Buzz’s card take: The bad news here? If you don't know his name, you're late to the party and that will cost you way more buying his autos. The good news here? First, he's being compared to Vladdy Jr., and second he's got plenty of ink -- about half of his cards come with autos -- and there are inevitably more on the way. Simple as that. Pulling his autos are the best way to go as buy-in prices for his first Chrome ink can be on the stupid side ... well, only if he doesn't deliver. (So far, he has.)

Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...

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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 a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Drew Brees' new record, no love for Adam Thielen, a random football-movie thread, showing off Michael Jordan and Tony Gwynn, and ripping into Panini Contenders Draft Picks.

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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: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 
34 of 100 (34 percent)
Duplicates: 1

Notables found on base cards – Tom Brady, Nick Saban, Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, Deshaun Watson, Andrew Luck, John Elway, Cam Newton, Jerry Rice, Terry Bradshaw, J.J. Watt, Antonio Brown, LaDainian Tomlinson, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Eric Dickerson, Michael Irvin, Brian Bosworth

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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 Contenders Draft Picks (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 
27 of 100* (27 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Andrew Wiggins (2 versions), Brandon Ingram, Caleb Swanigan (2), Damian Lillard, Dennis Smith Jr., Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Draymond Green, Jamal Murray, James Harden, John Collins, John Wall (2), Jonathan Isaac, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi Leonard, Kobe Bryant, Kris Dunn, Kristaps Porzingis, Lauri Markkanen (2), Malik Monkm Markelle Fultz, Paul George, Vince Carter

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The New York Jets haven't had a lot of luck with quarterbacks in the recent past, but their newest signal-caller will already be in the record book when he sets foot on the field Monday night in Detroit.

At 21 years (and 97 days) old, Sam Darnold will be the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL since the 1970 AFL merger.

That should add a little more attention to the Rookie Cards of the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft -- at least until the NFL realities kick in. If he does well? Well, then, look out -- because his already pricey cardboard found in 2018 football boxes will get even steeper for rarer cards and autographs.

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What: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks baseball cards
Arrives: Oct. 3
Box basics: Six autographs per six-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Contenders hits the diamond with new draft picks, current prospects and memorable past stars all in their school colors.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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Panini America's National Sports Collectors Convention experience includes plenty of ripped wax -- if you want to partake of course -- and that begins within the first hour of Day 1 at the show beginning Wednesday in Cleveland.

It's via Box Wars and there are 31 battles scheduled for the show.

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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: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 
35 of 100 (35 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables found on base cards – Shaun Alexander, Derrick Henry, John Hannah, Amari Cooper, Ozzie Newsome, Steve Spurrier, John Elway, Adrian Peterson, Randy Moss, Derek Carr, Mitchell Trubisky, Dak Prescott, Marcus Allen, Barry Sanders, Matt Ryan, Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, Tim Tebow, Dick Butkus

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The card you see above doesn't exist ... but what if it did?

Buzz has been wondering for some time now what kind of demand there might be if one of the biggest names in the world could be found in new packs of football cards. Armed with Photoshop, Buzz chose 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks, a set that includes stars from the past as well as new pros, to present the question.

Everywhere you look, it seems that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is there -- Apple and Ford commercials, countless blockbuster movies, Ballers on the small screen, on Under Armour shoes and clothing, as People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" ... we could go on and on here, but the point is that he's a global household name. For collectors, you'll find him on cardboard in a number of WWE sets, of course, and in a few non-sports releases, too, complete with some of his only certified autographed cards from when he was just getting his global-dominance career started.

But it all began long before that at the University of Miami -- and that's where his cardboard started, too.

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What: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks basketball cards
Arrives: Aug. 29
Box basics: Six autographs per six-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The newest crop of stars of the college hardwood hit cardboard in a product that's once again including an autograph in every pack.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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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: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 
35 of 100 (35 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables found on base cards – Nick Saban, Joe Namath, Mack Brown, Antonio Brown, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Jerry Rice, Roger Staubach, Deshaun Watson, Brian Bosworth, Michael Irvin, Eric Dickerson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Aaron Rodgers, J.J. Watt, Andrew Luck

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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 a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: LeBron James and blowouts, childhood memories with baseball cards and big pulls leading the way.

Continue reading →

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 Contenders Draft Picks football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 
34 of 100 (34 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables found on base cards – Nick Saban, Joe Namath, Clay Helton, Deion Sanders, Russell Wilson, Antonio Brown, Jameis Winston, Adrian Peterson, Marcus Allen, Dak Prescott, Randy Moss, Leonard Fournette, Odell Beckham Jr., Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, John Elway, Carson Wentz, Terry Bradshaw, Jerry Rice

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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 a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Breaking down the NFL Draft, breaking down new NFL boxes, shredding 2018 Bowman, Ronald Acuña and pondering the hobby's future.

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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 a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Nothing but interesting breaks and big pulls in today's edition.

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What: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks football cards
Arrives: April 11
Box basics: Six autographs per six-pack box (12 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: The hit-per-pack approach to NFL Draft hopefuls' new cardboard continues with this one, which will also include past college greats.

Keep reading for more info as well as some early images.

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