Two Blasters of 2020 Topps Series 1

It's become as much of a tradition for me to scour the retail shelves on the day the new flagship is released and lament upon the lack of any new product to open than it is for me to eventually find a few boxes of it sitting hidden because WalMart doesn't know how to restock their card aisles.

I was literally about to leave WalMart in sadness when I found a the 2020 Topps stuff tucked into a corner next to the yu-gi-oh cards, just taunting me. This is the thanks I get for wasting precious gasoline on trekking to numerous big box stores on my off day three days ago and coming back empty-handed, without even finding a bottle of the only flavor of conditioner I like, and then testing fates and going to the one store I think will have the stuff, not finding any, and then going back to WalMart and thinking it's a similar situation? This is how you repay my blind consumerism and baseless addiction?

...anyway here's some cards.

Blaster #1-
Guaranteed Rookie Logo Medallion Card: Ernie Banks, 54T. Very nice

Pack 1-
46- GARY SANCHEZ. A YANKEE IS MY FIRST CARD OF THE YEAR. I DID IT. I BEAT THE ODDS. I- okay, I'm not gonna be manic this whole post, let's calm down.
150- Ronald Acuña Juña. Glad this guy's the real deal
210- Mitch Garver
331- Kevin McCarthy
114- Ildemaro Vargas, who may be a bit strapped for playing time this year in AZ.
165- Matt Boyd
47- Dansby Swanson. Very cool action shot
10- Austin Meadows. I've decided that I do like the sideways shots overall, even though they illuminate the fact that this design rotated 90 degrees is just the 2018 design. Other than that, I'm fine with the design this year, even if it's not as good as 2019's.
83- Yankees team card.
87- Cardinals team card. Good and evil, back to back. Also, the team cards are just group shots and no longer sweeping stadium shots, which is definitely a move
CHROME Turkey Red of Charlie Morton. I am very happy Turkey Red is back, and even happier that they're seeded so generously
Turkey Red of Jose Ramirez. Might be chasing a bunch of these this year. They're hella fun.
296- Whit Merrifield
12- Sam Hilliard

Pack 2-
328- Chris Davis. I can name 10 Rangers who deserved a card over another one for the sub-.200 hero. WATCH I'MMA DO IT- Gallo, Choo, Pence, Minor, Lynn, KLUBER, Odor, Andrus, Mazara, RENDON. There. Eat it.
136- Amed Rosario
153- Andrew Cashner
332- Jacob de Grom. You ask me, this is the Met that should have been on the cover of the product
123- Seth Brown
24- Kenley Jansen
292- Gavin Lux, one of the few rookies I care about in this set.
31- Goodrum close call CL. Man, Niko Goodrum gets a checklist and the Rangers can't even get a non-rookie base card?
216- Scott Kingery. GREAT photo.
279- MASAHIRO TANAKA, in such a great dramatic shot.
2010s Decade's Best Teams of THE YANKEES. If they're the best team of the decade, why can't they get a ring? Answer- cause the Astros are cheaters.
Turkey Red of Ozzie Albies
135- Enrique Hernandez
130- Michael Chavis. We're still doing Future Stars, I guess?

Pack 3-
311- David Bote
59- Chris Archer
287- Jose Peraza. As awesome as this uniform is...OUTDATED CARD #1. YEP, I'M DOING THIS AGAIN. Peraza's on the Red Sox right now.
81- Ryan Yarbrough
42- Lewis Brinson. Another guy Topps keeps giving a chance rather than letting the Rangers have base cards.
242- Alex Young
268- Ian Desmond. I'll give the horizontal cards this- they're very good at letting photos that'd normally be truncated on a vertical breathe, and giving more depth into a simple shot
107- Luis Castillo. This one as well
91- Yolmer Sanchez. Outdated Card #2, he's now with the Giants
208- Zack Collins
228- Logan Allen GOLD #'D TO 2020. Man, the gold denotation on these cards is too minimalistic.
Turkey Red of Shohei Ohtani. Nice
41- Brian Anderson
189- Mike Moustakas. Outdated Card #3, now on the Reds.

Pack 4-
25- Kirby Yates
288- Jon Gray
133- Michael Brosseau. Pretty sure he goes by Mike, Topps
320- Austin Hedges
252- Aaron Hicks. VERY cool card.
5- JaCoby Jones
113- Matt Carpenter. Again, the photography is definitely improved over usual releases.
177- Craig Kimbrel. Yeah, they give him a horizontal to do his full hunched over pre-pitch pose. That's pretty great
27- Brewers TC
HOSKINS insert, because I got these at WalMart and they spoke right to my Philly-ness
85T insert of CAL RIPKEN. A guy who was ACTUALLY IN THE 85 SET. FINE THEN.
Turkey Red of Pete Alonso. Nice that I pulled this one instead of having to overpay for it at a show.
112- Max Stassi
358- Adrian Morejon

Pack 5-
323- Tyler White. Something something Rangers.
235- Dustin May rookie, so at least that's pretty nice
54- Hunter Dozier
70- Nico Hoerner, one of the other big rookies I was hoping for in this set
214- Trea Turner
139- Jose Quintana
68- JAMES PAXTON. Sucks he'll be out for a bit, but still a powerful Yankee weapon
160- Arenado/Yelich TC
61- Biggio/Bichette TC
327- Cavan Biggio. Nice timing there
Home Run Challenge of GIANCARLO STANTON.
Turkey Red of Rafael Devers
307- Daniel Palka
34- Ian Kinsler. Glad he got a sendoff card. Also, FULL STATS ON THE BACK, GUYS. WE GOT IT BACK.

Pack 6-
316- Justin Turner
225- Oscar Mercado
247- Garrett Cooper. Glad someone finally gave him a starting gig
326- Dylan Cease RC, another necessary find
318- Omar Narvaez. Outdated Card #4, now on the Brewers
109- Reese McGuire
52- Yasmani Grandal. LOT of catchers in this pack. Great shot here. Also, Outdated Card #5, now on the White Sox
291- Tyler Naquin
175- Lucas Giolito
207- Zac Gallen RC. As nice as this is, it's a shame Topps couldn't document Gallen's equally-stellar tenure on the Marlins
Decade of Dominance Die-Cut of ICHIRO. This, at least, is a nice insert
Turkey Red of Anthony Rendon, still on the Nats, so Outdated Card #6
60- Matt Barnes
144- Jake Arrieta, who better have a comeback year with the Phils this year.

Pack 7-
101- Brad Hand
322- Dario Agrazal. Outdated Card #7, now on the Tigers
197- Raisel Iglesias. I kind of love the zoom in on this one.
115- Matt Thaiss
99- Dan Vogelbach. Cool, fun picture here.
86- Hyun-Jin Ryu LEADERS
169- Jacob Waguespack
19- Angels TC
298- Hollywood Heroes TC
HOSKINS insert, flashing back to Players Weekend 2017
Turkey Red of Buster Posey, which is a nice one
63- Christian Vazquez
92- Blake Treinen. Outdated Card #8, now on the Dodgers

Box #2
Guaranteed Rookie Logo Medallon- Rhys Hoskins 2018T. A very Rhys-centric break, which I'm fine with

Will do highlights from here on out, as there's a few dupes in each pack because Topps sucks

Pack 1-
171- Kole Calhoun. Outdated Card #9, now on the D-Backs
110- Jesus Luzardo
349- Carlos Correa
36- Sean Doolittle in a VERY COOL closer shot.
176- Brandon Belt
Decade's Next insert of Rafael Devers
Turkey Red of GERRIT COLE. Outdated Card #10, now on the Yankees. However, this is a cool card, so I'll deal

Pack 2-
80- VERY COOL SHOT of Austin Barnes
273- Bryan Abreu
336- Miguel Cabrera
53- Pete Alonso Leaders. Card 53, because 53 homers. Not bad
137- Merrill Kelly
84- Ken Giles
305- Tyler Glasnow
HOSKINS insert. I'm still fine with these
Decade's Best Award Winners of Aaron Judge. I'm fine with the Judge love, but this is a lazy photo
Turkey Red of Cody Bellinger, which looks AWESOME

Pack 3-
217- Amir Garrett
321- Eduardo Rodriguez
163- Ryan Pressly. One of the best bullpen assets in the league
116- Daniel Murphy
66- Andrew Heaney
192- Yusei Kikuchi. I really hope he has a better sophomore season
324- Mike Soroka
315- Adam Frazier
184- Mychal Givens SHINY
Turkey Red of Charlie Blackmon

Pack 4-
9- Trent Grisham. Cool card, but outdated card #11, traded to San Diego
89- Kurt Suzuki. Tagging out a Phillie at the plate here, which is the 2nd most infuriating thing Zuk was documented doing last year.
200- Christian Yelich. Glad he got a hero card
251- AJ Puk rookie
71- Sandy Alcantara. Led the league in losses and still had a solid year. That's Miami for ya
201- Francisco Lindor
44- Tommy Edman. Sneaky little player right here.
102- Josh Phegley. Good to see we're embracing catcher's gear cards again
286- Blake Parker. One of the many Phillies that somehow didn't get updated cards last year
85T JD Martinez
Turkey Red of Eloy Jimenez

Pack 5-
57- A VERY COOL SHOT OF Travis Demeritte. That's how I want my rookie card to look.Detroit Stars uniform and everything
185- Johnny Cueto
124- Jose Berrios
215- Luke Jackson
21- Shane Greene, who looks good in a Braves uniform
55- Jose Martinez, Outdated Card #12, now on the Rays
231- Randal Grichuk. I wonder how much longer the Jays will need to keep him around until the youth movement is ready
343- Carson Kelly
HOSKINS insert
Home Run Challenge of 'rookie' Yordan Alvarez. Friggin Topps...
Turkey Red of Willson Contreras

Pack 6-
309- Robbie Grossman
259- Jaylin Davis RC. I'm so glad Topps is NAILING landscape shots again
301- MIKE TAUCHMAN.
299- David Price. Outdated C-...well, the deal technically hasn't gone through yet, and how could they have known, so this doesn't count
256- Roman Quinn in SUCH A COOL 80S THROWBACK
93- Alex Colome keeps the throwback train going
143- Christian Yelich Leaders
145- Paul Goldschmidt
263- JP Crawford looking great in the field
Topps Choice of Babe Ruth on the 1956 design. Not bad!
Turkey Red of ZACK GREINKE AS AN ASTRO. FINALLY

Pack 7-
206- Tommy Pham. Outdated Card #13, now on the Padres
11- Anthony Rendon Leaders. Outdated Card #14
222- Andrew Chafin
159- Jorge Soler. Still cannot believe he led the AL in homers.
257- Joey Lucchesi
243- Jeimer Candelario
69- Brendan McKay
334- Kevin Pillar. How has nobody signed him yet?
64- KYLE LEWIS RC. Very cool.
74- Bubba Starling RC
65- Indians TC GOLD NUMBERED TO 2020
Turkey Red of Justin Verlander. 3 Astros pitchers in Turkey Reds in one box. Good thing they weren't in on the cheating...

So, that's 2020 Series 1. It's...fine. Not as good as this years. Better inserts, better photography, but same general monotony to it. I'm definitely gonna get more, because I wanna chase the Turkey Reds, but it's...nothing TOO spectacular.