Nine packs left of this long-lasting hobby box of 2016 Update. We've had our hits, but there's still some fun to be had. Let's just dive right into the festivities.
Pack 28-
Rookie Debuts: 2/10
Cameos from 2016 Newsmakers: 2/10
2016 Award Winners: 2/10
Peter Bourjos was a reminder that the Phillies are still far from the top, while Miguel Sano is a frightening warning that maybe those prospectors may not have been up to snuff.
Michael Conforto had a fantastic start but fell fast, as did Gerardo Parra this season. Ian Desmond had a pretty consistently amazing season.
Another lovely Ichiro insert, two great cards of players I collect with other players i collect in the shot, and a checklist of Max Scherzer tying the K-per-game record. Good stuff, especially for base cards in an inferior flagship set.
Pack 29-
Fantastic Rookies if this is April 2016: 2/10
Fantastic Rookies if this is November 27th, 2016: 1/10
Trades That May Not Have Gone As Well as Promised: 2/10
GOATs: 2/10
Tyler White and Junior Guerra had promising starts, and Yovani Gallardo had an injury-plagued season.
Starling Marte had a HUGE season, proving that maybe he can anchor the team if Cutch leaves. Jay Bruce will likely be bigger next season. Also, nice to see a Kershaw GOLD #'d 2016.
Corey Seager and Luis Severino are the Rookie Debuts on the pack. Obviously the former had a better season than the latter. Meanwhile, Mike Trout kicked serious ass in 2016.
Pack 30-
Former/Current Tampa Relievers: 2/10
2015 MVPs: 2/10
Concerning Impulse Trades: 2/10
Harper looking happy for once this season, Drew Pomeranz in a light moment with Boston, and Fernando Rodney, still closing games.
Josh Donaldson and Alex Colome have nice Mustard-ASG warm-up uniforms. Brett Lawrie's another Gold #'D to 2016 parallel.
Pack 31-
All dupes. Lovely stuff, Topps.
Pack 32-
Washington Nationals: 3/10
East Divisions: 5/10
Two Underwhelming 2016 Nats: Lucas Giolito was poised for greatness, but was simply okay in his few starts in the bigs this year. Meanwhile, Bryce Harper had a down year after his MVP win in '15.
Mark Melancon and Andrew Miller were two closers who benefitted from the trade deadline, while Matt Szczur and Hyun-Soo Kim were two bench players that had some moments to shine in the postseason.
Pack 33-
Home Run Derby: 2/10
Product Placements: 1/10
Under-the-radar Rookies: 2/10
Trumbo and Frazier both had a ton of bombs this season, but Maliex Smith did a pretty serviceable job for the Braves before landing on the DL.
Craig Kimbrel was...pretty alright in his first season in Boston. Yadier Molina had another strong season, proving he can anchor the team on Matt Holliday's absence. Also, I still don't entirely get these Franklin inserts.
Pack 34-
GAAAAAH Inserts: 1/10
Reminders that the Phillies Weren't God-Awful in 2016: 1/10
Tired Players in New Uniforms: 3/10
Yonder Alonso's trade to the A's went...as expected. He hit for average and played about 100 games. That's what you get. James Shields just fell apart, even after a trade to the White Sox.
Zach Britton, Francisco Lindor and Odubel Herrera had some great seasons, and all three deserved their ASG nods.
One of these two Trevor Story checklist base cards is a rainbow foil parallel. I forget which one.
Matt Kemp turned an already-nice year into a monster one upon landing in Atlanta. Anthony Rizzo's still one of the best players in Chicago, and this INSANE Fire insert proves that. Marcell Ozuna came up in a big way in 2016, and this is a pretty sweet card of him.
Pack 35-
Cards That Are Gonna Look Really Weird in Ten Years: 1/10
Dodgers: 3/10
Tim Lincecum was an Angel this season. At least you can say that.
Julio Urias is gonna be better next year, but here he is on his Rookie Debut.
Clayton Kershaw's still the best pitcher in baseball. Hyun-Soo Kim had a nice enough rookie season.
Bartolo Colon's homer gets a checklist. That's adorable.
Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton's HRD card is pretty great, plus Bachelor star Jojo Fletcher makes a relatively passable First Pitch.
Pack 36-
Legends in Odd Uniforms: 1/10
Rockies: 2/10
Players Who Have Already Been Traded: 1/10
Zack Greinke, even if he disappointed as a D-Back, was still a card-to-get for 2016. Rickey Henderson's 3000th hit came with the Padres, which makes this lukewarm insert sort-of worthwhile.
Trevor Story's Rookie Debut. ASG cards of CarGo, Stephen Vogt and Wil Myers. Cameron Maybin! All of them had base cards in the last pack.
That was a Hobby Box of '16 Update. And...that took quite a while. Definitely worth it, with a decent auto and some nice parallels, but mostly just exhausting to post.
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