Did the Hobby Box Break Get Me the 43 Cards to Finish Series 2??!

When last we looked at the results of my retail packaged 769-base card sorting, I found I had 307 of the 350 cards needed to complete the Series 2 set. I was left needing 43 cards to finish the set. I had five retail packs that I had not opened plus the full jumbo box to break. My recent history with this kind of luck was screaming, "No, you will not finish this set after you open the Hobby box. Prepare to beg for trades on TCDB and possibly Facebook." But, I clearly believed I had a shot at it.

So when my family went to my sister's house for the 4th of July festivities, I brought the Hobby box and after food was served and conversations kept going (the rain may have been a factor as well), I decided to go inside and open the 10 packs to try my luck.

To review, the list below contains the 43 cards I needed to complete S2. Plenty of eventual 2026 All-Stars on this list (Adley Rutschman, Juan Soto, Ernie Clement, Jordan Walker), the Rays, Giants, Marlins, and White Sox team cards, the Jack Dreyer ASRT card, a lone Cubs card (Justin Steele)...

Back to the point.

Let's just say that after the first look at what was inside, I was already worried. 

Because one of the packs looked pretty thin for a jumbo pack. Could this mean that I may have pulled huge relic card, thick enough to remove almost everything??!

No. The pack that should have had 40 cards in it only held 26. Panic was starting to creep in.

To alleviate the pit in my stomach, I first opened the bonus packs of 1991 Topps Chrome cards.

Pack 1:

• #91C2-35 Tatsuya Imai
• #91C2-37 Samuel Basallo
• #91ASC-30 Freddie Freeman
• #91ASC-26 Pete Crow-Armstrong

Pack 2:

• #91C2-48 Lawrence Butler
• #91C2-11 Kyle Schwarber
• #91ASC-34 Ronald Acuña Jr.
• #91ASC-13 Ichiro

Thoughts: pretty good packs. Balanced between the regular 1991 cards and the All-Star cards. And yes, a PCA All-Star card among the 8. Can't complain. Will add all to the trade/sell list. Maybe keep PCA though.

So with the anxiety already starting, I started opening each pack. Here were the results:

Pack 1: 394, 470 408

Eric Wagarman of the Twins, Brandon Nimmo of the Rangers, and the Rays team card. Okay, not too bad a start. I figured that most of what I was missing would be clumped together in a group. Think of it this way. If you opened packs of 1989 Topps and found a Chris Sabo, you will 99% for sure get the Mark Grace card behind it.

Back to the story.

Pack 2: 664, 390, 600

Jayden Murray of the Astros, Jack Dreyer of the Dodgers, and Juan Soto of the Mets. Another trio grouped together in the pack. Okay, this is consistent. Six cards down, 37 to go. Crossing fingers. 

Pack 3: nothing

This was the infamous 26-card pack. My first thought was, "If I don't manage to complete this set, I am definitely calling Topps to complain."

Pack 4: 422, 499, 486, 520, 460

Now we're getting somewhere. Five cards, a trio and a pair. And with the Steele card in hand, I have the full Cubs set for the year.

Pack 5: nothing

At this point, it was a nice run. But based on the first four packs, only a miracle could complete this set.

Pack 6: 480, 382, 539, 565, 578, 430, 571, 621, 696, 580, 634, 522, 375

Cue the miracle. Thirteen cards out of 40 in the pack. With 24 cards now in hand, the odds of getting the remaining 19 started to look pretty good.

Pack 7: 592, 661, 523, 684, 505, 663, 579

This definitely helped. Seven more cards to bring the needs pile down to 12. The pack even included the guaranteed relic card, 

Momentum was shifting, disaster starting to feel averted.

Pack 8: nothing

Cue the disaster. The only saving grace of this pack was that it contained the auto. Okay, it was a redemption card for a 1991 Topps card. Of Samuel Basallo from the Orioles. Which I have 10 years to redeem.

Pack 9: 562, 501, 655, 429, 610

Okay. Five more cards. With 36 cards after 9 packs, and one pack to go. I need 7...SEVEN cards to complete the set. Time to clench.

Pack 10: 

546 Nick Fortes, Rays

414 Andy Pages, Dodgers

564 Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics

496 San Francisco Giants Team Card

451 Jake Burger, Rangers

593 Sal Frelick, Brewers

...

...

...

358 Adley Rutschman, Orioles

It happened.

IT HAPPENED!!!

I managed to get the final cards I needed. Fortunately, I kept the screaming to a minimum.

It was a good day to be a card collector. Especially a good day to be THIS card collector.

Although the set is now complete, I've yet to be able to have time to put them into the binder. I'm hoping that I can do that soon.

Maybe after the All-Star Game is over.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Kurtz, Ashcroft, Burns are out of the ASG, Peters, Wrobleski, and Griffin are Named Replacements

The family was at the airport, getting ready to board a plane to Texas, when more announcements were made about All-Star Roster changes. Apparently, all it takes is for a guy to hit for the cycle, and one day later, you get a call-up to the All Star team </sarcasm>

2026 Topps Tristan Peters #330

So, Nick Kurtz, who was named the starter after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. pulled out of the All-Star Game, was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right thumb sprain. Willson Contreras, who was added to the All-Star team earlier this week, appears to be the player replacing Kurtz in the starting lineup. Taking his spot on the All-Star game roster is White Sox rookie Tristan Peters. It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours for Peter’s as the day before, he hit a cycle against Kurtz’ Athletics, including a home run and a triple in the same inning. Presently, for the pale hose, he is hitting above 300, one of just 15 hitters with at least 200 plate appearances to do so. He joins Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas on the roster.

2026 Topps Justin Wrobleski #391

Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcroft pitched yesterday, throwing 98 pitches in five innings against the Brewers (on behalf of Cubs fans, thank you for the sweep). But because he pitched on Saturday, he elected not to pitch in Tuesday's game. This means that the Pirates will not have any representation on the main NL All-Star squad as he and fellow pitcher Paul Skenes played over the weekend. Taking Ashcroft's spot on the roster is Justin Wrobleski of the Dodgers. On a rotation full of superstars, Wrobleski has proved himself worthy of an All-Star selection, with a 10-2 record in 15 starts, along with a 2.69 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .180 average. The Dodgers representation has now reached 6 players, including Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Andy Pages, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Chase Burns of the Reds has been scratched from All-Star Game duties due to a nagging groin injury. Taking his spot in the NL All-Star bullpen will be Foster Griffin of the Nationals. The 30-year old Griffin, returning to MLB after 3 years in NPB, is the ace of the Nat's staff, with a 10-2 record and a 2.77 ERA in 19 starts. He joins CJ Abrams and James Wood representing the Nats.

So add Peters' #330 (even if he is representing the Rays on the card) and Wrobleski's #391 to your binders. Griffin does not have a card in either Series 1 or 2, so he will most likely make an appearance in the Update Series.

Just because we are now at the midway point of the season does not mean we could be done with roster updates. More could come, and if they do, I'll make sure to add them here.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Buxton, Judge, Suarez, Ohtani are out of the ASG, Murakami, Rafaela, Martinez, Herrera are Named Replacements

More players have been removed from the original ASG rosters and replacements have been named. Let's get to it.

2026 Topps Munetaka Murakami #503

Bryan Buxton, voted in as a starter for the AL squad, was placed on the DL on July 7 with a reaggravated right hip impingement. Impingement means, according to the Cleveland Clinic, "the painful pinching or rubbing of soft tissues - such as tendons or bursa - against bone in a joint." That sounds painful. With Buxton now out of the game, Riley Greene of the Tigers has been named as his replacement in the starting lineup. Buxton's replacement on the roster goes to the White Sox' "rookie" slugger Munetaka Murakami. Murakami just returned from the DL himself, missing more than a month from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Even with him out for more than 30 games, he has 20 home runs and 41 rbi's. He joins fellow Pale Hose Miguel Vargas on the team.

2026 Topps Ceddanne Rafaela #101

Aaron Judge, also voted onto the AL team, has been on the DL for a good part of the season with a stress fracture in his first right rib. So it was well known that someone else will take his spot in the starting lineup. Fellow Yankee Cody Bellinger will take his place as a starter. His replacement is Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Rafaela, a Gold Glove winner last year, is hitting .283 through 87 games this season, with 8 home runs and 39 rbi's. He is now the fourth Red Sox player on the team, joining Aroldis Chapman, Ranger Suarez, and Willson Contreras. Although...

Suarez himself is now on the DL because a groin injury. Replacing him is emerging Rays ace Nick Martinez. In his ninth MLB campaign, Martinez comes into the break with a 7-2 record in 17 starts, an ERA of 2.61 and 61 K's in 100 innings of work. Now a first-time All-Star, he joins fellow pitchers Bryan Baker and Drew Rasmussen, along with Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz from the first place Rays going to Philadelphia.

In a surprising turn of events, it was announced that NL vote leader Shohei Ohtani will not be heading to Philly for the game. Nursing knee discomfort since the middle of June, he was scratched from his scheduled pitching start, even though he is still able to hit. But he will have his knee drained on Sunday, with will allow him to recover before his Dodgers face the Yankees to open the second half of the season. Replacing him in the starting lineup will be Kyle Schwarber of the hometown Phillies, and taking Schwarber's spot on the bench will be Cardinals' catcher/DH Iván Herrera. Herrera, hitting .249 with 11 home runs and 40 rbi's is having a good year for the Redbirds as they remain in the hunt for the NL Central crown. He now joins teammates Riley O'Brien and Jordan Walker onto the team.

So add Murakami's #503 card and Rafaela's #101 card to your all-star binder. Martinez and Herrera, unfortunately, don't have a card in the eponymous brand, so expect them to make their appearances in card form via the Update Series.

Will there be more roster updates? Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Justin Verlander Named to AL All-Star Team as Legend Pick

 

2026 Topps Justin Verlander #415

Just like Bryce Harper was named as a "Legend Pick" for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, the American League has one as well. On the same day that Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander announced that he is retiring at the end of the 2026 season, the 21-year veteran and guaranteed future Hall of Famer was added to the AL team as a legacy pick. 

Now a 10-time All-Star, Verlander is currently on the 60-day disabled list, but did appear in one game this season. His numbers are certainly HOF-worthy as he carries a 266-159 record in 556 career games, all starts. He has struck out 3554 batters, a 3.33 ERA, and a starting pitcher WAR of 82.3. He won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2006, is a 3-time Cy Young Award Winner, and also won the MVP in 2011, becoming the first pitcher since Dennis Eckersley to win both awards in the same year. That season also saw him win the pitching Triple Crown (leading the AL in Wins, ERA, and K's).

Make sure to add Verlander's #415 Topps card into the binder, even if he won't be in the game. Congratulations to a great career. 

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Adventures in Trading: Tuesday Transactions Before Texas

I said I was going to hold off on trade requests because I am going to be out of town for a week. But because two people on the TCDB reached out last week with quick trade requests, and I saw that they were small requests, and I am still in town, I thought I'd agree to them. Envelopes were mailed yesterday morning. A total of six cards sent to two traders with six cards coming back, including 5 cards that will help put a small dent into the biggest insert set (in number of cards) in Series 2, Glove Work.

The first trade request came on the first of July, a simple two-for-two card trade, for the retail exclusive Titans and Stars of MLB. However, because I pulled all of those during my retail breaks (I promise, I will let you know the results of the Hobby break and if I managed to complete the base Series 2 set), I didn't need what she was offering. A quick view of the updated trade matching showed that she had 1 card that I still needed. I would have rejected the trade otherwise, but seeing that we've had a transaction previously, I thought, I could manage a quick counter-offer. She accepted it and sent the card out right away. The card actually arrived last night.

I still need three cards to complete the Stars of MLB set. I could keep on buying retail packs, but probably will wait until after the trip to do it.

The second trade was originally for more cards than what was eventually agreed upon. It would have been a 7-for-7 trade, including a 1991 Topps Blake Snell card he was offering. However, I pulled that card during the Hobby box break on the 4th of July. So I had to counter and remove it from my want list and adjust what he was requesting to make it relatively fair (I'm not greedy, I swear). But when I redid the trade matching, it appeared that he already had, or may have already agreed to other trades for, four of the cards he had originally requested. He was down to four cards needed from the original 7. So I countered, offering four cards, including a 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen Aaron Judge, for 5 of the Glove Work inserts. He agreed. These might arrive in the mail long after we leave for the trip. I've already tasked my daughter, who is staying home this time around, to check the mail while we're gone.

Trade requests are now on hold until I get back.

Oh, and then, the National is at the end of the month. Have to plan accordingly.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Misiorowski, Skenes, and Meyer are out of the ASG. Ashcraft, Luzardo, and O'Brien are Named Replacements

It seems that the Sunday Starter Rule is still in effect.

What does that mean exactly?

It means that pitchers who were named onto the All-Star Team who are slotted to start on the Sunday before the All-Star Game will be ineligible to pitch in the game. Thus, while still getting the perks of being selected and they can still go take part in the festivities, these pitchers will no longer be part of the main rosters.

And so it was that Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers, Paul Skenes of the Pirates, and Max Meyer of the Marlins, after starting their respective games on Tuesday night, are all lined up to start this Sunday before the break. The NL pitching staff needs to find replacements for these three aces. 

2026 Topps Braxton Ashcraft #589

According to MLB.com, The Miz' replacement is Braxton Ashcraft of the Pirates. Ashcraft, a first-time All-Star, has been part of the reason why the Pirates are relevant in the NL Central after more than 11 years. He has a 9-3 record, a 3.24 ERA, and 122 strikeouts in 18 starts. He has, recently, been pitching better than his better known teammate. Depending on the source, we could easily say that Ashcraft is taking the place of Pirate ace Skenes. But MLB says that Ashcraft is covering for the Miz, so we'll go with that.

2026 Topps Jesús Luzardo #63

With Skenes now off the team, MLB.com reports that Phillies ace Jesús Luzardo has been added to the NL side. Luzardo, also a first-time Star, finished 7th in last year's Cy Young voting. Sporting a 7-4 record in 18 starts, with 125 K's and a 3.75 ERA, he is now part of the growing contingent of Phillies stars, six in all, playing host at this year's festivities. 

Finally, Max Meyer, one of the surprises that could lead the Marlins back to the postseason, also started Tuesday. His replacement is Cardinals' closer Riley O'Brien. Earning the closer role for 2026, he's saved 22 games for the Redbirds, keeping them in contention in a strong NL Central division. This will also be his first All-Star appearance.

So add Ashcraft's #589 cards from Series 2, and Luzardo's #63 from Series 1 to the All-Star Binder. Unfortunately, O'Brien is not in this year's set. And once again, curses to the higher ups who decided that there won't be any retail team sets in 2026. Just know that O'Brien is taking over for a guy who also doesn't have a card in this year's eponymous set. 

That's it for now. When Bryan Buxton's replacement is named, we'll let you know what card to add to the growing binder.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Willson Contreras Replaces VGJ on AL ASG Roster

2026 Topps Willson Contreras #180

We interrupt whatever I was doing to report that it was just announced that Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox has been added to the American League All-Star Team.

As mentioned in my post with the rosters and their Topps card numbers that because Vladimir Guerrero, Jr, elected to start at first base, was not going to participate in the game (he announced that he was going to rest his lower back for the 2nd half of the season), Nick Kurtz of the Athletics, who was named to the team as a reserve, will now move up to the starting lineup. Well, Kurtz moving up to means that a replacement needed to be named.

Enter Willson Contreras. Now going to his fourth All-Star Game (his first three as a catcher for the Cubs), Contreras will once again take part in an ASG with his brother William (2022), but this time on the opposing side. Willson joins teammates Ranger Suarez and Aroldis Chapman as the Boston contingent heading to Philly.

So add card #180 to your All-Star binders. Okay, he's a member of the Cardinals on his 2026 Topps card. If they had done the team sets (Why Topps??? WHY??!) he could have gotten a Red Sox card. He will definitely have an Update Series card.

More to come as the roster replacements are announced.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama