Just Can't Get Enough

In terms of serial numbered cards and rookies, my hobby box of 2019 Panini Chronicles was quite a success. The 3 autographs and 1 relic card, however, were another story.

Because Panini promises (on average) 4 hits for an affordable, by hobby box standards, price, I expected 1 or 2 of the autographs to be average to below average. 

When all was said and done, however, I ended up 3 lackluster rookie pitcher autos in my box. It's tough when the relic card (a triple relic of Gleyber Torres #/99) beats out 3 autographs, 2 of which were on-card, for the best hit of the box.

Before purchasing this box, I knew full well what I was getting myself into. I bought a hobby box of 2018 Chronicles earlier this year and experienced a similar fate, though I had a nice RPA of Amed Rosario to lessen my disappointment.

Despite not having the best luck with hobby box hits, I can't get enough of Panini Chronicles, whether it's the 2018 or 2019 release. The craziness, plethora of numbered cards, and rookie-heavy checklist inspired me to head for retail this time around and pick up a blaster from a nearby Target.

It was a blaster box from my local Target that first introduced me to Panini Chronicles around this time last year, and I've been buying packs and singles from this set ever since.

Each blaster has just 4 packs and 5 cards per pack, plus a 3-card bonus pack of Unparalleled. Though you don't end up with many cards the value is almost unbeatable.

23 cards may not seem like a lot for a $20 blaster, but the fact that a hobby box promises just 48 speaks volume to how much value there is in Chronicles retail. You're not guaranteed any hits nor the hobby-exclusive Spectra cards, but if you can get past that, blaster boxes are the way to go.

Plus, the 25+ brands that make up the Chronicles set are just as prominent in blasters as they are in hobby boxes, meaning you still get a sample of over a dozen products. Thankfully, my blaster box produced some of my favorites, particularly Titan and Obsidian, sets that weren't in '18 Chronicles.

I'd say 2/3 of the entire Chronicles checklist consists of rookie cards, for Panini features the major names in practically every insert. Other than Michael Chavis, the Red Sox don't have many opportunities for spots in the set, so I appreciated pulling this Xander Bogaerts card from Rookies & Stars. 

Last year, the blaster-exclusive bonus pack featured 3 cards from Revolution, a Panini product with a similar design to that of Topps High Tek. This year, it's Unparalleled's turn, a release that I'm totally unfamiliar with.

The Unparalleled design is pale in comparison to the detailed and creative blaster-exclusive cards from last year. It doesn't help that I didn't get the best players either, but pulling these 2 cards makes me wish Panini brought back Revolution for the 2nd year in a row.

The 3rd and final card of the pack is a special parallel that I've seen in other Chronicles retail breaks. It's called an Astral parallel, different from Unparalleled base, and showcases a shiny background of stars. 

Once again, I didn't luck out with a big-name rookie, but, if nothing else, the card is beautiful, particularly with the purple Rockies uniform.

Oddly enough, this blaster granted me a serial-numbered card that also appeared in my hobby box from last week; a Playoff gold parallel of White Sox rookie pitcher Michael Kopech numbered out of 199.

With the seemingly endless selection of numbered cards in this set, it shocks me that I already have a duplicated, something that didn't happen whatsoever last year. I suppose the first of the 2 will remain in my collection while the 2nd will go directly onto eBay.

Usually, I show my hits (autos and relics) at the very end of my post, but there are a couple more numbered cards that I'd like to save for last. I haven't had much retail luck this year, so it was refreshing to pull this card, even if it's just a grey jersey relic of Chris Archer.

Admittedly, the Chronicles Swatches design isn't something you'd look twice at, a relic card is, nonetheless, a relic card. Plus, the jersey swatch is game-used, so there's something to be said for that.

Before I grabbed the hobby box of Chronicles and left the card show on Labor Day, I chatted with the show's case breaker about the recently-released set and picked up some choice cards. One of them was an Obsidian purple parallel of Jacob deGrom, numbered out of 99. 

Little did I know how much I'd grow to absolutely adore this insert set, so I couldn't be happier that I found another purple refractor, this time in my blaster. There's something about the purple shimmer around the black background that compliments the picture of Francisco Lindor so beautifully. 

Once again, I can only imagine how beautiful these cards would be if only they had the MLB license.

 With or without logos, however, this Javier Baez ruby wave refractor from Titan could very well go down as one of my favorite cards from 2019. That's how fabulous this numbered parallel is.

Truth be told, everything I love about the 2019 Chronicles set appears on this card. The ruby wave parallel is superb and the Titan background is breathtaking. But most of all, the card has so much going on that Baez's logoless cap is the last thing on my mind.

Once again, Chronicles fails to disappoint. 

The 2nd Half of Chronicles; Card Show Recap #22 Part 3

The first part of this abrupt 2019 Panini Chronicles hobby box purchase went on for a little longer than I originally would've liked, so I figured I'd jump right back into it and pick up where I left off.

I opened 3 of the 6 packs in the first of these 2 posts and pulled my relic card and 1 of the 3 autographs. I'm also guaranteed (on average) 1 more Spectra card in these next 3 packs as well.

The first card in pack #4 is the Ascension rookie of Michael Chavis, showcased at the top of this post. Now, let's see what the final 23 cards deliver. Keep in mind, I'll be continuing my RC count as we go (Chavis brings it up to 14).

Pack #4

#24 Ronald Acuña Jr Chronicles

Acuña is undoubtedly one of the most talented young players in the game, but the hype surrounding the 21-year old is getting slightly out of hand if you ask me. His HR-RBI ratios aren't too great, and he currently leads all of MLB in strikeouts.

Don't get me wrong, his accomplishments are phenomenal, particularly for someone of his age. However, he needs to learn how to hit all these home runs while keeping his RBI total respectable in comparison.

#5 Kyle Tucker Rookies & Stars (RC Count; 15)

#AP-KA Kolby Allard America's Pastime Autographs (RC Count; 16)

When it comes to hits in Panini Chronicles, as I mentioned when I pulled my first autograph, the odds of walking away with something huge are not in your favor. The variety of hits is still incredible, but I've never ended up with a top tier rookie, this card included.

Part of the thrill of buying this product, however, is coming across all these designs that normally wouldn't be stand-alone baseball sets. Kolby Allard isn't an ideal name, but the signature is on-card, and the glossy finish gives it more appeal.

#14 Nick Senzel Crusade Red Wave Parallel (RC Count; 17)

I spoke highly of the Crusade cards during the first half of this box, but I had no clue the parallels would elevate this insert set to another level. Virtually everything about this card, from Senzel's uniform to the design and, of course, the parallel color is bold red, and the card is beautifully done.

Parallels/refractors that match the team's colors have always been something I've appreciated when it comes to cards, and Panini accomplished just that with this Crusade card and, hopefully, others as well.

#2 Nick Senzel Obsidian (RC Count; 18)

While the Crusade cards, especially the parallels, make use of vibrant colors, the Obsidian set drastically differs. By Chronicles' standards, the cards are on the simple side, but I'm significantly drawn to them because of how few black-bordered cards exist nowadays.

#6 Yadier Molina Certified

#32 Cole Tucker Status (RC Count; 19)

I've already established Obsidian, Crusade, and Spectra as my favorite products in this year's Chronicles, but the colorful design and intricate patterns on the Status cards may force me to include that set on the list as well.

Pack #5

#11 Aaron Judge Chronicles

#256 Vladimir Guerrero Jr Donruss (RC Count; 20)

The inclusion of Panini Donruss in this set without a doubt creates some confusion. I assume the numbering is meant to pick up where the original set left off. Thus, it stands to reason why my first Vlad Jr rookie of the box is a much higher number than all the others.

#7 Chris Paddack Limited (RC Count; 21)

I recognize the name Chris Paddack as a member of the 2019 NL All-Star team. I don't recall where this guy came from, but I do know that I don't need to be pulling this many cards of his from a 48-card box.

#AP-BK Brad Keller America's Pastime Autographs (RC Count; 22)

Well, that box was certainly a letdown as far as the 3 autographs were concerned. I realize they can't all be winners, but I was hoping for one nice hit to make this box a worthwhile purchase, not that it still can't be that.

More significant than the disappointment in pulling this Brad Keller autograph was the shock of landing 2 hits from the same semi-rare insert set. With the scores of different autograph sets, I sure wasn't expecting 2 cards, numbered out of 99, from America's Pastime.

#24 Vladimir Guerrero Jr Titan (RC Count; 23)

The hits may not have gone as well as I would've liked, but I went from having zero Vlad rookies to 2 after opening this 1 pack. Being that it's a brand new Panini product, this is the first look collectors are getting at Titan and the beautiful backgrounds that come with it.

#20 Brandon Lowe Crusade (RC Count; 24)

#18 Joey Votto Status

#23 Kris Bryant Status Green Parallel

I'm not crazy about how the green parallels look within the Certified set, but they're a much better fit when it comes to the Status cards.

Pack #6

#13 Eloy Jimenez Classics (RC Count; 25)

The final pack has only just begun, yet already, over half the cards in the box, hits included, are rookie cards. That surely speaks volume about the type of set that Chronicles is.

If they're going to flood each insert checklist with rookies, at least the big 4 (Tatis, Vlad Jr, Eloy, and Alonso) have made numerous appearances.

#13 Griffin Canning Playoff (RC Count; 26)

#4 Michael Kopech Playoff Gold Parallel (RC Count; 27)

Whether I'm opening Topps Finest, NSCC exclusive packs, and now, Panini Chronicles, Michael Kopech's cards have consistently shown up, especially numbered cards like the one above.

The 23-year old has been plagued with injuries throughout his rookie season, so my best bet is just to hold onto these cards and get an idea as to what type of player he is once next year comes along.

#4 Cavan Biggio Spectra Neon Blue Parallel (RC Count; 28)

The combination of Biggio's blue jersey with the gorgeous neon blue Spectra parallel has created one of my favorite cards of the entire box. It's a challenge just to keep my eyes off of this thing, both in-person and when scanned.

Better yet, Biggio is an up and coming rookie, part of a promising trio in Toronto with Vlad Jr and Bo Bichette. Like the Kopech cards, I'll keep ahold of this Biggio parallel and see what he can do come 2020.

#1 Pete Alonso Crusade Holo Parallel (RC Count; 29)

The holo parallels are never serial numbered but anything that has to do with Pete Alonso is going for a high price at the moment, particularly a rookie parallel.

I was fortunate enough to pull a solid number of the highly-desired rookies' cards from these 6 packs, this Alonso parallel being the best of the group. The scanner doesn't do it justice, for in-hand, it's more like a Topps Chrome refractor.

#12 Jeff McNeil Obsidian (RC Count; 30)

#1 Keston Hiura Status (RC Count; 31)

#27 Christian Stewart Certified (RC Count; 32)

Ending pack #6 as well as the box is Christian Stewart, a Tigers rookie. Given that his team just lost their 100th game of the year, I'm guessing he's not the greatest name from this years' class.

And with that final pull, all 8 cards in my final pack were rookies, bringing the RC count to a grand total of 32/48 cards or 2/3 of the box.

For better or for worse, no other product is quite like Panini Chronicles.