Cheap Wax Wednesday Box Breaks: 2024 Topps Update Series Baseball

2024 Topps Update Series Baseball features a 350-card base checklist. Each of those base cards is also available in a number of parallels. There are more than two dozen parallels available for each card, plus printing plates, though not all parallels were inserted into hobby boxes. There are also a boatload of inserts to find in this release.

This particular checklist was absolutely loaded with solid rookies. Jackson Chourio, Jackson Holliday, Colt Keith, Wyatt Langford, Jack Leiter, Jackson Merrill and Paul Skenes all have their first flagship Topps cards in this release.

Each box should yield a relic or autograph card, with the majority of hobby boxes holding relics.

2024 Topps Update Series Baseball Hobby Box Break 

Cards per pack: 12
Packs per box: 20
Price paid: $88

• Buy 2024 Topps Update Series Baseball boxes on eBay

Pack 1 highlights: 

Carlos Santana, Jasson Dominguez, Jackson Holliday 1989 Topps (1:4 packs) and Leo Rivas Orange Crackle Foilboard /299 (1:96 packs)

Pack 2: 

Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jasson Dominguez Major League Material Jersey Relic (1:166 packs)

That feeling when you know the box has just one hit in it, and you pull a player-worn relic in the second pack…

Pack 3: 

Jurickson Profar, Andrew McCutchen, Joey Votto, Eduardo Rodriguez, Josh Naylor ASG (1:3 packs) and Randy Johnson Autumn Tales (1:16 packs)

Votto never did appear in a regular-season game for Toronto, finishing his 17-year career having only played for the Reds.

Pack 4: 

Jackson Merrill and Shohei Ohtani/Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Pack 5: 

Jack Leiter RC and Matt Chapman 1989 Topps (1:4 packs)

Pack 6: 

Arcia/Lindor, Austin Martin RC, Anthony Rizzo and Mason Miller ASG (1:3 packs)

Rizzo just recently signed a one-day contract to retire with the Cubs.

Pack 7: 

Rutschman/Kimbrel, Paul Skenes RC and Zach Edey First Pitch (1:160 packs)

Pack 8: 

Henderson/Holliday, Jackson Holliday RC, Colt Keith and Pete Crow-Armstrong

Pack 9: 

Jackson Chourio RC, Jackson Holliday, Evan Carter and Junior Caminero 1989 Topps (1:4 packs)

Caminero is a beast at the plate who nobody seems to talk about. He just finished his age-22 season with 45 home runs and 110 RBI.

Pack 10: 

Josh Gibson Rainbow Foil (1:11 packs)

Pack 11: 

Wyatt Langford RC, Masyn Winn, Jared Jones RC, Paul Skenes ASG (1:3 packs), Ronald Acuna Jr. Black Gold (1:32 packs) and Spencer Arrighetti Father’s Day Powder Blue RC /50 (1:565 packs)

Really tough to pull the more rare parallels in flagship these days because of the print runs. It’s also nice that it is a RC.

Pack 12: 

Tyler O’Neill

Pack 13: 

Kyle Harrison, Zack Gelof, Jackson Holliday and Shohei Ohtani 1989 Topps (1:4 packs)

Update is typically loaded with “Rookie Debut” RC cards like all three in this pack, which are not looked at as actual Rookie Cards.

Pack 14: 

Evan Carter and Luis Arraez ASG (1:3 packs)

Pack 15: 

Blake Snell, Kyle Manzardo and Mike Trout Let Him Cook (1:32 packs)

Pack 16: 

Skenes/Grandal, Josh Gibson and Lee/Kim

Pack 17: 

Judge/Soto, Jackson Merrill ASG (1:3 packs) and Sandy Koufax 1989 Topps (1:4 packs)

Pack 18: 

Ohtani/Trout

Pack 19: 

Ronny Mauricio, Colt Keith RC and Gunnar Henderson Mystical (1:12 packs)

Pack 20: 

Austin Wells, Shohei Ohtani, Jarren Duran ASG (1:3 packs), Alex Wood Rainbow Foil (1:11 packs) and Skenes/Grandal Gold /2024 (1:14 packs)

Now the Colt Keith card back. These don’t change much year to year, and I am just fine with that. Full career stat lines and some bio information.

Lastly, the Silver Pack box topper. I always save these to open last.

Greg Maddux, Austin Riley, Jack Leiter and George Kirby

It was rough to pull that plain relic so early on, but luckily some parallels in this one made up for it. Between the Josh Gibson Rainbow Foil, the Skenes/Grandal Gold parallel and the Arrighetti Powder Blue RC, it was a solid box.

Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.