2015 Topps Strata Baseball Box Break & Review

Strata Baseball has finally gotten their own standalone product.  Not only that, but it’s configured just to my liking too.  Unlike football, Strata baseball cards could only be found in flagship products that contain tons of base.  2015 Strata Baseball gets straight to the good stuff without all those excess cards.  The next version of Strata Football I hear is going to be configured the same way as well.  Keeping those familiar Strata designs while making this a one pack per box product is really the best way to go.

Ever since Strata was introduced, the most eye appealing cards have been the shadowbox “hits”.  These multi-layered cards are insanely good looking.  Scans of them may not always come out the best.  You really need to see them in person to appreciate the whole overall design.

Probably one of the most talked about features within 2015 Strata Baseball are the MLB Authentic hologram stickers.  Each and every relic in this product has one of these holograms.  The holograms contain a code that can be entered into the MLB Authentication Referencing System.  After you do this, the system will tell you when and what game that jersey was worn in.  This is way better than any written COA.  Topps did this for every relic too.  Not just the fancy patches that people would try and fake.  Even the plain white colored jerseys get this treatment.  Topps even took the thoughtful step of adding a clear acetate coating to the relic cards.  This does two things.  It prevents the hologram from falling off the card entirely.  If the hologram does come lose from the relic it will simply be locked in that area.  It also stops people from removing the hologram to place on a fake relic of their own.  At first I didn’t recognize that the clear coating was even there.  I went to touch the piece of jersey and got blocked.  Authentication like this is something collectors have been wanting for years.  I’d like to see this done with every single product.

Here is what I pulled:

Relic

• Craig Kimbrel Clearly Authentic Green Parallel Jersey #’ed/75 – jersey was worn on 5/29/15 against the Pirates

Auto

• Greg Maddux Strata Auto Black Parallel #’ed/50