2018 Clubhouse: Detroit Tigers

#46. Miguel Cabrera

#47. Nicholas Castellanos

#48. Michael Fulmer

#49. José Iglesias

#50. James McCann

What to say about the Tigers? The fact that they're on pace to just barely eek past 62 wins and that you could reasonably call that exceeding expectations speaks volumes about their roster (and the league at large). Outside of Miggy (who's been hurt for most of the season), there's not a lot of hobby stalwarts on the club. Castellanos has had a slightly better year than last year and is probably the silverest of linings here.

Cabrera HAD to be an autograph subject here. It would be extra cruel to leave him out.

The red parallels aren't the prettiest with the Tigers' orange and navy. But the #5/5 is and eBay 1/1 at least!

PENNANT BOX BREAK - PACK 12

218. Matt Wisler 

124. Aaron Nola 

196. Hishasi Iwakuma 

91. Freddie Freeman 

60. Anthony Rendon 

179. Yasmani Grandal 

151. Jimmy Nelson 

112. Michael Fulmer 

243. Elvis Andrus 

TD13. Clayton Kershaw/Madison Bumgarner - Throwdown

I know it's taken a bit to get through the box, but I'll have a couple of posts to break it up as I post my entry for this year's Gint-a-Cuffs competition. Stay tuned.

2016 Spirit Rookie Round-Up

The 2016 rookie class has been pretty solid this season, from prospects with high expectations like Corey Seager to guys that seemingly came out of nowhere, like Aledmys Diaz. While it may not be as stacked as the 2015 class, it's definitely not full of slouches. Regardless, I thought this was a good time to reintroduce the Rookie Round-Up insert from 2013.

The 'grunginess' from last time is turned down a bit, with the design elements being mostly clean with a bit of grain to keep things from being too sterile. The high-contrast, black & white cutouts look like something you'd see on a DIY gig flyer, fitting with the "youthful" concept of the set. The rest of the elements are colorful to represent the team, with a lighter picture of the player's home stadium in the background.

The back side is brighter and cleaner, with a full-color photo and the grain from the front removed. There's a brief write-up about the player's brief MLB career, highlighting the half-seasons that have led to their inclusion in the rookie round-up here.

I kept the checklist at 20 players like in 2013, and had to enforce a cut-off since the idea would be for these to be released in a series 2-like set. So that means guys like Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez didn't make the cut. I'm sure they'll be represented in some rookie review insert for 2017 Spirit.