We all saw what Puig did for 2013 Bowman Inception. Almost singlehandedly, he took a product running at about 600 a case pre-sale, to a product that is close to or over 1000 bucks. With Topps’ announcement on twitter that Puig will not only be in Allen and Ginter as an auto, but as a base RC and Mini, has it become the must buy box of the year for any serious baseball collector?

A little history regarding this type of a situation, first.

Back in 2010, Stephen Strasburg was called up to the Nationals a couple of months before the release of Allen and Ginter. Although he had had a Bowman and Chrome auto prior to his call up, Ginter was going to be the first of many products to feature his card and autograph. Being that it is already one of the more widely collected sets, everyone was eager to see how Stras would be included. What happened next is the stuff of legend, as only a handful of Strasburg minis ever made it into packs. They immediately became the hottest collectible around, selling for hundreds as he made his metoric rise before the injury.

Similar situations have come and gone with Bryce Harper and Yu Darvish, but neither was even close to what happened with Strasburg. Topps confirmed on twitter yesterday that Puig should have normal collation and insertion on the base and mini RC, putting some relief on the shoulders of the rippers out there. His autograph, may actually be live from some early reports, but I have not yet received confirmation from anyone in the know. Even if its a redemption, its easy to see that his inclusion will make this product better than it already is.

Ginter has been a favorite baseball product of mine because of the diversity in the big hits that are on the checklist. With all the non-sport and non-baseball inclusions on the checklist each year, Ginter is always a fun break. With guys like Axl Rose also on the roster, I am more excited than usual.

Here are some past favorites of mine:

Stan Lee Allen and Ginter Auto

Arnold Palmer Allen and Ginter Auto

George W Bush Allen and Ginter Auto

Mike Tyson Allen and Ginter Auto

Puig will add some chase to this product, much like Stras did back in 2010. That is a no-doubter. The question is, how much pop will he bring, being that his previous cards are relatively tough to come by. Im guessing there are a lot of people out there looking to get in on a more available piece of Puig’s hot streak, and this is a perfect opportunity.