Exploring The Top 2024 Topps Series 2 Rookie Cards [Tiers & Analysis Added]

I’ll get right to it: the 2024 Topps Series 2 Baseball rookie class is weak. Until I saw Junior Caminero’s name on the checklist, I was seriously considering just one card in Tier 1: the CJ Stroud/Victor Wembanyama dual autograph.

It’s weird that a card with football and basketball stars will be one of the biggest cards in a flagship baseball release, but the 2024 Topps Series 2 rookie class is so disappointing that Topps had to do something to make the product appealing.

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There are 67 rookies is the 2024 Topps Series 2 base checklist, with 34 pitchers and 33 hitters. Outside of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga, none of the rookie pitchers have much value to investors.

Additionally, many rookie hitters have no future value to investors. In 2024 Topps Series 1, there were a bunch of players worth watching in Tier 3. In 2024 Topps Series 2, there’s very few of those.

Jackson Holliday, Jackson Chourio, Jackson Merrill, and Wyatt Langford’s rookie cards will only be short prints in 2024 Topps Series 2, according to Topps Ripped. These are the rookie cards collectors and investors wanted most, so the fact that they’re SPs is very disappointing.

I’m including these three players in the 2024 Topps Series 2 Baseball investment tiers, but keep in mind that Holliday, Chourio, Merrill, and Langford will be much harder to pull because they’re short prints.

Topps didn’t include them on the official checklist or odds, just hidden on the Topps Ripped article, so I’m not sure how hard they’ll be to pull.

Without further ado, here’s a look at all the rookies in 2024 Topps Series 2 Baseball.

Update 6/12/24: It’s release day! There’s another rookie SP and this one is pretty cool. Jackson Holliday has a “Fun Face” variation à la Bill Ripken in 1989 Fleer. There’s also a bunch of different variations that mimic the way Fleer tried to hide the famous “FF error.” Holliday joins the other rookie short prints in Tier 1.

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2024 Topps Series 2 Rookies

Tier 1: 2024 Topps Series 2 rookies worth ripping

Junior Caminero

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop/third baseman (Card #628)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 80 | Speed: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60 | Overall: 70
• #4 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

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20-year-old Junior Caminero is the best rookie in the 2024 Topps Series 2 base checklist, hands down. He has elite power to all fields to go with above-average contact. Caminero’s breakout season came in 2023 where he demolished opposing pitchers in Single- and Double-A.

In 36 games at High-A, he slashed .356/.409/.685 with 11 home runs. The Rays quickly promoted him to Double-A where he was facing opposing pitchers nearly five years older than he was. In 81 games, Caminero slashed .309/.373/.548 with 20 home runs.

Caminero made his MLB Debut in late September and played just 7 games with the Rays in 2023. Rather than breaking camp with Tampa Bay to start the 2024 season, they sent him to Triple-A where he’s posting decent numbers (.261/.333/.478) against advanced competition.

Unfortunately, Caminero suffered a quadriceps strain in late May and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks. With the Rays struggling for power, look for Caminero to be called up and make an instant impact once healthy.

The Rays haven’t produced many consistent sluggers, which helps explain why Caminero has the potential to quickly become one of the most prolific home run hitters in team history… While he has more power than hitting ability, as a 20-year-old who makes plenty of contact, he could be the rare player who hits for average while challenging for home run crowns.

Baseball America

Jackson Holliday

Baltimore Orioles shortstop (Card #697 – SHORT PRINT)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 70 | Power: 55 | Speed: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50 | Overall: 70
• #1 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

The expectations for Jackson Holliday were always going to be high. After being the first pick in the 2022 MLB draft, Holliday flew through the minor leagues in 2023 and entered 2024 as the best prospect in baseball. He’s a plus-plus hitter that makes a ton of hard contact and has power to the pull side.

The Orioles got a lot of heat for sending Holliday to Triple-A after his fantastic showing in Spring Training, but in hindsight it looks like the right decision. They wound up calling him up pretty quickly, and he made his debut on April 10th. Holliday’s 10-game stint in the big leagues was underwhelming — he went 2-for-34 with 2 walks and 18 strikeouts — and he appeared overmatched in many plate appearances. But don’t be fooled by the rough debut; Jackson Holliday is going to be a star. He has so many tools and is so well-rounded offensively that you have to remind yourself he’s just 20 years old. He’ll figure it out and make everyone silly for freaking out about the small sample size struggles.

Holliday is a sweet-swinging shortstop with above-average feel for contact and burgeoning power…he’ll likely have a five-tool skill set at peak…

Holliday has all of the scout-y athletic traits [and] is very likely to become a 5-WAR shortstop who does everything well.

FanGraphs

Jackson Chourio

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder (Card #698 – SHORT PRINT)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Speed: 70 | Field: 60 | Arm: 45 | Overall: 70
• #2 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

Jackson Chourio’s plus-plus power and speed combination makes him one of the most exciting players in the hobby. He burst onto the scene in 2022 where he slashed .324/.373/.600 as an 18-year-old in Single-A.

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Although Milwaukee was aggressive in promoting him to Double-A for a handful of games in 2022, Chourio solidified himself as one of the game’s best prospects at the Double-A level in 2023.

He slashed .280/.336/.467 with 22 home runs and 43 stolen bases as a young 19-year-old, earning himself an 8-year, $82 million contract before playing in a big-league game.

Chourio made the Brewers’ 2024 Opening Day roster but has struggled against big league pitching thus far. Through 55 games, he’s slashing .216/257/.347 with a 71 wRC+.

A lot of his struggles have come against fastballs up in the zone, as mentioned by Pitcher List’s Adam Salorio last month. More recently, Chourio has been more aggressive and swing at pitches outside of the zone, leading to even more struggles at the plate. Despite the rough start, I’m not worried about Chourio long-term.

Chourio has a chance to be a franchise cornerstone, a potential perennial all-star with 30-30 potential who could hit in the middle of the Brewers’ lineup.

Baseball America

Wyatt Langford

Texas Rangers outfielder (Card #700 – SHORT PRINT)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Speed: 50 | Field: 45 | Arm: 45 | Overall: 70
• #5 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

The Rangers drafted Wyatt Langford with the 4th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and he hit so well in his professional debut that some fans were calling for the outfielder to be called up last season.

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In 44 games split mostly between Single- and Double-A, Langford slashed .360/.480/.677 with 17 doubles, 10 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and more walks than strikeouts. Some scouts have compared Langford to a young Mike Trout, making him an immediate favorite for prospect investors.

Like I mentioned in my 2023 Bowman Draft writeup, Langford has superstar upside. Despite a slow start in the big leagues — Langford is slashing .227/.287/.300 in 40 games — and a hamstring injury that kept him off the field, my opinion hasn’t changed.

Langford’s underlying metrics aren’t as bad as his production shows. With the introduction of Statcast’s bat tracking metrics, Baseball America noted that “Langford’s hitting has a chance to be elite” thanks to his ability to “[generate] exceptional bat speed from a short swing.”

He’s also showing above-average plate discipline and quality of contract metrics. Now that he’s healthy, look for him to find his stride.

So far, Langford has looked a little outmatched early in his MLB career, but that’s not all that shocking for a hitter who was still playing college baseball at this time last year. And his ability to generate excellent power from a compact swing is the foundation of an excellent hitter… Give him some time, and the pieces are in place for Langford to be truly special.

Baseball America

Tier 2: 2024 Topps Series 2 rookies I’m cautiously optimistic about

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Chicago Cubs outfielder (#407)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Speed: 60 | Field: 80 | Arm: 55 | Overall: 55
• #30 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

I’m intrigued by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s upside but heavy on the caution. He has Gold Glove caliber defense in centerfield and, although that doesn’t sway his investment value, it does mean the Cubs will give him ample time to figure it out at the plate. So far, it hasn’t gone great.

He struggled in his first stint with the Cubs in 2024, was demoted to Triple-A where he was blazing hot, then got called back up and looks even more lost at the plate. Coming into the season, I saw PCA as a contact/speed leadoff hitter that could give you double-digit home runs.

If you’ve already invested in Crow-Armstrong, it’s too early to make any rash decisions. I’d just be cautious about making any significant investment going forward.

Few evaluators question Crow-Armstrong’s elite defensive chops in center field but his bat has many concerned. While Crow-Armstrong has the ability to flash a dynamic power and speed combination, his habit of expanding the zone far too often likely limits his offensive impact.

Baseball America

Jordan Lawlar

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop (#451)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Speed: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 | Overall: 60
• #11 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

A well-rounded shortstop that can hit 20 homers and steal 40 bags? Sign me up. Jordan Lawlar put up 16 HR/39 SB in 100 games in 2022, then 20/36 in 105 games in 2023. Lawlar’s issue are the injuries.

He needed surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder shortly after the 2021 MLB Draft. He also started the 2024 season on the injured list after needing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb this spring.

His ceiling isn’t as high as some of the other young shortstops, but I love the upside as long as the thumb injury doesn’t zap his power.

As a player who profiles to hit for average and power, steal bases and hold down shortstop, Lawlar has the potential to join outfielder Corbin Carroll as a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

Baseball America

Masyn Winn

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop (#480)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Speed: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 80 | Overall: 55
• #39 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

I’ve been pleasantly surprised with Masyn Winn this season. In 57 games, he’s slashing .303/.354/.436 with a 125 wRC+. He put together an 18-game hit streak in May, pushing him past Albert Pujols and Jordan Walker for the longest hit streak by a Cardinals rookie.

Winn’s offensive approach is contact-focused and his power is coming in the form of line drive doubles to the gaps. I’m not sure how much power Winn is capable of, which is why I’m hesitant to make a huge investment. Even if he can put up double-digit home runs, his value to investors is more limited than Jordan Lawlar or Jackson Merrill.

Throughout the 2022 season, Winn transformed from an average contact hitter with below-average power to an above-average hitter with zone awareness and developing power… His performance and metrics improved across the board as he made more contact, chased less and hit for more power.

Baseball America

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher (#553)

• FanGraphs Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Splitter: 70 | Command: 80 | Overall: 65
• #1-#3 prospect in MLB by Baseball America (if he qualified)

By now I’m sure you’ve heard the story about the Dodgers signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the largest free agent contract ever for a pitcher, before he threw a pitch in Major League Baseball.

Outside of his MLB Debut in the Opening Series in South Korea, Yamamoto has been stellar. His four-seam fastball, splitter, and curveball are all nasty. He’s got a 28.3% strikeout rate (19th best) and gets a ton of called strikes and whiffs. Yamamoto is a future ice with international appeal, making him a safe bet for Tier 2.

Yamamoto is the most decorated Japanese pitcher to ever come to MLB, which is saying something considering his predecessors include Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideo Nomo… The question is not whether Yamamoto would be the top pitching prospect in baseball, but the top prospect overall.

Baseball America

Jackson Merrill

San Diego Padres outfielder (#699 – SHORT PRINT)

• Baseball America Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Speed: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 | Overall: 60
• #17 prospect in MLB by Baseball America

Jackson Merrill is off to a pretty good start and he is doing it while playing a new position in center field. He’s slashing .272/.310/.357 with a 95 wRC+ but his underlying numbers suggest he’s getting unlucky.

Based on his quality of contact, he’s expected to hit .300 with an expected slugging percentage of .471. Merrill makes hard contact and has good swing decisions, so his production should improve if those things hold.

Of the three players with rookie cards only as SPs, Merrill is probably the player where you’re going to find the most value.

A growth spurt added nearly 30 pounds to Merrill’s frame in the months leading up to the 2021 draft, boosting the raw power that was one of his calling cards. He’s since developed advanced off-speed coverage for his age and an impressive left-on-left approach, reasons that many in the organization believe a smooth swing will eventually produce 30 homers annually in the majors.

Baseball America

Tier 3: 2024 Topps Series 2 rookies with a higher risk than potential reward

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Heston Kjerstad, Baltimore Orioles OF (#394): Kjerstad, a left-handed slugging outfielder, was the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 Draft. There’s some variance in scouts’ evaluations of Kjerstad, with those at Baseball America grading him as a 50-hit/60-power player while scouts at FanGraphs see a more extreme 40-hit/70-power player. Although his production has taken a huge step forward at Triple-A in 2024 (.313/.397/.630, 156 wRC+ in 50 games), his strikeout and chase rates have jumped significantly. Right now, Kjerstad is hitting like a three true outcome (home run/walk/strikeout) player. This isn’t always bad for card investors, just look at Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz. But for now, I don’t see Kjerstad in the same group as those players. To me, he looks more like the TTO bunch led by Kyle Schwarber and Giancarlo Stanton. For this reason, I’m not confident the power potential outweighs the risk that he becomes a Schwarber-esque player.

Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs P (#442): I love Imanaga and really wanted to put him in Tier 2, but I’m trying to avoid be blinded by his early success. Through his first 13 starts, Imanaga is sporting a 1.89 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 16.4% Swinging Strike%, and impeccable command. He’s outdueled fellow Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and is the favorite for NL Rookie of the Year. So, why Tier 3? In the long run, I don’t think Imanaga is better than Yamamoto and thus has less long-term investment potential. I think there’s value here in the short term, especially if he wins NL ROY, but I prefer Yamamoto in the long run.

Alexander Canario, Chicago Cubs OF (#452): Canario’s grades feel like the Kombucha Girl meme. 40-grade hit took? Ew. Plus power and above average speed? I’m listening. His elite bat speed gives him power to all fields but he’s easily fooled on breaking stuff. There’s a possibility Canario’s below average hit tool leads to a platoon role which would zap all his investment opportunity.

Everson Pereira, New York Yankees OF (#461): Pereira was one of the top international prospects in the 2017 class thanks to well-rounded tools on both sides of the ball. He entered the 2024 season as Baseball America’s #67 prospect, but he fell off the list after his contact issue persisted and because “he misses way too many hittable pitches.” Pereira is now out for the season after it was announced he needs surgery to put an internal brace in his right elbow. A return to the field won’t come until 2025 when Pereira is 24 years old.

Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds SS (#548): This one is really disappointing. Marte would’ve been in Tier 2 if it weren’t for a positive performance-enhancing drug test that earned him an 80-game suspension. After a fantastic debut in 2023, Marte was the Reds’ top prospect and #23 in all of baseball at the time of his suspension. I’m not sure how the positive PED test will impact Marte’s card values, but I’m hesitant to invest in a player suspended before he really established himself in the big leagues. If that doesn’t deter you, his BA scouting grades are in line with a Tier 2 player — Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60 | Overall: 55.

Austin Wells, New York Yankees C (#624): Wells looked like a bat-first catcher for much of his time as a prospect, but he’s improved defensively while struggling offensively in 2024. He looks like a victim of bad luck at the plate, as most of his Statcast expected stats are much better than his actual stats. I was never really sold on Wells from an investment standpoint and there’s so many young and exciting backstops right now, you have better options elsewhere.

Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox OF (#672): Abreu is a random rookie that’s put together decent numbers to start the year. His moderate ceiling keeps him from wowing card investors, but he’s put together a strong start against right-handed pitchers that earned him more playing time (before spraining his ankle in early June). He’s slashing .272/.344/.485 with a 129 wRC+. I think Abreu is a tad bit above the bats in Tier 4, but he still lacks a standout tool that would give investors something to work with.

Lawrence Butler, Oakland Athletics OF (#676): Butler has exciting upside thanks to a plus power/speed combination, but he hasn’t really put it all together. He looked great in spring training but it didn’t translate over into the regular season, so he’s back at Triple-A right now. Butler has the underlying tools that give me confidence in his abilities — above-average bat speed, exit velocity, and at least average plate discipline. There’s a lot of risk in Butler’s profile and playing for the A’s doesn’t help, but I’m intrigued to see how he looks once he’s brought back up to the big leagues.

Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco Giants OF (#691): Lee is an interesting player who suffered an unfortunate season-ending shoulder injury in mid-May. He signed a 6-year/$113 million deal with the Giants after breaking out in the KBO, the largest contract ever for an Asian-born hitter coming over to MLB with professional experience elsewhere. He profiles as an old school leadoff hitter, one with good contact, plate discipline, speed, and defense. If he were eligible to be included on top prospect lists, Baseball America said “he would rank No. 35 on the BA Top 100 right behind Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser and just ahead of Twins infielder Brooks Lee and Rockies infielder Adael Amador.” Ultimately, I don’t think that’s enough to get investors excited.

Tier 4: 2024 Topps Series 2 rookies with little to no current hobby value

Steven Cruz, Kansas City Royals P (#360)

Bryce Jarvis, Arizona Diamondbacks P (#363)

Carson Spiers, Cincinnati Reds P (#365)

Brenan Hanifee, Detroit Tigers P (#369)

Forrest Wall, Atlanta Braves OF (#391)

Jacob Young, Washington Nationals OF (#397)

Jonathan Bowlan, Kansas City Royals P (#399)

Andrew Saalfrank, Arizona Diamondbacks P (#406)

Kyle Nicolas, Pittsburgh Pirates P (#408)

Anthony Veneziano, Kansas City Royals P (#425)

Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies OF (#432)

James McArthur, Kansas City Royals P (#434)

Osleivis Basabe, Tampa Bay Rays SS (#440)

Joe Boyle, Oakland Athletics P (#443)

Wade Meckler, San Francisco Giants OF (#458)

Jordyn Adams, Los Angeles Angels OF (#470)

Drew Rom, St. Louis Cardinals P (#476)

Tristan Gray, Tampa Bay Rays IF (#483)

Darius Vines, Atlanta Braves P (#493)

Allan Winans, Atlanta Braves P (#494)

Jacob Lopez, Tampa Bay Rays P (#502)

Jackson Rutledge, Washington Nationals P (#503)

Nick Loftin, Kansas City Royals 2B (#506)

Andre Lipcius, Detroit Tigers 3B (#509)

Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers OF (#516)

Lyon Richardson, Cincinnati Reds P (#517)

Orion Kerkering, Philadelphia Phillies P (#520)

Jackson Wolf, Pittsburgh Pirates P (#523)

Drew Millas, Washington Nationals C (#530)

Kody Funderburk, Minnesota Twins P (#538)

Luke Little, Chicago Cubs P (#546)

Kyren Paris, Los Angeles Angels IF (#549)

John McMillon, Kansas City Royals P (#571)

Irving Lopez, St. Louis Cardinals 2B (#573)

Jonathan Ornelas, Texas Rangers 3B (#575)

Kyle Hurt, Los Angeles Dodgers P (#583)

Davis Daniel, Los Angeles Angels P (#592)

Tyler Fitzgerald, San Francisco Giants SS (#602)

Victor Vodnik, Colorado Rockies P (#607)

Tyler Cropley, Kansas City Royals C (#612)

Jordan Wicks, Chicago Cubs P (#613)

Yoendrys Gómez, New York Yankees P (#615)

Sawyer Gipson-Long, Detroit Tigers P (#616)

Blake Rutherford, Washington Nationals OF (#637)

Slade Cecconi, Arizona Diamondbacks P (#649)

Weston Wilson, Philadelphia Phillies OF (#658)

Logan Porter, Kansas City Royals C/1B (#666)

Kyle Harrison, San Francisco Giants SP (#667)

Colin Selby, Pittsburgh Pirates P (#668)

Connor Phillips, Cincinnati Reds P (#670)

José Tena, Cleveland Guardians SS (#678)

Kelvin Caceres, Los Angeles Angels P (#680)

J.P. Martinez, Atlanta Braves OF (#685)

Final thoughts

That’s our look at the 2024 Topps Series 2 rookies. Who are you collecting? Let us know!

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