The Ultimate Guide To The Best 2024 Topps Update Rookie Cards [Analysis Added!]

The final chapter in the 2024 Topps Flagship trilogy, 2024 Topps Update Baseball will be released on October 16, 2024 (subject to change). Much like prior versions of Topps Update, rookie cards are a big part of the appeal of the product.

But who are the 2024 Topps Update Rookie Cards worth chasing?

2024 Topps Update Baseball Wraps Up The 2024 Topps Flagship Run

The 2024 Topps Update Rookies: An Overview

2024 Topps Update wraps up the flagship series with 95 rookie cards in the 350-card base set. In addition to the “true” rookie cards included on the checklist, an additional 45 Rookie Debut cards, highlight a player’s first game.

At first glance, the checklist it top-heavy with the 3 Jacksons (Holliday, Merrill, Chourio), Wyatt Langford, and Paul Skenes. After these five rookies, the talent level drops off dramatically.

I went back and forth trying to decide if I should leave Tier 2 empty with no players, but ultimately felt that there were a pair of players a tick above the rest of Tier 3. Still, you could easily make the argument that both players in Tier 2 could fairly be pushed down to Tier 3.

Additionally, the list of players in Tier 4 is long. There are a ton of pitchers that aren’t worth a glance for hobby collectors and investors.

Tier 4 includes a few mildly interesting players that have more appeal than the random relief pitchers but still probably belong in Tier 4. I thought about separating these players in a Tier 3.5, but ultimately didn’t think they had enough value to single them out like that.

Instead, you’ll find them listed at the beginning of Tier 4 with the usual list sorted by card # underneath them.

A few more things to note…

The Rookie Debut subset contains several bigger names who don’t have their rookie cards in the 2024 Topps Update release, with their “true” rookie cards appearing in either 2024 Topps Series 1 or Series 2.

For this reason, my tiered breakdown will not feature players that only have Rookie Debut cards. This includes guys like Elly De La Cruz, Jasson Domínguez, Junior Caminero, and Wyatt Langford.

While their appearance raises the quality of the overall checklist, these cards will not be as sought after or valuable as the true rookie cards of those players.

Several players have rookie cards in Update as well as a Rookie Debut card in the set. The true rookie card is likely to be the more valuable and chased card for those players.

Adding a level of complexity, a few of the key rookie cards featured in 2024 Topps Update Baseball had SSP cards released with 2024 Topps Series 2. The SSPs will be much sought-after, but the Update rookies will be the first standard Topps rookie cards for these players and should also be sought after.

Here are the players who had SSP rookie cards released in 2024 Topps Series 2:

• Jackson Holliday
• Jackson Chourio
• Jackson Merrill
• Wyatt Langford

That makes up four of the five rookie cards in Tier 1, with flamethrowing pitcher Paul Skenes rounding out the best rookies in 2024 Topps Update.

Lastly, I want to highlight two more non-rookie cards that will likely carry some sort of hobby value: Josh Gibson in the Negro Leagues’ Homestead Grays jersey (#US191) and the combo card of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (card #US13).

All of the 2024 Topps Update Rookie cards

As mentioned above, a total of 95 rookie cards appear in 2024 Topps Update Baseball. Below is the complete list.

The top 5 best 2024 Topps Update rookies to chase

So, who are the rookies worth ripping for in 2024 Topps Update Baseball? There are several well-known names worth chasing. Let’s say it’s a good year for guys named Jackson.

Tier 1: 2024 Topps Update rookie cards worth ripping for

Jackson Holliday

Baltimore Orioles shortstop (Card #US50)

According to Baseball America:

• Baltimore Orioles #1 prospect
• MLB #1 prospect
• Grades: Hit: 70 | Power: 55 | Speed: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50 | Overall: 70

Jackson Holliday’s rookie season didn’t go as smoothly as he, the Orioles, fans, and those in the hobby would’ve hoped. The 20-year-old struggled after being called up and got sent down to Triple-A where he worked to get back on track.

His brief stint in the majors exposed a hole up in the zone against high-velocity fastballs. The Orioles worked with Holliday on adjustments that would allow him to catch up with high fastballs.

According to an interview with the Orioles hitting coach by the Score, “they showed him video of teammate Gunnar Henderson going through similar issues – and the drills they used to get him back on track.”

Henderson, of course, struggled early on in 2023 before going on a tear to win the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year Award and becoming one of the best players in baseball this season.

All of this is to say: don’t panic. Holliday didn’t completely turn it around once being called up on July 31st, but there were some promising signs.

He was making better swing decisions and put together a really good stretch in August where he hit .455 with a 62.5% hard hit rate against high fastballs. Although he cooled off in September, I still have confidence in Holliday. Prospect development and a young player’s performance isn’t always linear. He’s going to be just fine.

Jackson is unbelievably talented in terms of his plate discipline, coordination, and in-the-box athleticism, and it’s amazing that he reached the big leagues at age 20…He has all of the scout-y athletic traits that indicate most of where he currently falls short will improve as his body matures. It might take a year longer than Orioles fans want it to, but Holliday is very likely to become a 5-WAR middle infielder who does everything well.

FanGraphs

The 5 Best Jackson Holliday Baseball Cards

Paul Skenes

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher (Card #US100)

According to Baseball America:

• Pittsburgh Pirates #1 prospect
• MLB #9 prospect
• Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60 | Overall: 65

The hype around Paul Skenes is something we haven’t seen for a pitcher since Stephen Strasburg. Everyone knew the flamethrowing Skenes was special, but he’s somehow lived up to and probably even exceeded expectations.

In 23 starts (133 innings), Skenes posted a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 170 strikeouts. As the great Sarah Langs noted, that’s the lowest ERA by a rookie pitcher since 1913! Only four rookie pitchers have posted an ERA below 2.00 — three dead-ball era pitchers and Paul Skenes.

Words can’t describe how great he’s been, so watch him make elite hitters look silly and go chase the best hobby pitcher in recent memory.

This guy is better now than he was a year ago, when he was the first overall pick in the draft… Rookie season Skenes added a modified sinker/changeup to his already nasty repertoire and graduated from prospect status as one of baseball’s best handful of pitchers.

FanGraphs

The Best Early Cards Of 2023 #1 Overall Pick and Pirates Phenom Paul Skenes

Wyatt Langford

Texas Rangers outfielder (Card #US151)

According to Baseball America:

• Texas Rangers #2 prospect
• MLB #5 prospect
• Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Speed: 50 | Field: 45 | Arm: 45 | Overall: 70

The Texas Rangers have a really special duo in Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter. Langford got off to a slow start before missing three weeks with a hamstring injury, but when he returned he slashed .262/.336/.455 with 22 doubles, 15 home runs, 17 stolen bases, and a 123 wRC+ through the end of the season.

He makes a ton of hard contact and showed pretty good plate discipline in his rookie season. Langford has been compared to Mike Trout so the expectations are obviously high, but he finished his rookie season with flashes of why that comp isn’t wildly outrageous — he hit .305 with a .632 slugging percentage in September. I’m really excited to see what a full, healthy season from Langford looks like in 2025.

Pound for pound, Langford is one of the best prospects in the sport…The righthanded hitter has a simple, powerful swing that keeps the barrel in the zone long enough to hit for a high average and with enough strength and loft to eventually achieve double-plus power. Langford also makes stellar swing decisions. He doesn’t chase often, and he rarely misses pitches in the zone. He should be an offensive force in Texas in short order.

Baseball America

The Best Baseball Cards Of Rangers’ Phenom Wyatt Langford

Jackson Merrill

San Diego Padres outfielder (Card #US210)

According to Baseball America:

• San Diego Padres #2 prospect
• MLB #17 prospect
• Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Speed: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 | Overall: 60

Jackson Merrill has been one of the biggest surprises of 2024. A natural shortstop, Merrill played just five games in the outfield in the minor leagues before being thrust into the starting centerfield role when he made the 2024 Opening Day roster.

He’s played above average defense at a premium position, earned himself an All Star nod, and is the main challenger to Paul Skenes for the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Award.

A top three centerfielder in baseball, Merrill slashed .292/.324/.500 with 24 home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 129 wRC+ during his rookie season. He’s also been incredibly clutch.

In high leverage situations, Merrill’s posted a .926 OPS. His 191 wRC+ in high leverage situations is best among centerfielders (yes, even better than Aaron Judge) and 4th best in baseball. He’s a special talent that’s risen to the occasion, and a worthy addition to Tier 1.

This is a franchise center fielder (who knows, though, he might return to short one day) with a special bat. He’s one of the best young hitters in the game.

FanGraphs

Jackson Chourio

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder (Card #US240)

According to Baseball America:

• Milwaukee Brewers #1 prospect
• MLB #2 prospect
•  Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Speed: 70 | Field: 60 | Arm: 45 | Overall: 70

Despite an incredible second half performance, Jackson Chourio is still flying under the radar. Chourio is just the 17th rookie to have a 20+ home run and 20+ stolen base season, and he’s doing it at just 20 years old.

Brent Maguire wrote a fantastic article on Chourio in early September, and this paragraph stood out to me now that the young outfielder has accomplished all three marks:

But even factoring in his sluggish start, Chourio’s first big league season puts him on a path toward greatness. He stands a good chance of finishing with at least 20 homers, a 110 OPS+ and 3 WAR, and only six other rookies in MLB history have hit each of those thresholds in a season at age 20 or younger. Four are in the Hall of Fame (Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson and Orlando Cepeda), and two seem like locks to get there one day (Mike Trout and Bryce Harper).

Chourio’s impressive rookie season might have been overshadowed by other rookies like Paul Skenes, Jackson Merrill, and Jasson Domínguez, but he deserves a ton of credit for his in-season adjustments that lead to a fantastic rookie year.

Could this version of Chourio — the one we have seen since June — be his new baseline? It’s not inconceivable, given Chourio’s previous prospect status and the fact that he is producing like this in a prolonged stretch in his rookie year at age 20…

If you extrapolate Chourio’s production in 77 games since June across a full 162-game season, the youngster would be on pace for 29 home runs, 27 stolen bases and 7.4 WAR. That type of season would immediately vault Chourio into the conversation for best players in baseball.

Brent Maguire, MLB.com

The Best Jackson Chourio Baseball Cards Right Now

Tier 2: 2024 Topps Update rookie cards I’m cautiously optimistic about

I want to preface this section by saying: I originally had these two rookies in Tier 3 because the gap between the rookies in Tier 1 and everyone else is so large.

However, I wanted to stay true to the tiered systems that Cardlines readers know and expect from these breakdowns. So rather than keep Tier 2 totally blank, Colt Keith and Jordan Beck make up the second tier because they’re a tick above everyone else in Tier 3.

Colt Keith

Detroit Tigers second baseman (Card #US73)

According to Baseball America:

• Detroit Tigers #3 prospect
• MLB #28 prospect
•  Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Speed: 45 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50 | Overall: 55

Colt Keith’s rookie season was a bit of a rollercoaster. Before the season and with zero big league games under his belt, the Tigers inked Keith to a 6-year, $28.6 million deal. He did nothing but hit at every level of the minor leagues and the contract signified Detroit’s faith in Keith as their second baseman of the future while also locking him up long-term for what will likely be a discount in favor of immediate financial security for the 23-year-old.

Keith started off very slow, had a monster May and even better July where he slashed .322/.404/.644 with 7 home runs. In between (June) those hot streaks and from August onward, Keith’s strikeouts spiked, his walks diminished, and his power was nearly non-existent. A player’s first taste of the big leagues isn’t always an immediate success and ultimately I think Keith projects as an above-average hitter. However, he’s a rather one-dimensional player and would have to be an offensive superstar to give me confidence in his hobby value. I don’t see that right now which makes me hesitant to buy in.

Keith’s best position is in the batter’s box. The Tigers’ goal is to get his defense to a point where he doesn’t have to slide to first base or DH. It may not matter, because he has the chance to be one of the best hitters the Tigers have produced in the past few decades.

Baseball America

Jordan Beck

Colorado Rockies outfielder (Card #US269)

According to Baseball America:

• Colorado Rockies #4 prospect
• MLB #76 prospect
•  Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Speed: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 | Overall: 50

Jordan Beck is more well-rounded than Keith thanks to above average speed and plus power. His breakout season came at High-A in 2023 where he slashed .292/.378/.566 with 20 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 76 games. He earned a promotion to Double-A by the end of that season and, although his production was a bit above league average, his strikeout rate spiked to 31.8%.

Beck’s vulnerability to swing-and-miss was exploited by big league pitchers. The Rockies called Beck up at the end of April and he struck out 30 times in just 23 games (37%) while walking just once. He then missed two months with a broken hand and didn’t hit much better once he returned. FanGraphs’ comp for Beck is Brent Rooker, which doesn’t give me much confidence in his hobby value.

Beck should get to enough of his power to be a useful big league role player, and he’ll probably have a peak year or two where he plays more or less every day and hits 30 bombs, maybe more with help from Denver. But…I am apprehensive about projecting him to do it consistently and for an extended period of time because of the nature of his swing-and-miss.

Beck had more swinging strikes than balls in play last year in a sample that was generated mostly at High-A. His 64% contact rate would rank near the very bottom of the big league outfielder population alongside players whose production is a pretty good comp for what I expect from peak Beck, like Brent Rooker and Luke Raley.

FanGraphs

Tier 3: 2024 Topps Update rookie cards with a higher risk than potential investment reward

Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals OF (#US2)

Scott’s game was always going to rely heavily on his elite speed and defense, but he was so dismal at the plate that he’s looking less like a glove-first everyday centerfielder and more like a late-innings, defensive replacement or pinch runner. There’s upside if his offense improves but I can’t get past how bad he looked at the plate in 2024.

Jonatan Clase, Seattle Mariners OF (#US35)

Clase is a switch-hitting outfielder who the Mariners traded to the Blue Jays for Yimi García at the trade deadline. He looked good in his very small sample size with Seattle, going 7-for-20 and recording his first big league home run during a 3-hit day. Clase is similar to Scott in that he’s speed and defense over offense, but I think Clase provides more offensive upside than Scott does.

Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates P (#US49)

My thoughts on Jared Jones haven’t changed from my 2024 Topps Chrome rookie writeup. Out of nowhere, he burst onto the scene and served as a lethal No. 2 in the Pirates rotation during the first half of the season. There just isn’t enough hobby love for Jones when he shares a rookie class with Paul Skenes, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shota Imanaga.

Joey Loperfido, Houston Astros IF/OF (#US65)

The Astros traded Loperfido to the Blue Jays for Yusei Kikuchi at the trade deadline. He’s a well-rounded athlete that doesn’t have any huge, standout tools. His ability to play multiple positions gives him a utility player floor, but he needs to shore up his hit tool to become an everyday player.

Tyler Black, Milwaukee Brewers 1B/DH (#US144)

Black has a hit-over-power skillset which is fine if he played elite defense up the middle, but he’s trending down the defensive spectrum and looking more like a first baseman at best. Despite being rather positionless, he has plus speed that helped him steal 55 bases in 2023. Overall though, Black’s best tool is his ability to make contact and have good plate discipline. That isn’t exciting enough in the hobby.

Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers P (#US156)

I wanted to slide Leiter down to Tier 4, but the name recognition makes him notable. Leiter was one side of the two-headed dragon pitching with Kumar Rocker at Vanderbilt where he struck out 16 batters en route to a no hitter in 2021. He didn’t pitch well in his 9 big league appearances and there’s risk he shifts to a bullpen role, severely limiting his hobby value.

Blaze Alexander, Arizona Diamondbacks 2B/SS (#US197)

Alexander is a shortstop with above average power potential but can struggle to make contact. He played a healthy 61 games with the Diamondbacks in 2024 where he slashed .247/.321/.343 with 7 doubles, 3 home runs, and 3 stolen bases. His strikeout rate was elevated and he struggled to do much with anything that wasn’t a fastball. Toss in bad plate discipline and far too many ground balls and you have way too many red flags.

Christian Scott, New York Mets P (#US218)

I have Scott above Jack Leiter but below Jared Jones. His first few starts were really strong but then he began to struggle before hitting the injured list with an elbow sprain. Rest and rehab didn’t work like he and the Mets hoped, and Scott underwent Tommy John surgery in September. He’ll miss all of the 2025 season.

Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers OF (#US221)

Pages was a league average hitter in 116 games with the Dodgers in 2024 where he slashed .248/.305/.407 with 23 doubles and 13 home runs. FanGraphs pegs him as a “strikeout-prone corner outfielder with some peak years of huge power and the occasional lean season with too many whiffs” a la Teoscar Hernández and Adam Duvall.

Wenceel Pérez, Detroit Tigers OF (#US233)

Signed as an international free agent in 2016, Pérez has been a slow burn. He finally got to the big leagues and although he put up decent numbers, he’s likely to remain in a utility or bench role. There isn’t much here, but he performed better in 2024 than the other utility guys in Tier 4.

Kyle Manzardo, Cleveland Guardians 1B/DH (#US262)

Manzardo is similar to Tyler Black in that he’s a hit-over-power 1B/DH, but he lacks the speed that makes Black intriguing. Manzardo has enough power to be playable at first base and coupled with plus contact makes him an intriguing real-life prospect but not much of a hobby one.  

Justin Foscue, Texas Rangers 2B (#US296)

Foscue went from a first-round pick in 2020 to a one-tool elite contact hitter with minimal power, no speed, and a 1B/DH profile. Foscue put up decent numbers in Triple-A in 2024, but his time in the big leagues went about as bad as possible. He went 2-for-42 with 18 strikeouts. The only upside here is that Foscue’s high draft selection will provide him ample time to prove he’s worthy of a roster spot.

Tier 4: 2024 Topps Update rookie cards with little to no investment value

Mitchell Parker, Washington Nationals P (#US5)

Yuki Matsui, San Diego Padres P (#US8)

Jorge Barrosa, Arizona Diamondbacks OF (#US22)

Matt Sauer, Kansas City Royals P (#US25)

Mitch Spence, Oakland Athletics P (#US28)

Blake Walston, Arizona Diamondbacks P (#US29)

Samad Taylor, Seattle Mariners 2B/OF (#US30)

Tyler Holton, Detroit Tigers P (#US33)

Kyle McCann, Oakland Athletics C (#US37)

Ricky Vanasco, Los Angeles Dodgers P (#US38)

Bryan Ramos, Chicago White Sox 3B (#US51)

Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros P (#US52)

Randy Rodríguez, San Francisco Giants P (#US53)

Clayton Beeter, New York Yankees P (#US59)

Forrest Whitley, Houston Astros P (#US61)

Alek Jacob, San Diego Padres P (#US66)

Osvaldo Bido & Tyler Ferguson, Oakland Athletics P & P (#US69)

Dedniel Núñez & Tyler Jay, New York Mets P & P (#US82)

Graham Pauley, San Diego Padres 3B (US84)

Jordan Leasure, Chicago White Sox P (#US94)

Austin Martin, Minnesota Twins 2B/OF (#US96)

Bryan Hudson, Milwaukee Brewers P (#US105)

Porter Hodge & Jake Wong, Chicago Cubs P & P (#US106)

Cole Winn, Texas Rangers P (#US109)

Ryan Fernandez, St. Louis Cardinals P (#US111)

Robert Gasser, Milwaukee Brewers P (#US119)

Landon Knack, Los Angeles Dodgers P (#US127)

Lane Ramsey & Edgar Navarro, Chicago White Sox P & P (#US128)

Joey Estes, Oakland Athletics P (#US130)

Darell Hernaiz, Oakland Athletics SS (#US132)

Cade Smith, Cleveland Guardians P (#US134)

Robert Garcia, Washington Nationals P (#US137)

Trey Lipscomb, Washington Nationals 3B (#US143)

Clayton Andrews & Josh Maciejewski, New York Yankees P & P (#US163)

Jacob Hurtubise, Cincinnati Reds OF (#US165)

Justin Slaten, Boston Red Sox P (#US178)

Mason Black, San Francisco Giants P (#US179)

Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs P (#US183)

Jhonny Pereda & Emmanuel Ramirez, Miami Marlins C & P (#US185)

Landen Roupp, San Francisco Giants P (#US186)

Kyle Leahy & Chris Roycroft, St. Louis Cardinals P & P (#US189)

Brett Harris, Oakland Athletics 3B (#US199)

Kai-Wei Teng, San Francisco Giants P (#US212)

Max Schuemann, Oakland Athletics IF (#US220)

Alex Speas, Houston Astros P (#US222)

Nick Nastrini, Chicago White Sox P (#US225)

Chandler Seagle & Mason McCoy, San Diego Padres C & SS (#US227)

Chris Roller, Milwaukee Brewers OF (#US242)

Luis Vázquez, Chicago Cubs SS (#US245)

Davis Wendzel, Texas Rangers 3B (#US248)

Blair Henley & Shawn Dubin, Houston Astros P & P (#US252)

Stephen Kolek, San Diego Padres P (#US259)

Nasim Nuñez, Washington Nationals SS (#US267)

Naoyuki Uwasawa, Boston Red Sox P (#US268)

Evan Justice & Anthony Molina, Colorado Rockies P & P (#US270)

Erik Miller & Nick Avila, San Francisco Giants P & P (#US271)

Austin Shenton, Tampa Bay Rays 1B/DH (#US275)

Leo Rivas, Seattle Mariners 2B/SS (#US279)

Johnathan Rodríguez, Cleveland Guardians OF (#US283)

Tobias Myers, Milwaukee Brewers P (#US299)

Eli Villalobos & Anthony Maldonado, Miami Marlins P & P (#US305)

Easton Lucas & Angel Felipe, Oakland Athletics P & P (#US306)

Fernando Cruz, Cincinnati Reds P (#US308)

Oliver Dunn, Milwaukee Brewers 3B (#US310)

TJ Hopkins, Detroit Tigers OF (#US311)

Jair Camargo, Minnesota Twins C (#US314)

David Bañuelos & Matt Krook, Baltimore Orioles C & P (#US315)

Yariel Rodríguez, Toronto Blue Jays P (#US317)

Ronel Blanco, Houston Astros P (#US319)

Zach DeLoach, Chicago White Sox OF (#US320)

Roddery Muñoz, Miami Marlins P (#US322)

Addison Barger, Toronto Blue Jays 3B/OF (#US336)

Pedro Pagés, St. Louis Cardinals C (#US338)

Jonathan Cannon, Chicago White Sox P (#US347)

Hunter Stratton, Pittsburgh Pirates P (#US348)

Cam Eden, Toronto Blue Jays OF (#US349)

Final thoughts on The Best 2024 Topps Update Rookie Cards

Stay tuned as I update this article with more information on the best 2024 Topps Update rookie cards!

In the meantime, what is your take on the 2024 Topps Update Baseball rookie class? Who are you chasing? Any players you’re passing on? And how do you rank the rookie class overall? Tell us about it at CardLines on Twitter.