Collecting the Greatest Topps Series 2 Rookies of All Time
The world of baseball never stops moving and neither does The Hobby. Few things spark excitement quite like the arrival of rookies in Topps Baseball Series 2. This isn’t just about fresh faces or new uniforms. It’s about the moment future stars get their first real spotlight in the flagship set. With 2025 Topps Baseball Series 2 right around the corner, a brand-new class of talent is ready to make their official cardboard debut.
Before we dive into the latest names making waves, it’s worth taking a look back. Over the years, Series 2 has quietly built a reputation as the home for some of the most memorable rookie cards in The Hobby. Not every debut came with fireworks. Some were sleepers that grew into legends. Others were must-haves from the moment the packs hit the shelves.
As the countdown to release day winds down, join us in celebrating the rookies who’ve left a lasting impression on Series 2. From hidden gems to Hobby headliners, these are the debuts that turned packs into history.
All-Time Topps Baseball Series 2 Rookies
2025 Topps Baseball Series 2 Short Print #698 Cam Smith RC
player Info
• no. 14 pick in the 2024 mlb draft
• made mlb debut on march 27, 2025
Set Info
• 350 base cards
what they said
• “His discipline at the plate is really, really good.” – astros manager joe espada
2025 Topps Baseball Series 2 Short Print #700 Kristian Campbell RC
player Info
• fourth-round pick in the 2023 mlb draft
• made mlb debut on march 27, 2025
Set Info
• 350-card set
What They Said
• “What he was is a good player who made himself a great player because of his work ethic.” – red sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow
2024 Topps Baseball Series 2 #553 Yoshinobu Yamamoto RC
player info
• THREE-TIME PACIFIC LEAGUE MVP AND TRIPLE CROWN WINNER
• SIGNED WITH THE DODGERS IN 2023
• MADE MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT IN 2024
• PICKED UP FIRST MLB WIN IN APRIL 2024
set info
• 350-card set
what they said
• “I think with Yoshinobu, there’s a lot of confidence, and there’s a lot of pride and fire.” -dodgers manager dave roberts
2023 Topps Baseball Series 2 #401 Corbin Carroll RC
Player info
• 2023 NL rookie of the year
• 2023 All MLB First-Team
• Second-youngest player in mlb history with at least three hits and two steals in a playoff game
set info
• 330-card set
what they said
• “He’s a game changer.” – teammate Brandon Pfaadt
2022 Topps Baseball Series 2 #659 Julio Rodriguez SP RC
player info
• 2022 al rookie of the year
• two-time All-Star
• first player in MLB history to record at least 25 homers and 25 stolen bases in each of his first two seasons
set info
• 330-card set
what they said
• “As good a player as he is and as fun as he is to watch, he’s so much more than that. He’s just such a genuine human being.” – Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto
2019 Topps Baseball Series 2 #201 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RC
player info
• made MLB debut in 2019
• at 20 years and 59 days, Guerrero became youngest Blue jays player to hit a homer
• three-time All-Star
• mlb home run leader in 2021
set info
• 350-card set
what they said
• “He’s demonstrated that he’s among the most impressive offensive performers in the game.” – Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro
2018 Topps Baseball Series 2 #700 Shohei Ohtani
player info
• 2018 al Rookie of the year
• first player to be selected to the all-Star Game as both a pitcher and position player
• first player in MLB history to reach at least 100 innings pitched, 100 strikeouts and 100 rbis in the same season
set info
• 350-card set
what they said
• “He kind of reminds you of Nolan Ryan, and then he reminds you of freaking Barry Bonds.” – hall of fame pitcher greg maddux
2018 Topps Baseball Series 2 #698 Ronald Acuna Jr. Bat Down SP RC
player info
• 2018 NL Rookie of the year
• four-time All-star
• 2023 NL MVP
• first player to record at least 40 homers and 60 rbis in the same season
set info
• 350-card set
what they said
• “Ronald is not only a generational athlete and the game’s best player, but he’s a cultural icon who inspires fans all over the world.” – Baseball United CEO Kash Shaikh
2012 Topps Baseball Series 2 #661 Bryce Harper SP RC
player info
• 2012 NL rookie of the year
• seven-time All-Star
• two-time NL MVP
• 2012 NLCs MVP
set info
• 330-card set
what they said
• “He brings you into his game with his talent and grit. That resonates with the fan base.” – philadelphia legend chase utley
2005 Topps Baseball Series 2 #677 Justin Verlander RC
player info
• Nine-time All-star
• three-time Cy young award winner
• two-time World Series champion
• 2011 al mvp
• 2011 triple crown winner
set info
• 366-card set
what they said
• “Justin Verlander’s pitching mechanics are powerful and balanced and athletic and textbook. They’re a study in near-perfection, the envy of other pitchers, a series of highly orchestrated movements that he constantly monitors, occasionally tweaks, and forever relies on to succeed.” – John Shea, San Francisco Standard
2002 Topps Baseball Series 2 #622 Joe Mauer RC
player info
• six-time All-Star
• three-time aL batting champ
• no. 7 is retired by the twins organization
• inducted into the hall of fame in 2024
set info
• 354-card set
what they said
• “He was one of the guys you would follow because you saw his actions and the way he went about his business. It didn’t matter if you were the 25th man on the roster or the other superstar on the team, or a mainstay guy, he treated everybody the same.” – former teammate denard span
2001 Topps Series 2 #726 Ichiro Suzuki RC
player info
• second player in mlb history to win rookie of the year and MVP honors in the same season
• 10-time All-Star
• set mlb record for hits in a season in 2004
• part of 3,000-hit club
set info
• 385-card set
• topps’ 50th anniversary in baseball cards
what they said
• “I remember the first time I met him in the clubhouse with Seattle, he knew who I was and I didn’t immediately know who he was. And talking to Tom Robson, who’s the hitting coach, he said Ichiro is bigger than Elvis in Japan, just to give me a frame of reference.” – former teammate john olerud
