Which rookies were added for 2022 Topps Series 2?

We’re getting toward the middle of the 2022 MLB season and Topps is set to roll out Series 2 soon. We don’t know an exact release date as of now, but the series is expected to come out in June. With the updated checklist, we have some more rookies added. We’re going to take a look at the rookie checklist and who was left off.

2022 Topps Series 2 rookies

Above is a full list of the rookies in Series 2. As you can see, a handful of big names were left off. Seattle Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez isn’t on there and Houston Astros SS Jeremy Pena is also not present. Those are the top 2 players in terms of AL Rookie of the Year odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Detroit Tigers 3B Spencer Torkelson and Kansas City Royals OF Bobby Witt Jr. are also not on the Series 2 checklist.

One player who was added was Pittsburgh Pirates SS prospect Oneil Cruz, who has yet to make his MLB debut. Cruz has been a polarizing name in the hobby. He’s expected to be one of a few prospects to help the Pirates get out of the basement in the MLB. Cruz isn’t exactly lighting things up in Triple-A. He’s batting below .230 with seven HRs and 27 RBI over 41 games.

The other perplexing decision by Topps was to keep Wander Franco on the checklist. Sure, it’s Franco, he’s the hottest name in baseball cards right now. We also had plenty of him in Series 1 as well as the Bowman baseball releases. Usually, you’d break up Franco and keep him off Series 2 and maybe toss him back in for the update later in the season. Having Franco on there again and leaving off names like J-Rod and Pena makes little sense.