The 5 Most Expensive Shohei Ohtani Baseball Cards in 2023

Shohei Ohtani is definitely one of the more dynamic players to come along in the game of baseball in recent times. As a matter of fact, he's one of those rare players that's capable of adapting to virtually any type of situation and making it work in his favor.

That fact was never proven more when he became an outstanding rookie player in his native Japan and then made the transition to American baseball and did exactly the same thing all over again.

As a matter of fact, he's proven time and again that he's capable of achieving things that most people can only dream of. Playing for Japan from 2013 until 2017, he was named the Japan Series Champ in 2016. He then went on to play as a pitcher, hitter, and outfielder for the LA Angels in 2018, where he became Rookie of the Year.

As of 2023, Shohei Ohtani has a Win/Loss record of 7-5; and ERA of 3.50, 139 strikeouts, and his WHIP is 1.12. Ohtani also has a batting average of .276, 44 home runs and 95 RBIs. In 2021, he was named both an All-Star and an MVP. That's one reason why people have started to collect his rookie cards, and it is certainly why a number of them have sold for the amounts that they have.

If you're curious, you can check out the list below, ranked from number five to number one. They are the top five most expensive baseball cards featuring Ohtani that have ever been sold. Who knows, maybe you have a few lying around that you'd like to sell, or perhaps you'd like to hold on to them for a while and see how much more monetary value they gain in the coming years.

5. 2014 Shohei Ohtani BBM 1st Version Art of Auto RC #WB1 PSA 10 ($1,049.99)

If you're curious, this is not the other American rookie card in question. Instead, it serves as his rookie card from when he played in Japan. No serious collector that is a fan of his would consider the collection complete without this very card. As you might have guessed, it's fairly hard to get a hold of.

That means that it's already worth a great deal of money, as you can see from the example listed above. There is every chance that as the years pass, this card will become increasingly difficult to find. That means that it's also likely to increase in monetary value (probably by leaps and bounds) in the not-too-distant future.

4. 2018 Bowman Rookie Card #49 Shohei Ohtani PSA 10 ($4,000.00)

You can almost bet that a rookie card is going to be worth a significant amount of money, especially when a player turns out to be one that is extremely popular or highly skilled. In this case, you're dealing with both.

That means that it's more likely than ever that you will also be dealing with a situation where any rookie card that you can get your hands on is going to be worth a considerable sum.

This isn't the only rookie card that made the list, either. As a matter of fact, every situation is different and that is something that is really driven home in this case, as you have someone that played in both Japan and the United States. As a result, he had what more or less amounts to two separate rookie seasons. This card celebrates that achievement.

3. 2018 Topps Dynasty Auto Patch RC #AP-SO1 Shohei Ohtani PSA 9.5 ($12,499.99)

Without a doubt, you've probably noticed that there is a sharp increase in value between this card and the one that landed in the number four spot. That largely comes down to one thing and one thing only. This particular card has been autographed by the player in question.

Anyone who has collected virtually any type of item for more than a few minutes knows that a genuine autograph can mean all the difference between something that sells for a few hundred dollars or several thousand dollars. That is certainly the case here.

2. 2018 Topps Clearly Authentic Auto RC #CAA-SO Shohei Ohtani PSA 10 ($19,989.00)

This is the other American rookie card in question that was spoken about earlier. As you can see, this one is worth significantly more than the other one on the list. Again, it comes down to one thing. This particular rookie card featuring his American debut in baseball is signed by the player.

It's also arguably the most sought-after card featuring this particular player, meaning that there is a premium price attached to it. This particular card is in mint condition, driving the price up even more. When it's all said and done, this particular example ended up selling for just shy of $20,000.

1. 2018 Topps Diamond Icons #AC-SO Shohei Ohtani BGS 10 ($75,000)

While this particular card was originally valued around $7,800, which is a large sum of money, its value peaked in September 2022, and it suddenly skyrocketed to a value of $75,000, making it the most expensive Shohei Ohtani card available. 

The value dropped dramatically a few months after peaking, but experts predict that this particular baseball card will always be valuable, and it could one day sell for even more than $75,000. It's definitely rare, which automatically increases its value. The more Ohtani continues to excel in baseball, the more likely this card and others are to increase in value.

FAQs

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Shohei Ohtani baseball cards.

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