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Rare Shohei Ohtani card highlights special eBay baseball auction ahead of 2023 World Series
Shohei Ohtani has emerged as baseball’s biggest and most unique star the past three seasons, breaking 100-year-old records that rival the legendary Babe Ruth.
The 2018 AL Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star won the 2021 AL MVP award with a .257 batting average, 46 home runs and 100 RBI, while also going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 23 starts on the mound. The two-way star was even better in 2022 (.273, 34 home runs, 95 RBI; 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 Ks) and just missed his second straight MVP, finishing second to record-setting slugger Aaron Judge.
Ohtani is the favorite to win his second MVP this season after batting .304 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI, while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 Ks on the mound before being shut down and needing Tommy John surgery.
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As a result, Ohtani’s rookie cards and special refractors have soared in value, routinely selling for five figures and climbing well above six figures for his autographed Superfractors.
eBay has an Ohtani card that could set a new mark in its exclusive baseball Marque Auction, which runs through Oct. 27 just ahead of the 2023 World Series.
The 1/1 Ohtani Superfractor, graded PSA 8 with a 10 Auto, comes from the 2022 Topps Transcendent Collection, which featured only 99 boxes that retailed for around $40,000 a box.
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The card was discovered in box #17, matching Ohtani’s jersey number, and was in a Transcendent Chrome Pack. Only 33 Transcendent Chrome Superfractor Autograph cards were included in the set, including the Ohtani card.
The card has an opening bid of $80,000 in the eBay auction.
The auction also features several other high-end cards, including a 2019 Bowman Draft Corbin Carroll Rookie Auto card (PSA 10), a 2019 Bowman Chrome Julio Rodriguez 1/1 rookie card and a 1/1 2023 Topps Cosmic Chrome Rodriguez Superfractor. Also featured are two 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson rookie cards and a 1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie card.
The auction also features several intriguing autographed jerseys from such MLB stars as Bryce Harper, Corey Seager and the retiring Miguel Cabrera.
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