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There’s no escaping Shohei Ohtani cards after another hot start
The 2023 MLB season kicked into gear with “business as usual” performances by slugger/pitcher Shohei Ohtani, the game’s most dynamic player.
Ohtani slammed a couple of tape-measure home runs in Week 1, naturally, and made two starts on the mound, during which he produced 18 strikeouts in 12 innings while compiling a 0.75 ERA. Through April 18, Ohtani was batting .300 with four home runs and 11 RBI, while going 2-0 on the mound with 27 strikeouts in 21 innings and a 0.86 ERA.
The performances begged the ongoing question, “Is Ohtani more valuable as a hitter or hurler?”
Lucky for the LA Angels, there’s no need to think about that question. They’ll keep him in the 3 spot in the batting order, behind Mike Trout, and trot him out to pitch every fifth or sixth day. Meanwhile, collectors will keep opening their wallets wider and wider.
In the past few weeks, we saw multiple bidding wars for Ohtani rookies listed on eBay. As our Top 10 chart reflects, a signed 2018 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor sold for $18,100 on 67 bids. The card, marked #37/50, has been graded PSA 9.
Another Ohtani Gold Refractor — this one from the 2018 Topps Chrome set — fetched $16,477 on 57 bids. It was marked #5/50 and graded Gem-Mint PSA 10 grade.
Vintage collectors who treasure Topps’s classic 1969 set will appreciate Ohtani’s 2018 Topps Heritage card: It was designed after that well-loved ’69 set. On eBay in March, a Gem-Mint BGS 9.5-graded example sold for $13,988 on 80 bids. It was signed in red ink and marked “56/69” by Ohtani himself.
Other recent transactions on eBay include a signed Blue Refractor version of his 2018 Bowman Chrome card that fetched $19,000 on 47 bids. It was one of only 150 made and had been graded PSA 10.
A signed Atomic Refractor of the same card (BGS 9.5) brought $12,700 on 33 bids. And a Gold Refractor (BGS 9.5) brought $9,752 on 39 bids; it was marked #9/50.
Then there’s this historical item: a 2022 Topps Sterling triple-autographed relic card featuring Ohtani along with fellow Japanese imports Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui. Bearing pieces of game-used memorabilia along with authenticated signatures of the three, the ungraded card brought $6,999 on 55 bids. It was marked #4/5.
