Which athletes had the most trading cards graded in 2023?

No athlete has garnered more headlines recently than MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, who just signed a record $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But card collectors already know the value of Ohtani, whose trading cards continue to be in high demand and command big dollars.

Ohtani leads all athletes in card submissions to card-grading giant PSA in 2023. He also has four of the top 10 most graded sports cards of 2023, according to PSA, which graded about 75 percent of all sports cards in the U.S.

Also See: Shohei Ohtani cards surge after another hot start 

Ohtani and NBA legend Michael Jordan lead all athletes in card submissions to PSA this year. The top 10: 

1. Shohei Ohtani

2. Michael Jordan

Also See: Top Michael Jordan cards for collectors 

3. Julio Rodriguez

4. Trevor Lawrence

5. Joe Burrow

6. Tom Brady

Also See: Topps releases coveted Tom Brady baseball card in Bowman 2023 set 

7. Kobe Bryant

8. LeBron James

9. Ken Griffey Jr.

10. Patrick Mahomes II

Ohtani also figures prominently among the 10 most graded sports cards of 2023.

1. 2018 Bowman 49 Shohei Ohtani

Also See: Shohei Ohtani is MLB's new Babe Ruth, and a hero in his homeland 

2. 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospects BCP50 Elly De La Cruz

3. 1989 Upper Deck 1 Ken Griffey Jr. Star Rookie

Also See: Juan Soto cards expected to soar after trade to Yankees 

4. 2023 Topps Now Draft D1 Victor Wembanyama

5. 2022 Bowman Paper Prospects BP50 Elly De La Cruz

6. 2018 Topps Update US285 Shohei Ohtani 

7. 2018 Topps Update US1 Shohei Ohtani Pitching In Red Jersey

8. 2022 Topps Update US44 Julio Rodriguez

9. 2018 Topps 700 Shohei Ohtani Pitching

10. 1990 Fleer 26 Michael Jordan

While Ohtani topped baseball cards and Jordan still rules NBA cards, there are some surprises among football cards.

Who owns the fast-growing football cards among grading submissions?

Try Bears quarterback Justin Fields, whose submissions grew 119 percent over 2022, according to PSA. Cards of Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence are the second-hottest, with submissions growing by 98 percent over last year. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, perhaps sparked by his highly public relationship with pop-music icon Taylor Swift, was third with 67 percent growth. 

Rookie cards are still the most coveted cards in the hobby and among the most submitted for grading. Here’s a look at the top rookie-card submissions by sport:

Basketball

1. Paolo Banchero

2. Victor Wembanyama

3. Cade Cunningham

4. Jalen Green

5. Chet Holmgren

Football

1. Kenny Pickett

2. Brock Purdy

3. Desmond Ridder

4. Garrett Wilson

5. Sam Howell

Baseball

1. Elly De La Cruz

2. Adley Rutschman

3. Corbin Carroll

4. Anthony Volpe

5. Gunnar Henderson