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Yoshinobu Yamamoto cards soar after World Series MVP
It’s hard to believe that the Dodgers’ best pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was flying a under the radar all summer. But that’s what happens when your teammate is Shohei Ohtani, who combines similarly dominant pitching with perhaps baseball’s most feared bat.
The international stage of the World Series, however, broadened the spotlight—so much so that Yamamoto easily earned MVP honors. And why not? Despite stellar performances by Ohtani and big moments by teammates Will Smith, Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas, Yamamoto was really the only choice. He pitched in three of the seven games and earned the win in all three. Along the way, he posted a 1.02 ERA and 0.68 WHIP with 15 Ks in 17.2 innings.
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The already-legendary Fall Classic performance came on the heels of a remarkable season for Yamamoto, who was 12-8 during the regular season while striking out 201 batters in 173.2 innings. His ERA was a tidy 2.49 and his WHIP a minuscule 0.99.
At age 27, he likely has many more Ws and Ks in his future. And as part of the “best team money can buy” (as many are calling the current Dodgers), it’s a good bet that he’ll provide more World Series highlights.
Not surprisingly, collectors are following. After the World Series, a bidder on eBay paid $8,350 after 84 bids for a 2024 Topps Transcendent Collection “Icons” Chrome Superfractor.
A 1-of-1 2024 Topps Inception Gameday Gear Relic fold-out card features Yamamoto’s autograph and four swatches of memorabilia. Some 71 bids sent this rarity soaring to $7,306.
Then there’s Yamamoto’s signed 2024 Bowman Chrome rookie card. An ungraded Orange Refractor variation (#2/25) sold for $4,953 on 32 bids after the World Series. A more scarce (#5/5) Red Refractor brought “only” $4,638 in an auction that ended while the World Series was still playing out.
Plus, a signed 2025 Topps Chrome #1/1 Future Stars card of Yamamoto brought $4,600 on 26 bids. And an autographed 2024 Bowman Orange Refractor (#1/25) sold for $4,550 on 22 bids in September. A month later, an eBay seller got $4,256 on 50 bids for a 2024 Topps Sapphire Red signed card marked #1/5 and graded PSA 10.
We could go on with more four-figure examples. Suffice to say that Yamamoto has suddenly become a hot ticket.
