The Best Shohei Ohtani Rookie Cards to Buy

A collector’s guide to the best Ohtani cards.

Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar from Japan, is the best baseball player the game has ever seen. Ohtani’s global popularity has made his baseball cards some of the most popular collectibles in sports. With so many cards out there, what are the best Shohei Ohtani rookie cards to buy? We’ve broken it down in a few ways so that all collectors can find an Ohtani rookie card they like.

Who is Shohei Ohtani?

Prior to playing in MLB, Shohei Ohtani played five seasons in Japan’s professional baseball league. While in Japan, he established himself as one of the best players in the league as both a pitcher and hitter. Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels heading into the 2018 season. In six years with the Angels, he won two MVP awards and solidified himself as the game’s best player.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Ohtani signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases. The 50/50 home run ball was later auctioned off for a record-breaking $4.39 million.

The Classic Shohei Ohtani Rookie Cards

There are thousands of cards out there, but the best Shohei Ohtani cards are his rookie cards. 2018 was his rookie year, and you can’t go wrong with flagship rookie cards. Base cards are going to be the most affordable, but there are many low-numbered parallels for high-end collectors to chase.

2018 Bowman Shohei Ohtani #49

The Bowman paper rookie card shows Ohtani’s follow-through on the mound. This card is an affordable option for collectors, with raw cards readily available around $20 and PSA 10s for $150.

2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani #1

This card is the most valuable of the main, base Ohtani rookie cards. Recent sales of Ohtani’s Bowman Chrome rookie card in a PSA 10 are valued between $900-$1,000 (October 2024). Of these four, it’s the only one to show him batting.

2018 Topps Shohei Ohtani #700

The flagship Ohtani rookie card is found in 2018 Topps Series 2. The base card shows him with his left knee up as he’s beginning to pitch, but there’s also an image variation where he’s holding a bat. The base card runs about $30 for a raw card and $185 for a PSA 10. Because of the scarcity of the image variations, the value of a PSA 10 is close to $1,000. Of all the Ohtani rookie cards, this is considered is “true rookie.”

2018 Topps Chrome Shohei Ohtani #150

This is where you’ll find the chromium version of the flagship Ohtani rookie card. Recent sales for the base version in a PSA 10 are around $225, but the parallels are where the value jumps up. If you’re looking for some ink, Topps Chrome also has on-card autographs.

Best Shohei Ohtani Rookie Cards: Affordable

There are so many affordable Shohei Ohtani rookie cards, but we’re just going to highlight a few. We’re also sticking to cards from Topps, but there are many more affordable cards in unlicensed sets such as Panini and Leaf.

2018 Topps Update Series Shohei Ohtani #US1 & #US285

Topps Update is the third and final of the annual flagship releases. Ohtani’s rookie cards in 2018 Topps Update are another affordable alternative to his “true” rookie in 2018 Topps Series 2, and you can usually find them a bit cheaper. Card #US1 shows Ohtani pitching, while #US285 shows him batting.

2018 Topps Heritage Shohei Ohtani #600

If you’re a fan of throwback designs, Topps Heritage is for you. The 2018 release uses the 1969 Topps Design. While the base card is the most affordable, it can only be found in 2018 Topps Heritage High Number. Ohtani also has a short-printed card in the Action Image Variation or Autograph checklist. These are found in the regular 2018 Topps Heritage set.

2018 Topps Stadium Club Shohei Ohtani #138

Ohtani’s Stadium Club rookie card takes a simplistic approach showing him speaking at a podium from his opening press conference.

2018 Topps Allen & Ginter Shohei Ohtani #100

Not all collectors love Allen & Ginter, but it offers a chance to pull an affordable Ohtani rookie card. There are also mini versions of the card, which are a nod to the early 1900s tobacco cards.

2018 Topps Living Set Shohei Ohtani #7

Topps Living cards are sold exclusively through the Topps website, so you won’t find this card in packs at your local hobby shop. The print run for Topps Living is limited to the number of cards ordered during the week-long preorder window. This card is limited to 20,966 copies.

Best Shohei Ohtani Rookie Cards: High-End

If you’re looking for a Shohei Ohtani rookie autograph, you’re going to spend a pretty penny. All of these high-value Ohtani rookie cards have an autograph and a limited print run.

2018 Bowman Chrome Superfractor Autograph 1/1 Shohei Ohtani #CRA-SO

This superfractor rookie autograph, graded by Beckett as a 9.5 with a 10 auto grade, sold for $184,000 in an auction in 2018. If it was auctioned off today, it could easily go for double considering recent sales of other Ohtani superfractor rookie autographs.

2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Autograph Shohei Ohtani #AC-SO

Ohtani’s 1/1 superfractor autograph (BGS 9.5 Auto 10) from this set sold for $336,000 in September 2024. Besides the 1/1, there are the regular Sapphire autographs as well as three other parallels: Green (/50), Orange (/25), and Red (/5).

2018 Bowman Chrome Kanji Autograph Shohei Ohtani #CRA-SO

The Shohei Ohtani Kanji autographs are unique, high-value, and one of our favorites. Kanji are the Chinese characters used in the Japanese writing system, making for a special collectable from the Japanese superstar. Topps teased these autographs ahead of the 2018 Bowman release, but only a few have popped up. It’s unknown how many of these cards were signed with Ohtani’s Kanji autograph, but it’s safe to assume there’s only a handful out there.

2018 Topps Diamond Icons Autograph Shohei Ohtani #AC-SO

Diamond Icons is a premium offering that cost about $1,500 per box in 2018, but sealed hobby boxes are nearly impossible to find in 2024. Ohtani’s base Diamond Icons rookie autograph is limited to 25 copies, but it also comes in Purple (/10), Red (/5), and Gold (1/1) parallels.

2018 Topps Dynasty Autographed Patch Shohei Ohtani #AP-SO1-#AP-SO7

Ohtani has seven different autographed patches in 2018 Topps Dynasty, and all are numbered to 10 or less.

Best Shohei Ohtani Cards: Pre-Rookies and Other Unique Cards

If you’re an avid baseball collector, you’re probably familiar with “1st Bowman” cards for prospects. Shohei Ohtani wasn’t a traditional prospect in the sense that he didn’t get drafted or play in the minor leagues, so he never got a 1st Bowman card. However, he does have cards released in Japan as far back as 2013 and his first English card is found in 2017 Bowman Mega Boxes. There are also a few more unique Ohtani rookie cards worth collecting.

2013 BBM 1st Version Shohei Ohtani #183

2013 was Shohei Ohtani’s rookie year in Japan’s NPB, and his earliest baseball cards can be found in 2013 BBM sets. Values on these early Japanese cards vary, but they’re unique “pre-rookie” cards to add to your collection.

2017 Bowman Mega Box Prospects Shohei Ohtani #BCP31

This card is Ohtani’s first English card and is only found in 2017 Bowman Mega Boxes. This card shows Ohtani pitching for Team Japan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

2018 Topps Update Japan’s Finest Ohtani & Ichiro #US153

Before Shohei Ohtani, Ichiro took the baseball world by storm in 2001 when he won both the AL Rookie of the Year and the AL MVP. A card from his rookie year featuring the two best Japanese players to ever play in MLB? Sign us up!

2018 Topps Now Moment of the Week Babe Ruth & Shohei Ohtani #MOW1

This unique card highlights the comparisons between Shohei Ohtani and Babe Ruth, the original two-way baseball player. Now in his seventh season and fourth as a two-way player, Ohtani has quickly surpassed the two years Ruth spent as a true two-way player.

2018 Topps High Tek Shohei Ohtani #HT-SO

High Tek features unique and sometimes funky designs on acetate (rather than cardstock). There are also 8 different pattern variations and over 20 parallels.

Shop for Shohei Ohtani Cards

Whether you have a large budget or are looking for more affordable options, there are Shohei Ohtani rookie cards out there for every type of collector. Check out the AA Mint Cards online store for Ohtani rookie cards you can add to your collection.