Shohei Ohtani rookie card: key RCs, checklist and collector interest
Shohei Ohtani's first licensed base rookie card is the 2018 Topps (Series 2) #700. The first chromium rookie card is the 2018 Topps Chrome #150. The scarcest licensed rookie autograph in our checklist is the 2018 Topps Dynasty #AP-SO, numbered /10. Before it came the first prospect card, the 2017 Bowman Chrome Mega Box #BCP31, which is not a rookie card. Shohei Ohtani's rookie season was 2018.
Shohei OhtaniLAD DH
Not drafted by an MLB club; posted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (NPB) after the 2017 season and signed with the Los Angeles Angels.
Photo: All-Pro Reels on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop), CC BY-SA 2.0Shohei Ohtani card market
Collector attention: up 22% this week, up 34% over 30 days
Attention measures how much people are looking up this player, a leading indicator collectors watch. It is not a price. Source: Wikipedia pageviews through 2026-10-15.
Shohei Ohtani's key rookie cards, by our criteria
- First licensed base RC: The licensed base rookie card from the earliest year in the player's checklist. Where an Upper Deck Young Guns card exists, that card.
- First chromium RC: The licensed chromium (Chrome, Prizm, Optic and the like) rookie card from the earliest year in the player's checklist.
- Scarcest licensed RC autograph: Among licensed rookie-card autographs in the player's checklist, the one with the lowest stated print run.
- First prospect card: For a player whose rookie cards are not out yet, or a baseball player's Bowman 1st: the earliest prospect card in the player's checklist. Not a rookie card.
First licensed base RC
2018 Topps (Series 2) #700
First chromium RC
2018 Topps Chrome #150
Scarcest licensed RC autograph
2018 Topps Dynasty #AP-SO numbered /10
Topps, patch autograph, five patch versions, each numbered to 10. Sources [1][2]
First prospect card
2017 Bowman Chrome Mega Box #BCP31
Topps, prospect, pre-debut prospect card, not an RC. Sources [1][2]
Which Shohei Ohtani card is the real rookie card
Ohtani's MLB rookie season was 2018, and his licensed MLB rookie cards are Topps and Bowman issues from that year, including flagship Topps #700, Topps Chrome #150 and Bowman Chrome #1. Panini also made 2018 Ohtani rookie cards (Donruss, Immaculate, National Treasures) under a players-association license only, so they carry no MLB team logos. His 2017 cards, such as the Topps Now card and a Bowman Chrome Mega Box prospect card, came out before his MLB debut and are not treated as rookie cards. No Bowman 1st card was confirmed for him, so there is no Bowman 1st row.
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Shohei Ohtani rookie card checklist with card numbers
14 rookie cards and 2 earlier or related cards, each confirmed on the linked pages. Not every parallel is listed.
| Card | Type | Print run | RC | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Topps (Series 2) #700flagship base RC | Base | Not numbered | Yes | [1][2] |
| 2018 Topps Chrome #150 | Chromium | Not numbered | Yes | [1][2] |
| 2018 Bowman Chrome #1 | Chromium | Not numbered | Yes | [1][2] |
| 2018 Bowman #49 | Base | Not numbered | Yes | [1] |
| 2018 Topps Update #US1 | Base | Not numbered | Yes | [1] |
| 2018 Topps Chrome Update #HMT1 | Chromium | Not numbered | Yes | [1] |
| 2018 Topps Heritage High Number #600 | Base | Not numbered | Yes | [1][2][3] |
| 2018 Bowman Platinum #34 | Base | Not numbered | Yes | [1][2] |
| 2018 Bowman's Best #1 | Chromium | Not numbered | Yes | [1][2] |
| 2018 Stadium Club #138 | Base | Not numbered | Yes | [1][2] |
| 2018 Topps Transcendent Collection #10hard-signed base card | Autograph | /83 | Yes | [1] |
| 2018 Topps Dynasty #AP-SOfive patch versions, each numbered to 10 | Patch autograph | /10 | Yes | [1][2] |
| 2018 National Treasures #48players-association license only, no MLB logos | Patch autograph | /99 | Yes | [1] |
| 2018 Immaculate Collection #37players-association license only, no MLB logos | Patch autograph | /99 | Yes | [1] |
| 2017 Bowman Chrome Mega Box #BCP31pre-debut prospect card, not an RC | Prospect | Not numbered | No | [1][2] |
| 2017 Topps Now #OS-80first MLB-licensed card, issued before his debut; not an RC | Base | /17323 | No | [1] |
Shohei Ohtani's career, in brief
- Pitched and hit for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan from 2013 to 2017, then played for the Los Angeles Angels (2018 to 2023) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2024 to present).
- 2018 American League Rookie of the Year after hitting .285 with 22 home runs and going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA as a pitcher.
- Four MVP awards, all unanimous: AL in 2021 and 2023, NL in 2024 and 2025.
- Hit 55 home runs in 2025, a Dodgers single-season record, and won the World Series in 2024 and 2025.
Career facts: [1]
- Honors include the Time 100, the Associated Press Athlete of the Year, the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, among 10 listed on Wikidata.
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Record public Shohei Ohtani card sales
Reported sales only, each with the report that carried it.
- 2026-07: 2018 Bowman Chrome Superfractor (batting variation), BGS 9.5, sold for $3,365,000 at private sale through an online marketplace. ESPN
- 2026-06-28: 2018 Topps Chrome #150 Superfractor 1/1, BGS 9.5, sold for $2,562,229 at Goldin. Sports Illustrated
- 2025-11: 2018 Topps Transcendent Collection 1952 Topps Autographs Superfractor rookie autograph, sold for $542,900 at Goldin (October Legends Auction). Sports Collectors Digest
Grading Shohei Ohtani cards
A PSA 10 (Gem Mint) or BGS 9.5 is the top grade most collectors look for; it means sharp corners, clean edges, centered printing and an unmarked surface. A graded card and a raw one are different cards to look up.
How PSA, CGC and Beckett grade
PSA
- Top grades:
- Gem Mint 10, then Mint 9 and NM-MT 8.
- Half grades:
- 1.5 through 8.5 since February 2008; there is no PSA 9.5.
One overall grade on the label. Centering weighs heavily in it.
CGC
- Top grades:
- Pristine 10 (virtually flawless, 50/50 centering), then Gem Mint 10 and Mint+ 9.5.
- Half grades:
- Yes, from Fair 1.5 up to Mint+ 9.5.
Authentic (AU) for a genuine card that cannot take a number; Authentic Altered (AA) for one that was altered.
Source: CGC grading scale
Beckett (BGS)
- Top grades:
- Pristine 10; a Black Label Pristine 10 has a 10 in all four subgrades.
- Half grades:
- Yes, 1 to 10 in half points.
Four subgrades on the label: centering, corners, edges and surface.
Source: Beckett grading
Grading scales as each grader describes them, checked Oct 16, 2026.
Population by grade
A population report counts how many copies of a card a grader has graded at each grade. Search 2018 Topps (Series 2) #700 on PSA Population Report or CGC Cards Population Report.
How to identify your Shohei Ohtani card and check what it sold for
- Find the year and maker on the back of your Shohei Ohtani card, and the card number, usually top or bottom on the back.
- Check the front and back for a serial number (for example 23/99) and for a colored or patterned finish: those mark a parallel, which is a different card from the base version.
- Look for the RC logo or the word Rookie. A card from before the first pro season, such as a Bowman 1st or a college card, is a prospect card, not a rookie card.
- Note any grade on the slab label (PSA, BGS, SGC, CGC). A raw card and a graded one are different listings.
- Search sold listings for that exact year, set, number, parallel and grade. What a card sold for is a better guide than any asking price.
Check Shohei Ohtani rookie cards in eBay's sold listings or eBay's price guide for that exact card.
Shohei Ohtani cards for sale now
Shohei Ohtani card questions
- What is Shohei Ohtani's rookie card?
- Shohei Ohtani's first licensed base rookie card is the 2018 Topps (Series 2) #700. The first chromium rookie card is the 2018 Topps Chrome #150. The scarcest licensed rookie autograph in our checklist is the 2018 Topps Dynasty #AP-SO, numbered /10. Before it came the first prospect card, the 2017 Bowman Chrome Mega Box #BCP31, which is not a rookie card. Shohei Ohtani's rookie season was 2018.
- What year is Shohei Ohtani's rookie card?
- Shohei Ohtani's rookie season was 2018, so the rookie cards carry that year.
- How many rookie cards does Shohei Ohtani have?
- Our checklist lists 14 Shohei Ohtani rookie cards with card numbers, each from a cited source. It is not every parallel or color variation.
- Does Shohei Ohtani have a licensed rookie autograph?
- Yes. Our checklist lists 2: 2018 Topps Transcendent Collection #10 (/83); 2018 Topps Dynasty #AP-SO (/10).
- How much is a Shohei Ohtani rookie card worth?
- Parlae does not print card values. Find the year, set, card number, parallel and grade on your card, then check eBay sold listings or eBay's price guide for that exact card.
- Are collectors watching Shohei Ohtani right now?
- Collector attention is rising: Wikipedia lookups of Shohei Ohtani are up 22% this week. That is attention, not a price.
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Card facts checked 2026-10-15. Parlae prints no card values. Set and brand names belong to their makers; Parlae is not affiliated with them.
By the Parlae deskCard data updated Oct 16, 2026 at 8:34 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number