Shohei Ohtani’s 2018 player card sold for $336,000, a 4-fold increase in 3 years

On September 24th, Sotheby’s auctioned a rare Shohei Ohtani baseball card for an astonishing $336,000, reflecting the soaring popularity of the Japanese star in Major League Baseball (MLB). This figure represents a fourfold increase compared to its last auction price in 2021.

According to MarketWatch, during a recent auction event that marked the inaugural collaboration between Sotheby’s and the digital sports platform Fanatics, Ohtani’s rare 2018 baseball card fetched $336,000—far exceeding Sotheby’s original estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.

This particular card, a 2018 Topps Sapphire Superfractor rated at 9.5, shattered the previous auction records for Ohtani cards. The New York Times reported that prior to the auction, this card had already set multiple price records, first selling for $4,800 in 2019, then later for $62,730 in 2021.

ESPN highlighted earlier this year that Ohtani’s baseball cards have become some of the most sought-after in the market, rivaling the demand seen for cards of other sports legends such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Since the beginning of 2023, the card grading company PSA has recorded submissions of over 270,177 Ohtani cards, more than any other athlete.