How Shohei Ohtani Cards Can Shape the Summer Card Market of 2025
He is already one of the most prodigious athletes not only in the history of baseball, but in the history of sports. Shohei Ohtani is truly one of one. Which leads to the question: How are his “one of one” cards, or even any Shohei Ohtani card shaping the card market now that he is back from injury and raking once again (and returning to the mound very shortly)
Ohtani’s Topps Chrome Rookie base card currently has a 30-day price increase of 23.8%, while even his 2018 Bowman Base rookie card is sitting at a 7.6% increase over the course of the month. In fact, even his most common 2018 Topps base rookie (pitching) card has increased 11.1% over the past 30 days (Market Movers). You may be wondering how this lines up with the overall MLB card market over the past 30 days. The baseball market has shown a modest decline of 2% over the past month, which makes Ohtani’s market even more shocking, knowing that while the MLB market has been stagnant, his market is continually booming.
RELATED: Shohei Ohtani Home Run Ball Sent to Auction
In Topps Series 1 (2025), Shohei Ohtani didn’t just make an impact - he took it over. The top 14 most sought after cards in this product among all active MLB players? Shohei Ohtani. These rankings are based on sales volume, popularity, and market value. And this didn’t limit this product to one specific type of card. Base, foil, parallel, it simply didn’t and doesn’t matter…collector’s can’t get enough. This level of saturation wasn’t just about hype. It was due to a historic season that nobody in the history of the game has seen before.
In case collector’s have amnesia, just last year, Ohtani became the first player in the history of baseball to record a 50/50 season (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases). His season not only set records on the field, but also in his card market. His Dynasty Black Logoman 1/1 card sold this past March at Heritage Auction for a whopping $1.1 million. What makes this card even more historic is that the logoman patch used in the card was from the game worn pants of Ohtani when he hit his 50th home run last season…ultimately connecting the hobby to the sport.
So what's the play? For myself, and for many other hobbyists, it is “buy buy buy” and “hold hold hold”. This generational talent has cemented himself and his sports card as someone who can make collectors a pretty penny. And again, if the forgetfulness has kicked back in, let me remind you that Ohtani’s dominance and popularity in the card market is bound to only increase because he is set to take the mound very shortly. Although there is no set date for his return to the mound for the Dodgers, he has already begun his pitching rehab for the organization. And as for his cards shaping the market, it should be clear and simple: If Ohtani’s on the diamond, the hobby should be chasing those gems.
Abram King is a Pittsburgh native, die-hard fan of all things Black & Gold, and a passionate sports card collector. With years of experience in the hobby, he brings a sharp insight, deep knowledge, and hometown pride to his coverage. This is your inside edge of the hobby, straight from the Steel City.