Shohei Ohtani is this century's Babe Ruth and their cards
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Has there been an athlete in recent memory who has captured the imagination and "hearts and minds" of so many in such a relatively short amount of time? You may be one of the few who doesn't like Shohei Ohtani - you might not even like baseball, but you're most likely aware of him and his star power. If he keeps producing over the next few years, there's a good chance that generations to come will be talking about the exploits of the great Ohtani just like we talk about Babe Ruth 100 years later.
Babe Ruth is an American icon. "The Sultan of Swat". "The Great Bambino". These are just a couple of nicknames that almost everyone knows when thinking about George Herman Ruth. He was a two way star and came up right as radio entered the homes of millions. Baseball was sports to most Americans back then - this was years before football and basketball would make headway into popular culture. It's fair to say that Ruth was the sports celebrity of the roaring twenties.
There was, of course, no social or global media back then but sports cards depicting Ruth were produced in Europe. That's how broad his appeal was. Most of the Babe's cards are nearing the 100 year mark - and those in even halfway good condition don't come cheap. One thing that leaps out about the cards shown here are the vibrant colors in both the 1933 Goudey and the 1948 Leaf.
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Ohtani, on the other hand, does have the benefit of global and social media. Within minutes of any home-run or strike-out, millions can watch highlights on their phones or the game itself can be streamed. Technology has only increased his cross-cultural appeal. He plays in one of the hottest markets in the world and is simply a unicorn in the sport. No one has done what he's able to do on an almost nightly basis.
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Ohtani continues to cement his status as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever play the game. He has a good chance to snag his 4th MVP award this season and will finish with over 50 Home-runs again. He has a chance to end up with 150 runs - the last time that was accomplished was in 2000.
Like many players these days, Ohtani has multiple rookie cards out there. One, however, seems to be highly desired by most collectors.
The Bowman Chrome card is prized by many because of the great photo of Ohtani at bat. The price of the refractor version is sky high, but a basic copy in gem mint condition will also run you around $1,200.00.
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.