Shohei Ohtani vs. Babe Ruth for the best card investment

Babe Ruth is the classic, historical example of a dominant pitcher and hitter. Today, Shohei Ohtani is showing the same two-way skill. After game 4 of the NLCS where "Shotime" hit three home runs and struck out 10 batters, the comparisons between the two are stronger than ever. The Great Bambino and Ohtani are the only baseball players ever to dominate their sports on the mound and at the plate. Despite the 99-year gap between their births, the similarities between Babe Ruth and Shohei Ohtani are almost uncanny.

There is a growing demand for sports cards featuring "GOAT" athletes. The market for cards of Michael Jordan and Tom Brady is booming. While Babe Ruth has traditionally been the top choice for GOAT in baseball, Shohei Ohtani's GOAT argument is gaining steam.

To ensure long-term stability and value appreciation, savvy collectors build their collections around the most iconic "GOAT" athletes. These collectors may have trouble deciding between a classic Babe Ruth or Shohei Ohtani card. If a collector is equipped with $3,500 to spend on a grail baseball card, should they go with The Bambino or Shotime?

Ruth and Ohtani Card — https://app.cardladder.com/dashboard?saleId=ebay-257162028320&index=new_salesarchive

Babe Ruth's most iconic card, the 1933 Goudey #144, is a grail card for many. A PSA Authentic copy of this card can be had for around $3,500. The 2018 Topps Gold /2018 Shohei Ohtani is Shotime's flagship rookie parallel that can be had for a similar price. Both cards have population counts of around 2,000. So, which is the better investment?

The Case for the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 Authentic

1933 Ruth — https://app.cardladder.com/collection?saleId=ebay-185762397753&index=new_salesarchive

1. So far Babe Ruth had a better career than Ohtani has had:

Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is the best stat we have to compare players of different generations. WAR estimates a player's total contribution to their team compared to a "replacement-level" player. A higher WAR indicates a more valuable player.

Ruth's career WAR is 182.6. His WAR is the highest all-time and includes contributions as both a pitcher and a hitter. He had nine seasons with a WAR of 10 or higher. Ohtani's career WAR is 62.2 after his career high WAR season in 2025 of 9.4. Ohtani would need 13 more seasons of 9.4 WAR to beat Babe's 182.6 lifetime WAR.

Many Babe Ruth doubters will argue that Ruth did his damage against plumbers and electricians in the 1920s and 30s. In a breakdown of Hall of Fame pitchers faced by Hall of Fame hitters, Babe Ruth posted the highest OPS against fellow Hall of Fame pitchers.

2. Ruth has Far Fewer Cards from his Playing Days:

According to the American Card Catalog, Babe Ruth has 118 distinct cards and variations that came out during his career from 1914-1935. Shohei Ohtani has over twenty-two thousand cards that have come out since his 2018 rookie season. As more and more baseball card sets and variations hit the market each year, there is reason to believe that Ohtani will have well over 100,000 unique baseball cards by the time he retires. Babe Ruth cards are 100,000 times more special because they are that much rarer.

3. The Ruth Card is Simply More Iconic:

The 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth isn’t just a baseball card. It's a legendary work of art from a legendary 1933 Goudey set. The hand-painted artwork and simple design make it one of the most recognizable sports images of the 20th century.

In contrast, Ohtani’s 2018 Topps Gold /2018 is part of a mass produced era where thousands of shiny parallels are released every year. The Ruth card helped define baseball card design; the Ohtani Gold is just one of hundreds of paralells produced that season.

The Case for the 2018 Topps Gold /2018 Shohei Ohtani PSA 10

Ohtani Gold Topps — https://app.cardladder.com/dashboard?saleId=ebay-257162028320&index=new_salesarchive

1. The Ohtani Card has Major Grading Quality and Modern Scarcity Advantages

While the Ruth is relatively rare, we really don't know how many 1933 Goudey Ruth #144 cards really exist. Modern scarcity comes from intentional print limits. The Topps Gold parallel is numbered to /2018, meaning we know exactly how many exist. Only 186 of this card ever received a Gem Mint PSA 10 grade.

Collectors want the very best versions of the hobby’s most iconic cards. In modern collecting, a PSA 10 is the gold standard. It is the perfect example of a card, without any noticeable faults. This PSA 10 Ohtani Topps Gold is the highest-grade version of one of the most recognizable flagship rookie parallels ever made. By contrast, a PSA Authentic label on a 1933 Goudey Ruth usually means the card is genuine but heavily worn or altered. It is not even worthy of a PSA 1.

2. Ohtani Has Greater Global Demand and Crossover Appeal

Babe Ruth was a national icon. Shohei Ohtani is a global one. He is arguably the most famous Japanese person in the world. More people in Japan tuned in to watch the Dodgers play the Cubs in March (roughly 20 million viewers) than the 14 million Americans who watched Game 1 of the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers.

The 2018 Topps Gold reflects this new, borderless collector world. As international markets continue to grow, demand for Ohtani’s early, limited cards is likely to keep expanding, especially for serial-numbered rookies in top condition.

3. The 2018 Ohtani Gold Still has Growth Potential

The 1933 Goudey Ruth Authentic is an established blue-chip. It's safe, steady, proven, and expensive. But its ceiling is already largely realized. The Ohtani Gold PSA 10, meanwhile, is more exciting. Ohtani is Nvidia from a few years ago.

Ohtani is baseball's modern Superman. In the World Series vs. Toronto, would anyone be surprised if he pitched a no-hitter and hit two grand-slams in the same game? Well, maybe.. but you never no with Shotime. He’s still adding MVPs, championships, and highlight moments that could move his market higher. For investors and collectors alike, Ohtani still has upside. This is something Ruth’s card, while iconic, no longer offers.

Verdict:

The 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 is a better long term investment. Ruth is the GOAT. Ohtani’s numbers are incredible, but they don’t come close to Ruth’s all-time dominance. Fans and collectors often become prisoners of the moment, overrating whoever’s generating the most hype at the time. The truth is, Ruth remains far and away the greatest hitter in baseball history. Ohtani isn’t even the best pure hitter of his own generation (that title belongs to Aaron Judge). In the hobby, people want to collect the true legends, and Ruth’s card stands as the far superior long-term investment because he is more legendary.

The 1933 Goudey set is more iconic than anything released since Ohtani was born. Only a small number of Babe Ruth cards truly exist, and owners are becoming increasingly reluctant to part with them. Ohtani, on the other hand, has an overwhelming number of cards on the market. Even as a PSA Authentic, the Ruth outshines the PSA 10 Topps Gold Ohtani.. it simply brings more awe.