Shohei Ohtani sets all-time record as exclusive rookie card fetches $336,000 at auction

Shohei Ohtani's historic MLB season is showing no signs of slowing. While the Japanese All-Star is breaking records on the field for the Los Angeles Dodgers, his fandom continues to grow.

At a recent auction, an exclusive Shohei Ohtani rookie Topps card from 2018, signed by the two-time MVP, was sold for $280,000 to the highest bidder, rising to $336,000 with a buyer's premium.

This is the highest value any Ohtani Topps card has fetched to date. The only edition of the card features Shohei Ohtani in the color of his former team, the Los Angeles Angels from his rookie season.

With the Japanese superstar etching his name into history books after becoming the first player to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, Ohtani's exclusive card from the 2024 season is likely to fetch eye-catching sums in the future.

Shohei Ohtani's pitching return in the postseason out of question

Earlier this month, following the Dodgers qualification to the postseason, rumors swirled of Shohei Ohtani's potential return to the mound in October. Ohtani, who hasn't pitched since his Tommy John surgery in the offseason, has played as a designated hitter in his first season with the Dodgers.

However, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman refuted the claims of Ohtani's return to the mound after the official met with the Japanese slugger on Sunday.

“It just wasn’t even talked about,” Friedman said, “because it’s not a thought.”

“The question was — and we couldn’t answer it in March — how do we want to handle live BPs? With the added adrenaline [of the postseason] and things he will go through that he has not gone through before.”

Shohei Ohtani will be playing in the postseason for the first time since making his MLB debut in 2018. The two-time MVP is also expected to add a third title to his resume owing to his remarkable season. However, it remains to be seen if the Dodgers enter the postseason as the top seed.

On Thursday, the Dodgers headed into the series finale against the San Diego Padres with a three-game lead in the NL West. At the time of writing, the Dodgers hold a 5-2 lead in the series decider.