A unique autographed card of Shohei Ohtani has set a new record by selling for $3 million through Fanatics Collect. This one-of-one card, known as the 2025 Topps Chrome MVP Award Gold MLB Logoman Ohtani card, represents a significant milestone in the sports memorabilia market. The sale nearly tripled the previous record for a card associated with a player, showcasing Ohtani’s immense popularity in the world of baseball.
The card features a gold MLB logo, a symbol awarded to players recognized for their excellence in the previous season. This particular card includes a patch used during a game on April 29, 2024, when Ohtani hit his seventh home run of the season against the Miami Marlins. This detail adds to the card’s appeal, providing collectors with a tangible connection to an on-field achievement.
Historic Sale in Context
Before this sale, the highest price paid for an Ohtani card was $1.067 million for an autographed card featuring the MLB logo from the pants he wore during pivotal moments of the 2024 season. That card was sold at Heritage Auctions in March 2024. The latest transaction not only highlights Ohtani’s stature but also marks the most expensive modern baseball card sale since the $3.96 million sale of a Mike Trout autographed rookie Superfractor card in 2020.
Kevin Lenane, vice president of marketplace at Fanatics, emphasized Ohtani’s unique status, comparing him to an “international Babe Ruthian figure.” He commented, “We try to listen to the collecting community and we heard this loud and clear: In high-end cards, if you’re going to have patches in these cards that are worth a lot of money, let’s have you be able to say, hey, this came from this game.”
The Rising Value of Sports Cards
The sports card market has seen a surge in value, with several notable sales in recent months. Lenane pointed out that other significant cards, such as the 2024 Topps Chrome Update Paul Skenes MLB debut patch card, sold for $1.11 million in March. Additionally, a Caitlin Clark Logowoman card fetched $660,000 in July, further illustrating the growing interest in sports memorabilia beyond traditional male-dominated sports.
In the same auction where Ohtani’s card sold, an autographed, one-of-one Cooper Flagg card also achieved a remarkable price. The 2025 Topps Chrome Silver Pack ’80 Superfractor Cooper Flagg card sold for $216,000, doubling the previous record for a Flagg card, which was $97,600. Flagg’s rising profile in basketball, highlighted by his recent achievement as the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a game, contributes to the increasing value of his collectibles.
As the demand for high-end sports cards continues to rise, these recent sales reflect a broader trend in the industry, where collectors are willing to invest substantial amounts for unique and historically significant items. The record-breaking sale of Ohtani’s card serves as a benchmark for the future of sports memorabilia, as collectors seek to acquire pieces that not only hold monetary value but also emotional and historical significance.
