Shohei Ohtani’s burst onto the scene as an MLB rookie year in 2018. Ohtani came to the United States as an international signing from Japan where he served as both a pitcher and hitter for the Nippon Ham Fighters. In his rookie season with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani quickly made an impact on the pitching mound starting 10 games that carried a 4-2 record with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched. As a hitter, Ohtani hit .285 with 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases over 104 games. Ohtani made MLB history in becaming the first player since Babe Ruth to hit 15 home runs and pitch 50 innings in a single season. His freshman season wasn’t without struggle as he missed significant time due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Despite these challenges, Ohtani’s rookie season was an impressive debut for the young superstar. He was named the American League Rookie of the Year and was also selected to the All-Star Game.
Collector’s have since seen Ohtani continue to be a major force in the MLB from both sides of the plate, earning accolades for both his pitching and hitting abilities. Some have referred to Ohtani as the “Golden Unicorn” of baseball with all world talent on the mound and in the batters box. Graded RCs of Ohtani should certainly continue to be sought after collectibles and as his stellar seasons continue to mount the talk of Hall of Fame status grows louder. Take a peek at some of these fantastic Ohtani rookie cards that are out on the market for his biggest fans.
