Shohei Ohtani is the standout superstar in a loaded 2018 MLB rookie class. That said, his first North American baseball card came out a year earlier as a part of the 2017 Bowman Chrome Mega Box. Shown as a member of Japan's national team, Ohtani is part of a World Baseball Classic subset and is only in the exclusive Mega Box packs. The ""Otani"" misspelling of his name is on all of his cards and was never corrected. As the two-way superstar continues to break records and exceed all expectations, the card has taken on even greater importance over the years. But there's one particular version that stands out even further.
2018 Topps Transcendent Baseball Japan Edition took the luxury brand international. Focusing exclusively on Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki, the extremely limited product featured a variety of autographs and rarities from both. Among them were 17 2017 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Shohei Ohtani buyback autographs. These were original cards signed by the four-time MVP. In addition to the serial number, a foil Transcendent stamp was also included to showcase their origin.
This copy, numbered 07/17, has been graded a Gem Mint PSA 10.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 06/02/2026.
