When Shohei Ohtani made his first spring training start in 2018, he struggled with his command and allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings against the Padres. According to certain reporters, the outing seemed “somewhat underwhelming” or “decidedly ordinary” in an overreaction to the Japanese star’s first appearance in Major League Baseball. The next day, again against the Padres, he made his debut as a designated hitter, drawing a pair of walks and hitting a first-pitch RBI single, leaving little ammunition for the critics and giving Topps a perfect image to use for one of Ohtani’s 2018 Bowman Chrome rookie cards—including the rainbow of Refractors.
When Topps released its Bowman set in April 2018, the company included a Rookie Autograph card of Ohtani pitching. Naturally, when Bowman Chrome came out in September, the generational talent received a card featuring his other skillset. Ohtani begins unfurling his powerful upper-cut swing on this example of his 2018 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographs /99 Green Refractor. Found in hobby-exclusive boxes of Bowman Chrome, this hard-signed Rookie Auto has maintained a popular standing with collectors as the two-way Japanese sensation has developed into one of baseball’s preeminent players.
Graded a Mint 9, it's a pop 11 in the PSA registry. This card has also earned Fanatics Collect E Eye Appeal designation.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 06/04/2026.
This item was flash inserted on Jun 2, 2026.
