Shohei Ohtani Autographs, SP Base Card Slated for 2018 Topps Heritage
As the release date to 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball has drawn closer, there has been some speculation about the checklist. Specifically, whether Shohei Ohtani would be included in some form and what that would look like.
Well, he is with both an autograph and a short-printed base variation.
Topps confirmed the news via their blog.
Like all 2018 Heritage cards, the design for the Ohtani autograph is based on 1969 Topps Baseball. It’s available in hobby and retail packs.
The 2018 Topps Heritage Shohei Ohtani SP base card has him as a pitcher. This card is exclusive to hobby as it’s part of the Action Image Variations checklist. Ohtani does not have a main base set card to go with it.
According to Topps, the two-way Japanese star will have a second card, this time as a batter, in 2018 Topps Heritage High Number.
Comments? Questions? Contact Ryan Cracknell on Twitter @tradercracks or by email.
It would be nice if his first official RC was not short printed.
Don’t you have to play in an actual game before you get a card?
I to thought you had to play in the majors before you have a rookie card.
You’re right. The rules as of 2006 was that you had to appear in a game before you could be in a major league set. I wonder if something happens to him in spring training if they’ll have to pull the card and we’ll wind up with some kind of 2006 Alex Gordon situation. Knowing Topps they’re probably rooting for it.
Yes, that is a great point. Wouldn’t this be considered a “prospect” card, and thus be numbered as a subset and without a RC logo?
And thank you for throwing in the info about it being hobby only. I could see myself busting tons of blasters trying to pull one. But now I know to pass. So when will his first actual “RC” be available in all packs?
Release date I have seen is late February. Way before Ohtani could possibly play in a regular season game. So what happened to the RC rule? Planning on going back to listing prospect cards as “RCs”?