Fast answer
If you mean Shohei Ohtani’s MLB rookie, start with the 2018 Topps #700 base card. His earlier 2013 BBM cards are Japanese professional rookies, while his 2018 cards document his MLB rookie season.
The four MLB cards below are the easiest place to begin. Click any image for a larger view. A raw copy of the same base card is still a rookie.
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Ohtani’s main MLB rookie cards
Base cards shown—not parallels or image variations.
2018 Topps #700
- Year
- 2018
- Manufacturer
- Topps
- Set
- Topps
- Card number
- #700
- Classification
- MLB rookie card
The regular flagship paper card from Ohtani’s first Angels season. It shows him pitching in a white uniform and is the clearest starting point for his MLB rookies.
2018 Topps #700
2018 Topps Chrome #150
- Year
- 2018
- Manufacturer
- Topps
- Set
- Topps Chrome
- Card number
- #150
- Classification
- MLB rookie card
A separate Chrome release with its own card number. The base card is reflective; that alone does not make it a Refractor.
2018 Topps Chrome #150
2018 Topps Update #US1
- Year
- 2018
- Manufacturer
- Topps
- Set
- Topps Update
- Card number
- #US1
- Classification
- MLB rookie card
A separate paper rookie showing Ohtani pitching in a red jersey. Other Ohtani cards in Update use different numbers and subjects.
2018 Topps Update #US1
2018 Bowman #49
- Year
- 2018
- Manufacturer
- Topps
- Set
- Bowman
- Card number
- #49
- Classification
- MLB rookie card
The paper Bowman base rookie. The Bowman name does not make this a prospect card or a “1st Bowman” issue.
2018 Bowman #49
His 2013 Japanese rookie cards
Ohtani’s first NPB season with the Nippon-Ham Fighters was 2013. He did not make his MLB debut until March 29, 2018. The 2013 cards therefore document an earlier professional debut in Japan, not a minor-league prospect stage.
2013 BBM Rookie Edition #42
Separately cataloged pitching and batting photographs share card number #42. Check the photograph as well as the set and number.
2013 BBM 1st Version #183
A separate BBM release from his first NPB season. It is not interchangeable with Rookie Edition #42.
A listing that only says “2013 BBM Ohtani rookie” leaves important questions unanswered: which BBM set, which photograph, and whether it is the regular card or a special version. Both releases are from 2013, but the year printed on a card does not establish which reached collectors first.
Variations and parallels worth separating
Topps #700
The short-print image variation and Complete Set retail version can share #700 with the base card. Compare the photograph and full version description, not only the number.
Topps Chrome #150
Look at both finish and photograph. A Refractor differs from the base card, while an image variation also changes the image. “Chrome #150” alone does not identify the version.
Topps Update #US1
The Update set includes parallels of the base issue. A rookie-year insert is a different category from a base rookie even when it carries an RC logo. Later reprints do not become original rookies by repeating the logo or design.
The Rookie Card Take
Collecting advice, not investment advice.
For a collection built around Ohtani’s MLB debut, the base Topps #700 is the clearest starting point. Chrome #150 is a straightforward alternative if you prefer the finish. Bowman #49 and Update #US1 are also legitimate MLB rookie cards, not substitutes or prospect issues.
To mark the beginning of his professional career in Japan, choose a 2013 BBM card only after confirming the set, number, and photograph. One Japanese rookie beside one 2018 MLB rookie tells both parts of the story without requiring every variation.
Before using current listings
The eBay buttons open precise searches for the base cards and exclude common reprints, replicas, digital items, and lots where practical. We have not authenticated cards in those results. Verify the front and back, exact version, and condition. Keep raw and graded comparisons separate; for graded cards, check the certification record.