Photo: Shohei Ohtani Autographed Card Shatters Record for MLB Legend at Auction

After becoming the first player in MLB history with a 50-50 season, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani memorabilia is more valuable than ever.

The Ohtani 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Rookie Superfractor Auto card was sold at auction for $336,000, making it the most expensive public sale for a card featuring the two-time American League MVP.

Sotheby's, which handled the auction, estimated the card would sell between $80,000-120,000 on the official listing.

The previous record sale price for an Ohtani card was $312,000 in December 2021, two months after he won his first MVP award.

The increased demand for Ohtani memorabilia comes after he became the first MLB player ever to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season. He hit the mark in the Dodgers' 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19.

Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three homers, 10 RBI and two stolen bases in that game. His second homer got him to 50 for the season.

Ohtani trading cards are becoming among the most sought-after pieces of memorabilia in the world. ESPN's Dan Hajducky noted in March that the 270,177 Ohtani card-grading submissions since the start of 2023 were more than any other athlete, active or retired.

Michael Jordan was the only athlete listed by Hajducky within shouting distance of Ohtani with 252,803 cards submitted for grading.

"Historically, Michael Jordan trading cards have been the gold standard in collecting for a generation," PSA president Ryan Hoge told Hajducky. "Ohtani surpassing Jordan as the most-submitted athlete over a notable period of time is a major moment for the hobby. All-time greats like Jordan are generally on a level that's untouchable to current players."

Per The Athletic's Rustin Dodd, the Ohtani 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Rookie Superfractor Auto card was previously sold two other times. The first time was in May 2019 with a sale price of $4,800, then again in October 2021 for $62,730.