Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is considered hot property when it comes to trading cards and merchandise. The Japanese four-time MLB All-Star is widely considered to be one of the best players of his generation and, as such, fans around the world can’t wait to get a hold of his rare collectibles.

For this reason, global merchandising behemoth Fanatics has sought to partner with Ohtani over the last few years, with him featuring its trading card business, Topps. However, none of the previous ventures between the two parties contained any form of exclusivity. 

Topps has now sought to rectify this and has announced it has reached an agreement to sign Ohtani to an exclusive long-term trading card deal. President of trading cards at Fanatics, David Leiner, noted Ohtani is the “Best player in the game, unique, global player, who pitches and hits. You've got to have this guy in product. You've got to have his autographs and memorabilia for fans to chase”.

So, what does this mean for fans and collectors? Well, the agreement includes game-used memorabilia cards and autographs focused on moments and achievements. Notably, this is considered a global deal and will see Ohtani collectables pushed in both the U.S. and Japan. 

Following news of the new deal, Ohtani released a statement, noting, “I'm happy to be exclusively partnering with Topps to give fans unique cards and collectables for seasons to come”. The first available collectable is a 1/1 inscription autograph card which will be awarded to a lucky individual who buys a Topps Now base card from Ohtani’s 40/40 night.