Shohei Ohtani, Ichiro, Hideki Matsui, and Masataka Yoshida make history on first-ever quad Topps autograph card

(Left to Right) Shohei Ohtani, Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida (image credits: getty)

On Saturday, MLB card manufacturer Topps took to X to announce the imminent release of a new card, which includes the autographs of Shohei Ohtani, Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida. This is the first time a card will have the autographs of four different players.

As seen in the number on the bottom left corner, this item is a 1/1, so only one piece will exist. Being extremely rare and containing the signatures of some of baseball’s most iconic Japanese players, this will be a highly sought-after piece of memorabilia among collectors.

Another interesting detail is that the manufacturers are going with an “AL Japanese Legends” theme for the card. Ohtani’s image is from his days with the LA Angels, with Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida also pictured in the uniforms of other AL teams — the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox.

Shohei Ohtani’s rookie card auctions for over $533K, breaks records

For anyone wondering how far passionate collectors were willing to go to get their hands on memorabilia of their favorite big league players, look no further than the figures associated with the auction of an orange refractor card signed by Shohei Ohtani. Per reports, a buyer paid $533,140 to acquire it in November.

This sale made it the most expensive Ohtani card of all time, surpassing the previous auction of a 1/1 SuperFractor card that sold for $336,000 in September.

After achieving one of the best individual seasons of all time, as he became the first player to hit the 50-50 mark in big league history, along with a World Series crown with the LA Dodgers to cap off a dream campaign, the values of memorabilia associated with the Japanese icon have been on a steady rise in value.