Los Angeles Dodgers star and two-time MLB MVP Shohei Ohtani has signed an exclusive, long-term global trading card agreement with Topps, a division of Fanatics Collectibles.
The deal between Ohtani and Topps, which was acquired by Fanatics Collectibles in 2022, includes autographed postcards and game-used memorabilia, as well as memorable moments from Ohtani’s career.
The agreement covers products in both the United States and Japan, a growing market for Topps and the hobby in general.
“I am thrilled to have entered into an exclusive partnership with Topps to offer fans unique collectible cards in the upcoming seasons,” Ohtani said in a statement.
Ohtani had a previous memorabilia deal with Fanatics, but that pact did not include trading cards.
𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧: We’ve officially signed an exclusive long-term global trading card deal with Shohei Ohtani.
This deal includes autographs & relics, which you can expect to see in products for years to come.
We can’t wait to get these cards in the hands of collectors! pic.twitter.com/6qdDPKIlC0
— Topps (@Topps) August 29, 2024
Financial details were not disclosed, but Fanatics Collectibles trading card president David Leiner stressed that this is a long-term deal, similar to the one NBA star LeBron James signed in January.
“Ohtani has been a part of the Topps family since he signed with the Angels in late 2017, early 2018, so this deal is a big deal for us,” said David Leiner, president of trading cards at Fanatics Collectibles. “The ultimate one-and-done, all-around player who pitches and hits. You have to have this guy on the product, you have to have his autographs and memorabilia for fans to chase.”
Ohtani joins Japanese players Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui with deals with Topps.
“The Japanese allocation is a big part and you better believe it, for accounts in Japan, there is never enough [producto]“They are always asking for more. Our largest Japanese partner, Mint Collectibles, owns and operates a chain of 28 stores across Japan and the hobby is booming there.”
In early January 2018, Fanatics opened an office in Tokyo and launched Fanatics Japan, nearly four years before acquiring Topps. Topps followed suit and opened an office in Tokyo in 2021.
“We’re pushing, we’re well distributed,” Leiner says. “7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson’s, the hobby is in its early stages there, but we’re going to continue to push and grow there. Japan is a great baseball country, there’s a passionate group of people there and [Shohei] “It is very important at home.”
Leiner notes that Opening Day 2025 is the Dodgers’ game against the Chicago Cubs in mid-March at the Tokyo Dome: “Look for some fun stuff there with our new signature guy.”
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