Data confirms the Angels severely underestimated Shohei Ohtani's value last offseason

When fans think about how much to pay a given player, that often comes down to how good that player is. That's not a crazy way to evaluate a player's value in terms of dollars, and it certainly is the basis of most free agent rankings fans see each offseason. However, the Los Angeles Angels were faced with the admittedly difficult task of how to properly value Shohei Ohtani last offseason.

Putting a number on a unicorn-type player like Ohtani isn't easy. There are no modern comparisons for an elite pitcher and elite hitter rolled into one player. Ultimately, the Angels, and particularly owner Arte Moreno, decided that Ohtani was not worth the asking price. The superstar famously went across town to the Los Angeles Dodgers and won a World Series while putting up baseball's first ever 50/50 season. Yep, that stings.

Given that Ohtani is just one player and received a heavily deferred $700 million contract, there is an argument that his production alone doesn't justify that cost. However, some recently released data from the baseball card collecting hobby highlights that Ohtani's value to his team extends far beyond his on-field performance. The Angels may have missed the boat.

Card collecting data from PSA confirms that the Angels really messed up when valuing Shohei Ohtani

One would think that the Angels would be acutely aware of how much marketing value Ohtani has; given that the club had his merchandise sales data right in front of them. However, the fine folks at Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), one of the industry leaders in grading sports cards, provided some very intriguing information that shed light on Ohtani's widespread appeal. When in doubt, follow where the money is actually being spent.

According to PSA, Ohtani was the most collected and graded baseball player in 2024 with his rookie cards from 2018 easily being the most popular options. PSA also revealed that Ohtani's cards have increased in value by 8.4 times since 2021, which is wild given how much card collecting has surged popularity. Over 150,000 Ohtani cards were graded by PSA just last year alone — which is absurd. Just as an example, a PSA 10 (the highest grade from PSA) of Ohtani's rookie card from 2018 Topps Chrome will set you back $160-180 right now, and that's just the base version.

All of this points to one thing: the Angels grossly underestimated Ohtani's value off the field. Sure, being in a Dodgers uniform helps his appeal, but Ohtani was the most globally marketable player when he hit free agency. In addition to being insanely valuable on the field, the guy just prints money for his team. Unfortunately, the Angels and Moreno missed the opportunity to cash in and build a winning roster around Ohtani. Had they done that, the Angels would be the envy of the entire league. Instead, fans are left wondering what might have been.

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