Some athletes meet expectations but very few exceed them. Ichiro Suzuki is one of the few.

He came to Seattle in 2001 at age 27 with high hopes from not only Mariners fans but also the entire nation of Japan. While there had been Japanese players in professional baseball before, Ichiro Suzuki ostensibly brought with him a level of talent that would surpass all fellow countrymen that had come before him.

He delivered more than anyone could have imagined. In 2001, he became only the second player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (the other is Fred Lynn) and over a 19-year MLB career, he accumulated 3,089 hits, won ten Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers and a pair of batting titles. He was also a ten-time All-Star and was named the 2007 All-Star Game MVP. When factoring in his time in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, his 4,367 total professional hits is the most of any baseball player in history.

On Sunday, Ichiro became the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Embed from Getty Images

While the appetite for his cards remains strong, prices don’t always align directly with those of some of his contemporaries.

However, there’s one Ichiro card that may just be above the rest: a rookie card with a nod to his home country and a rarity factor not all that common for the time: the 2001 Bowman Chrome Japanese Rookie Gold Refractor #52/99. Only 49 copies were made in Japanese with even serial numbers while 50 were made in English with odd serial numbers. Only one of the Japanese cards has ever been awarded a PSA 10 grade and it’s about to go on the market as one of the premier items in the REA Summer Catalog Auction that runs from July 29 to August 17.

It’s worth examining how this elusive card compares to the rookie cards of three key baseball superstars of the modern era: Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter. Each of these icons has had rookie cards sell for six–and in Ohtani’s case, the low seven figures.

Collectors in the U.S. and Japan revere Ichiro as more than a player. He’s a symbol of excellence, humility, and international impact. And he’s now making more history with his Hall of Fame induction. How this card fares should be fascinating to watch.

Ohtani vs. Ichiro – Which Rookie Card Deserves the Crown?

Baseball doesn’t often hand us a moment this rich, when two icons from different eras both command six-figure attention in the collector’s arena. But here we are: Ohtani vs. Ichiro. Two Japanese superstars. Two global ambassadors. And two rookie cards vying for generational significance — across two of the largest collector markets in the world: the U.S. and Japan.

Shohei Ohtani is the first of his kind. Cy Young-caliber arm and last year became the first play to post a 50 home run-50 stolen base season. At age 30, he’s already won three MVP awards. Unsurprisingly, in a market built for chrome and spectacle, he fits perfectly with these highest dollar rookie card sales:

• 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Rookie Auto Superfractor 1/1 (BGS 9.5/10): $336,000
• 2018 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Auto /5 (PSA 9): $312,000

Collectors on both continents track Ohtani’s every move and they chase his cards like modern art.

More recently, Ohtani has had cards surpass the $500,000mark and even the $1 million plateau earlier this year when his one-of-a-kind 2024 Topps Dynasty Black autograph sold for $1,067,500.

While Ichiro didn’t pitch during his MLB career, he did possess one of the greatest outfield arms in the game’s history. He recorded ten 200-hit seasons. Only Pete Rose can say he did the same, although Ichiro’s ten were consecutive.

Keep in mind that Ichiro’s cards came before the one-of-one era that dominates modern collecting. In 2023, Ichiro’s 2001 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Auto /250 PSA 10 sold for $207,400. Now compare that to his 2001 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Japanese Text PSA 10.

• Only 49 made and only one graded PSA 10
• All others accounted for which means no future supply
• It features the Japanese text variation, making it a centerpiece for collectors on both sides of the Pacific.

Ohtani is a comet who is still building his legacy. Ichiro’s legendary legacy has been etched in stone.

The Quiet Craftsman vs. The Machine

When collectors debate early-2000s greatness two names always rise to the surface: Ichiro and Albert Pujols. The latter was Ichiro’s Rookie of the Year counterpart in 2001 and finished fourth in the National League MVP voting that year. The pair was one of the most dominant ROY pairings in recent memory.

Each player owns a six-figure rookie card. Yet, there are drastic differences in their scarcity and construction. 

The 2001 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Rookie Cards

One card carries a signature with a population of six. The other is unsigned but exists as a true population of one.

Ichiro’s Lone Gem vs. Jeter’s Foil Icon

Most hobby conversations pit today’s chrome superstars against each other like Ohtani vs. Trout, Acuña vs. Tatis. But one of the most interesting comparisons is hiding in plain sight: Ichiro Suzuki’s 2001 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor (Japanese text) PSA 10 and Derek Jeter’s 1993 Upper Deck SP Foil PSA 10.

Interestingly, both Jeter and Ichiro were one vote shy of unanimous election to the Hall of Fame, which is baseball’s closest thing to universal love.

Each of the rookie cards in question captures a player who was universally admired on and off the field. Both carry six-figure expectations, yet they couldn’t be more different in supply.

The Rookie Cards in Question

Similar to the Pujols comparison above, in this case one card is rare while the other is unique.

One of the most interesting takeaways to this deep-dive is that this particular Ichiro PSA GEM MINT 10 will perpetually be a one-of-one. Many cards exist as the single highest graded example for years until another pops up, but all examples of this already-rare Ichiro rookie have been accounted for and graded. This card will forever be at the top of the Ichiro card pantheon.

The only question left to ask is what will it sell for? We’ll find out when the event closes on August 17.

This story was originally published by Sports Collectors Daily: https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/lone-psa-10-copy-of-ichiros-2001-bowman-chrome-japanese-rookie-gold-refractor-could-set-new-standard/