How does Shohei Ohtani have a RC card?

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by darkhorse9

Is there any relevance to the fact that none of the RC cards in question are base set cards?

Perhaps that's the loophole. Since they are special release or subset cards and not part of the official set Topps can "get away" with it.

Prospects are allowed to be a part of an insert set (this is how Bowman gets away with including so many prospects) but they still can't be designated as a RC.
The Topps Opening Day Ohtani card, however, is number 200 in the base set. Even the, heritage, though has the RC logo even though it isn't in the base set.

Also there is now going to be Gypsy Queen that will have Ohtani as card 89 in the base set.

As far as the Judge and DeJong, I believe those are mistakes. Whereas the Ohtani situation seems to be a blatant rule breaking that could be an issue if Ohtani doesn't make the roster for Opening Day.

I have asked the question on Twitter to Topps, MLB, and MLBPA. No one has responded and doubt they will.