The Los Angeles Dodgers and star slugger Shohei Ohtani are set to face off in the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees. But prior to the start of the highly anticipated series, Ohtani set yet another record off the field.
Ohtani had one of the truly special seasons in baseball history this year, becoming the only player in MLB history to enter the 50-50 club with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.
As you may expect, the special circumstances around the home run makes the ball extremely valuable. But perhaps nobody knew truly how much the ball would go on to sell in auction.
According to Bleacher Report, Ohtani’s 50th HR ball sold for $4,392,000 in auction. This makes it the most expensive ball ever sold in any sport.
It’s quite unbelievable that this ball sold for so much. Especially considering the person who caught the ball was initially offered $300,000 for the ball by the Dodgers organization.
Clearly, the fan who caught the ball made the right move by selling the ball in auction instead. Regardless, fans were naturally amazed at just how much this ball ended up getting in the auction.
“Imagine catching Ohtani’s 50th HR ball and realizing it’s worth more than your house,” one fan wrote on X.
“That ball’s got more value than some entire baseball teams,” another wrote on X.
“This is retirement money,” wrote another fan on X.
This clearly shows just how popular Ohtani has become in mainstream sports. And it is a good sign that the World Series where Ohtani is facing off against a blueblood organization like the Yankees should be one of the most watched events in quite some time.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.