Shohei Ohtani’s Historic 50th Home Run Baseball Up for Auction
In a monumental moment for baseball fans and collectors alike, the baseball that marked Shohei Ohtani’s entry into the exclusive 50-50 club is now available for sale. Goldin Auctions will kick off the bidding process at noon ET on Friday, with an initial bid set at an astounding $500,000. For those looking to secure the ball outright, a private purchase option will be available for a limited time, priced at $4.5 million, from September 27 to October 9. However, if the bidding reaches $3 million before the private sale window closes, Goldin will eliminate the buy-it-now option, compelling interested buyers to engage in competitive bidding.
If the final sale price surpasses $4.5 million, it will shatter the previous record for a baseball, which stands at $3.005 million for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball sold in 1998. Ken Goldin, the founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, expressed his excitement about this unique item, stating, “Ohtani is truly one-of-a-kind, and the 50-50 record may be his crowning achievement. We’re honored to bring this iconic item to collectors. This is a piece of baseball history that fans and historians around the world will remember for decades to come.”
Shohei Ohtani made history on September 19 by hitting three home runs in a single game—his 49th, 50th, and 51st of the season—against the Miami Marlins. This remarkable performance included a record-setting six hits in one game and an impressive 10 RBIs, a new record for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani’s milestone 50th home run came during the seventh inning, launched off a curveball from Mike Baumann, and sailed into the stands in left field at loanDepot Park. With this achievement, Ohtani has become the first major league player to record both 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
Goldin Auctions received Ohtani’s historic 50th home run baseball directly from the fan who caught it at the game, adding to its provenance and allure for potential buyers.
Required Reading
- Shohei Ohtani’s path to 50-50 and beyond: Recounting the top moments
- Inside Shohei Ohtani’s historic, tumultuous, as-yet unfulfilled first Dodgers season
- Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50/50 home run ball prompts chaotic scramble among fans
- Former MLB stars in awe as Ohtani closes in on 50/50 milestone: ‘Literally changing the game’
(Photo: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
