Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — According to multiple media accounts, Shohei Ohtani‘s historic 50-50 ball is set to make headlines again, as it goes up for auction with a potential purchase price of $4.5 million. Ohtani, who has already cemented himself as one of the most remarkable talents in Major League Baseball (MLB), became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, creating the coveted 50-50 club. This monumental achievement occurred during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 20-4 win against the Miami Marlins on September 19, 2024.
The game marked a career-high for Ohtani, with three home runs and 10 RBIs. The win also secured a playoff berth for the Dodgers, making it Ohtani’s first postseason appearance after six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. The ball from this game, now up for auction, is priced at $500,000, but collectors willing to pay the $4.5 million buyout can secure it before the auction closes on October 16.
If sold at the full price, the ball would surpass the record for the most expensive baseball, previously set at $3.005 million for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball in 1999. Auctioneers Goldin, who are handling the sale, describe the ball as a must-have for any memorabilia collector, highlighting its significance both domestically and internationally. The baseball, showing signs of wear with black scuff marks and surface abrasions, serves as a symbol of Ohtani’s dominance in the sport and his global appeal.
Ken Goldin, CEO of Goldin Auctions, shared that the ball’s consignor quickly contacted them after the game, making the arrangement one of the fastest deals for Goldin. The baseball was retrieved, authenticated, and prepared for auction in just a few days.
Ohtani’s unprecedented feat has drawn comparisons to other elite players, such as Ronald Acuña Jr., who hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases in 2023, and Alex Rodriguez, who hit 42 home runs with 46 steals in 1998. Despite hopes from some fans that Ohtani could reach an even more astonishing 60-60 milestone, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has called it “very unrealistic,” but acknowledged that anything seems possible with Ohtani.
As of now, Ohtani has extended his numbers to 53 home runs and 56 stolen bases, adding even more to his legacy as one of the most extraordinary players in baseball history.
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