Shohei Ohtani is no stranger to setting records, and the Japanese baseball player’s star power is further evidenced by the fact that the ball which clinched his tally of 50 home runs and 50th base steal is now being sold at an auction for a mouthwatering $4.5 million.
The Los Angeles Dodgers legend is the first player to reach the 50/50 milestone, and the auction for the key ball starts at $500k, with a $4.5 million bid being enough to purchase it right away.
Such is the prodigious talent that Ohtani possesses that fans of the 30-year-old are now hoping he can make it to 60/60 before the season is out. If you want to back the Dodgers, or indeed Ohtani, to greatness in the current MLB season with a wager, then we’d urge you to visit cbssports.com/betting/mlb/ to aid your endeavors.
Ohtani has a knack for bursting through milestones and setting records with alarming ease, and that’s why the Dodgers were happy to offer him a ten-year deal worth an eye-watering $700 million in a deal that will, in theory, see him on their payroll for twenty years.
In reaching the 50/50 record, Ohtani helped Los Angeles to a dominant 20-4 win over the Miami Marlins, which saw Dave Roberts’ side ease into the playoffs. Interestingly, it is Ohtani’s first postseason in the MLB, having failed to get to that mark across his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, which kind of tells you all you need to know about why he felt he had to move on to bigger and better things.
As for the ball which was hit in order to secure the 50/50 milestone, well, the bids will start at $500,000, but anyone who wants to avoid all that can pay the $4.5 million right now to avoid the frenzy that is likely to ensue.
The auction effectively ends on October 16th, and the auctioneer responsible for the sale, Goldin, commented on the prized asset, describing it as “a crowning piece for any game-used memorabilia collection,” going on to detail the “black scuffing and surface abrasions present throughout the white leather surface.” before adding,
“The accomplishment not only stands as a testament to Ohtani’s dominance on the domestic stage but also his unparalleled celebrity on the international stage.”
The current record for a baseball sold at auction stands at $3.005 million, which was paid for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball in 1999.
As for Ohtani’s record, well he has gone on to reach 53 home runs and 56 stolen bases, with games in the regular season still to play, which illustrates just how incredible a campaign he has had thus far.
He will hope to help the Dodgers to their first World Series triumph since 2020, which in turn was the first since 1988 and there’s every chance Ohtani will secure that crown in what has already been an extraordinary season.
It is worth noting that Ohtani was brought in as a two-way player, though due to an elbow injury and surgery, he won’t be pitching until 2025 at the earliest.
