Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani had a historic 2024 season with his new team and became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
He did so in iconic fashion against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19, hitting his 50th homer during a 6-for-6 performance that included three home runs, two doubles, two stolen bases, and 10 RBIs.
Ohtani’s 50th home run ball recently made headlines after selling for a whopping $4,392,000, which makes it the most expensive ball ever sold from any sport, according to Bleacher Report.
Shohei Ohtani’s 50th HR ball sold for $4,392,000, making it the most expensive ball ever sold from any sport 🤯 @BRWalkoff pic.twitter.com/Nj7yWsF1oz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 23, 2024
The ball was sold at auction and broke the previous record of the $3 million paid for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball from the 1998 season.
The auction house did not identify who bought Ohtani’s ball, but it acknowledged that bids came in from around the world and that litigation surrounding the ball is ongoing in Florida.
The fact that this ball cleared the previous record by well over a million dollars is impressive, and it’s only fitting that the game’s most unique player holds another record like this.
Ohtani is getting ready for his first World Series appearance with his Dodgers set to face the New York Yankees in Game 1.
We may never see another 50-50 season, and it will be interesting to see if any baseball ever eclipses this price point.
