Shohei Ohtani’s 50th Home Run Ball Sells For a Record $4.39 Million

Little did anyone know that attending a baseball game could result in one fan enjoying a life-changing event.

Earlier this year, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.

The slugger accomplished the fantastic feat in Miami versus the Marlins. When hitting the decisive homer to left field, a group of people literally tackled one another as the ball appeared to fall underneath a table with chairs. A man named Christian Zacek came away with the ball ultimately. On the spot, the Dodgers reportedly offered him $300,00 for the ball. Declining, Zacek left and decided to take the ball to auction.

Two other men — Joseph Davidov and Max Matus — have filed separate lawsuits alleging that they both initially grabbed possession of the ball before being ripped away. Footage of the homer has been showcased on several platforms. As the homerun flew over the fence, a group of people hit the floor and visibly were clamoring for the ball. It’s somewhat hard to tell as to who initially grabbed the prized possession.

On Tuesday, courtesy of Goldin Auctions, it was said that Ohtani’s home run ball sold for a record $4.39 million. It was initially put up for auction on September 27th. The starting bid was $500,000 for the ball. To put into perspective how special of a season Ohtani has had, the previous record holder was Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball. That ball went for $3 million at auction.

With Ohtani’s rise as the game’s most electric player, there’s reason to think another sizable record could be broken down the line in his career. When factoring in Ohtani’s popularity worldwide — coupled with the demand for sports memorabilia in today’s day and age — smashing the $4.39 million record seems reasonable at this point.