Shohei Ohtani News: New Bid Makes 50/50 Ball Auction Reach Astronomical Prices

With five days left in the auction of Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball, a new bid late Wednesday caused the price to skyrocket.

The $1.8 million bid does not include a buyer's premium, which puts the ball's actual price at $2.196 million. For comparison, Ohtani's salary with the Los Angeles Dodgers this season is $2 million.

More news: Auctioneer Makes Big Announcement About $1.8 Million Baseball

On September 19, Ohtani hit two home runs, becoming the first member of the 50-50 baseball club – 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.

The baseball landed just beyond the left field wall at LoanDepot Park in Miami. When the fan who showed up with the ball refused to sell it back to the Dodgers, a dispute ensued over ownership of the historic ball, with millions of dollars at stake.

More news: Fan Calls for $500,000 for Historic Shohei Ohtani Ball; Could the auction be followed by a lawsuit?

On October 7, the parties involved in the legal proceedings disputing ownership of Ohtani's historic “50/50 Ball” agreed to allow the auction to proceed as planned and without any interference. According to cllct.com, the whereabouts of the auction proceeds will only be announced afterwards.

The bidding, which will be conducted on the Goldin Auctions website, is expected to close on Tuesday at 7 p.m

It had been five days since any bids had been placed when the $1.8 million bid landed at 8:52 p.m. Wednesday.

Major League Baseball took the almost unprecedented step of authenticating game balls as Ohtani pursued the historic 50-50 milestone. No known player in MLB history has ever collected 50 home runs and 50 steals in the same season.

More news: Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 season may not be the first in MLB history

Ohtani accomplished both feats on the same night, as part of a 6-for-6, three-homer, two-steal and 10-RBI game during the Dodgers' 20-4 victory over the Marlins on September 19. It was undeniably the best game of his career – if not of anyone in MLB history.

Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. He finished the season with 54 home runs and 59 steals for the Dodgers. He also led the National League in runs (134), RBIs (130), on-base percentage (.390) and slugging (.646), making him the odds-on favorite for the league's MVP award.

The Dodgers are currently playing in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets. Ohtani hit a home run in the Dodgers' 8-0 Game 3 win at Citi Field on Wednesday and will battle in Game 4 against Los Angeles on Thursday.

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