Homerun baseball caught by fan at Dodger Stadium could fetch $200,000 at auction
One baseball fan made a history-making catch at Dodger Stadium in April when he grabbed the homerun ball hit by Shohei Ohtani – and now it could sell for $200,000 at auction.
While it may look like any other baseball, this one made the record books as Ohtani's 176th career home-run ball. This feat put Ohtani on top with the most career homers in the majors by a Japanese player. The record was previously held by Hideki Matsui.
On April 21, 2024, Ohtani squared off against New York Mets right-hander Adrian Houser and smacked the ball 423 feet into the right field pavilion.
Heritage said the ball was caught by fan Jason Patino, after it took a bounce and hit his head. It was Patino's first time at Dodgers Stadium.
According to Sports Collectors Daily, Patino declined the Dodgers' offer of some memorabilia in exchange for the ball. The ball has official MLB logos on it, along with a holographic authentication sticker.
The prized ball will be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions at its Aug. 23-25 sports auction, with bidding officially opening on August 23.