MLB Fan Reportedly Keeps Shohei Ohtani’s 50th HR Ball amid Viral Video of Scramble

Andrew PetersSeptember 20, 2024

Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reached a historic mark on Thursday, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.

Ohtani also became the first MLB player to go 6-for-6 with three homers, 10 RBI and two stolen bases as the Dodgers crushed the Miami Marlins 20-4.

One lucky fan left LoanDepot Park in Miami with a keepsake from the record-breaking night.

As Ohtani’s 50th home run soared into the left-field stands, a scrum of fans scrambled to get their hands on the ball, which holds both historic and financial value.

real person @naptimefanO pic.twitter.com/0KkXptOH1C

Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun @BallySportsFLOh nooooooo he missed Ohtani’s 50th HR by this much 🤏 pic.twitter.com/uIfwe53UGF

The man who came out of the pile of fans with the ball in tow reportedly left the stadium, opting not to give it back to the Dodgers and Ohtani, per the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish. A video on social media showed the fan leaving the stadium with security around him.

Per cllct’s Darren Rovell, MLB used marked balls for Ohtani’s at-bat in the seventh inning after he hit his 49th home run, meaning the ball can be authenticated even though it did not go past the in-stadium authenticator.

That authentication means the ball should be worth a hefty price tag, should the fan choose to sell it, but it’s unclear just how much it will be worth. Aaron Judge’s American League-record 62nd home run ball sold for $1.5 million at an auction in 2022 while Mark McGwire’s 70th home run in 1998 remains the highest-paid price for a ball at $3.005 million.

Earlier this season, Ohtani’s first home run ball as a Dodger sparked controversy when the fans who retrieved it said they were told that the Dodgers would not authenticate the ball should they choose to keep it. They later exchanged it for an autographed bat, an autographed ball and two autographed caps.

The fan who caught the milestone ball on Thursday seemingly took a different approach, keeping the ball for himself.