How much did Aaron Judge’s record-breaking home run ball sell for at auction?
With the second highest amount paid in MLB history for his record breaking 62nd homerun ball, the Yankees slugger has added yet another piece to his legacy.
If you had the money, what would you be willing to pay for a piece of memorabilia from a record setting athlete in the sport that you most love. Would you pay more than $100, or maybe $1000? How about more than $1 million?
Aaron Judge’s 62nd homerun ball sells for $1.5million
According to recent reports, the ball that New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit for his American League record-setting 62nd home run of the 2022 season, sold for $1.5 million with a buyer’s premium on Saturday night. With that, the ball is now the second most expensive baseball ever to be sold at auction. Sold through collectibles marketplace Goldin, the ball was actually put up for auction by Cory Youmans, the man who caught the record-setting ball back on October 4th during the Yankees’ game against the Texas Rangers. In case you’re wondering, the most expensive ball in baseball history is still Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball from 1998, which sold for $3.05 million.
Interestingly, Youmans who is actually a vice president at Fisher Investments, indicated that he was hoping the ball would finally end up with Judge himself, the Yankees or at least the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but in the end the prized piece of MLB history was purchased by an anonymous buyer.
Goldin hails Aaron Rodgers
In a statement addressing the monumental sale, Goldin executive and founder Ken Goldin paid tribute to Aaron Rodgers achievement. “Multiple players have hit more home runs in a season, but in many people’s eyes, Aaron Judge is the true record-holder,” the statement read. “The fact that this is the second-highest total ever paid for a baseball speaks to the respect that fans and collectors have for Aaron. That’s the magic of sports - this ball didn’t only change Aaron’s life, it changed the life of the fan who was in the stadium that night, too. We’re so proud to have been trusted by Cory to present this piece of history for public auction.”
As for Judge himself, it’s now clear that the success he achieved in 2022 has directly resulted in him landing an equally historic contract with the Yankees reportedly worth $360 million across nine years. Interestingly, New York’s star was allegedly not among those who bid for the ball, but to be fair that was something he himself said he would not do back in November.