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The auction for Aaron Judge’s American League record-breaking home run ball is now open — but it’s going to need a push in its final days to break another record and be a good value to its seller.
The ball from Judge’s 62nd home run of the 2022 MLB season is part of Goldin’s December Elite auction that is currently accepting bids — and also features high-profile items such as two LeBron James rookie cards, a Tom Brady rookie card, a Heisman trophy, and a Super Bowl ring.
The Judge ball started with an opening bid of $1 million on Nov. 29 and quickly rose to $1.15 million in the first couple days. It did not receive another bid until Dec. 7, when it attracted $1.2 million — where it currently stands. The actual price is $1.44 million with buyer’s premium.
As such, the item has a long way to go before the auction ends on Dec. 17 if it’s going to be the most expensive baseball ever sold.
That honor belongs to Mark McGwire’s record-setting 70th home run ball from the 1998 season, which sold at auction for $3.1 million in 1999.
Cory Youmans — a Texas Rangers fan who caught the record-setter in Arlington when the Yankees were in town — opted to put the ball up for auction instead of accepting one of the offers he received to purchase it, which went as high as $3 million.
He’ll need a wealthy buyer to swoop in gunning for the record in the last few days for that to prove to be the wise decision.
For his part, Judge himself won’t have to worry about money. The 30-year-old just signed an enormous nine-year, $360 million contract with New York; the deal’s $40 million AAV is the most ever given to a position player.
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