Freddie Freeman’s World Series grand slam baseball sold at auction Saturday night for $1.56 million.
The $1.6 million bid made the ball the third most expensive baseball game ever, according to SCP Auctions. Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run from last season, when Ohtani became MLB’s first 50-50 player, sold for $4.4 million. Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball from 1998 went for $3.005 million.
Freeman lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series when he struck out Nestor Cortes in the 10th inning. The dramatic blowout fueled the final five-game winning streak for the Dodgers.
Freeman’s grand slam was all the more intriguing because the veteran first baseman was struggling with an ankle injury that made such a feat seem unlikely. Instead, the clutch home run on baseball’s biggest stage drew quick comparisons to Kirk Gibson’s home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
The Grand Slam ball was originally grabbed by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman. As the ball rolled toward him, he hit it to his father, Nick, who secured it amid the frenzy of fans in the right field pavilion at Dodger Stadium.
“Once everyone knew I had the ball, I stood up and passed it [Zac]“I picked him up and there were tears running down his face.
The buyer of the Grand Slam ball was not disclosed.
Freeman’s home run is the second from the 2024 World Series to be auctioned last week. The Yankees Aaron Judge’s Game 5 hit that sparked the Dodgers’ comeback from a 5-0 deficit sold for $43,510 on Thursday.
Game-used dirt is still available for fans who want a piece of 2024 World Series memorabilia.