December 18th, 2022
Manny Randhawa
@MannyOnMLBThe baseball that Yankees superstar Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record-setting 62nd home run of the 2022 season has sold for $1.5 million, according to Goldin Auctions. The bidding closed on Saturday night, and the winning bid was for $1.25 million plus a $250,000 buyer's premium.
Judge, who recently agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract to remain with the Yankees, launched the record-setting homer on Oct. 4 against the Rangers at Globe Life Field. The 2022 AL MVP led off the contest by smashing a 391-foot drive over the wall in left field off Texas right-hander Jesus Tinoco, eclipsing a record held for 61 years by another Yankees great, Roger Maris.
The ball was caught by 35-year-old Cory Youmans, who reportedly declined an offer of $3 million to purchase the piece of baseball history outright before placing the item up for auction with Goldin. The most expensive price ever paid for a baseball is the $3 million that Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball of the 1998 season sold for in '99.
The man who purchased the McGwire ball, Todd McFarlane, also purchased Barry Bonds' 73rd home run ball from the 2001 season, which set the MLB all-time single-season record, for $517,500 in '03.
