Shohei Ohtani’s name is never far away from headlines – and rightly so. The Japanese pitcher and designated hitter is widely considered to be a generational player and has settled well into life with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In April, Ohtani once again found himself in the spotlight after he secured his 176th home run during a 10-0 thrashing of the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium. This was a significant moment because it meant he’d achieved a new record for a Japanese slugger. Previously, this was held by Matsui Hideki with 175 home runs.

However, there’s now more to this story, with the catcher of the 176th home run set to receive a massive payout. The lucky fan - Jason Patino - has held onto the ball since April but has since announced that he’s put it up for auction. Interestingly, those in the know believe it could eventually sell for around $200,000, which is certainly a lot of money for the average person but will possibly be seen as a bargain for a determined collector.

When asked about his decision to sell the historical home run ball, Patino simply noted that it was too difficult to turn down that amount of money. That’s completely understandable, but it will be interesting to see just how much the ball fetches. At the time of writing, there are 10 days left for bidders to get involved at Heritage Auctions, with a starting price of $50,000 plus a 20% Buyer’s Premium.