Shohei Ohtani’s 2026 WBC Jersey Fetches Record $1.5 Million at Auction

A jersey worn by Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani during Japan’s 13-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic on March 6, 2026, has been sold for $1,500,010 via MLB Auctions, setting a modern record for any Ohtani jersey sold at auction.

Ohtani delivered a standout performance in that game, hitting a grand slam and driving in five runs. He finished the tournament with a .462 batting average and a 1.842 OPS. Japan, the defending champion from 2023, was ultimately eliminated from the 2026 tournament by Venezuela in the quarterfinals.

Auction Details and Previous Sales

The seven-day auction for the No. 16 jersey attracted an impressive 298 bids. This figure significantly surpasses the $126,100 paid for an Ohtani jersey from a 2023 World Baseball Classic pool play game against Australia [MLB Auctions].

Ohtani Memorabilia Market

The demand for Ohtani memorabilia has surged in recent months. Prior to the jersey sale, two cards featuring game-worn Ohtani jersey patches and on-card signatures had already exceeded $2 million at auction. These include the 2025 Topps Chrome MVP Award Gold MLB Logoman Ohtani card, which sold for $3 million, and the 2025 Topps Chrome dual MVP gold Logoman featuring Ohtani and Aaron Judge, which went for $2.16 million on March 20 [MLB Auctions].

In October 2024, Ohtani’s 50th home run ball from the 2024 season – marking the first 50-50 season in MLB history – was sold for $4.39 million to Taiwanese investment firm UC Capital [Chosun]. However, the funds remain in escrow pending the outcome of litigation regarding the ball’s ownership, with a jury trial scheduled for July 2026.