Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani's Historic 176th MLB HR Put on Auction by Fan Who Caught Ball

The ball from Shohei Ohtani's 176th career home run has been put up for auction.

According to TMZ Sports, the fan that caught the ball is selling it on Heritage Auctions and is expected to eventually sell for "around $200,000."

Ohtani recorded the homer in the third inning of a 10-0 victory over the New York Mets on April 21. He made history, surpassing Hideki Matsui to own the highest career home run total by a Japanese-born MLB player.

"I'm relieved and happy," Ohtani said afterwards, per Sarah Wexler of MLB.com. "I took a while to get this point since my last homer, so just honestly, happy, relieved."

The fan, Jason Patino, initially planned to keep the ball although he eventually changed his mind due to the potential hefty price tag (via TMZ).

Given Ohtani's superstar status, it's easy to see why his memorabilia is coveted. A baseball card featuring the signature of the Dodgers slugger as well as legendary hitter Babe Ruth sold for just over $110,000 on Jan. 27.

Bidding for Ohtani's 176th home run ball opens on Aug. 23.