While Shohei Ohtani is already pipping every other name within the foul line when it comes to numbers, he is equally making history beyond it. And that’s evident in the WBC 2026. Despite Samurai Japan not securing their semifinals, Ohtani finished the tournament with 3 HRs at a .462 average. However, his biggest record came after the WBC.

Ohtani’s jersey was auctioned for a staggering $1.5 million. That placed him in an exclusive list alongside Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle!

“An auction held on the MLB official website for uniforms, caps, and nameplates used in the WBC closed on the 22nd, and the uniform worn by Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (31) in the game against Taiwan on March 6th was sold for a staggering $1,500,010,” Yahoo! Japan reports.

As per Sportico’s most expensive sports memorabilia and collectibles list, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle top the list. The 1932 Yankees jersey that Ruth wore in the Yankees-Cubs World Series is the most expensive baseball memorabilia, sold at $24 million in 2024. Wearing that jersey, he appeared to point toward center field before hitting a 490-foot homer off the Cubs’ Charlie Root.

Next in the list comes another Yankees legend, Mickey Mantle’s Topps rookie card from 1952. His 23 HRs at .311 in 1952 were so iconic that the card sold off at $12.6 million in 2022.

Now, in a list traditionally dominated by the Yankees, a new entrant is Shohei Ohtani, solidifying his baseball immortality. We assume Ohtani’s $1.5 million jersey would rank high on the list, as the 9th-ranked memorabilia was Jackie Robinson’s 1947 rookie jersey that got sold for $2.05 million in 2017.

The jersey that fetched $1.5 million is special. Ohtani played against Taiwan in the WBC pool play round wearing it and hit a double down on the first pitch. Then in the second inning, Ohtani hit a grand slam to right field.

So, apart from making marks on the field, Shohei Ohtani is touching milestones alongside the sport’s legends. Still, it is not the first time that Ohtani’s memorabilia has sold for such a high price.

Back in 2024, Ohtani’s 50th home run ball was auctioned for $4,392,000! Notably, Shohei Ohtani founded the 50-50 club in 2024 with hitting 50 HRs and stealing 50 bases. So, the 50th HR ball was part of history. And now, with his new $1.5 million achievement, Ohtani added another legendary status to his name.

Shohei Ohtani is putting athletes from other sports behind

While Ohtani is arguably the biggest global star in MLB currently, he’s even making marks when compared to legends from other sports.

Reportedly, Ohtani is projected to earn around $125 million from endorsements in 2026, which tops his $100 million endorsement earnings from last year. And with this, Ohtani strides ahead of the names like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. Woods’ $105 million earnings from endorsements back in 2009 were the previous best.

The next target for Shohei Ohtani on this list would be Michael Jordan’s $300 million endorsement earnings from 2024. Considering Ohtani’s projection stands at $125 million this year, we hope he will take a few more years to top Jordan as well.

And when it comes to MLB only, Ohtani is undisputed. The second name after Ohtani in endorsement earnings is Cody Bellinger, standing at a distant second with $57.5 million. Credit goes to his latest $162.5 million deal with the Yankees and endorsements. However, Ohtani, without adding his MLB fees, is topping with more than $100 million!

Let’s now see where a few more historical numbers this year take Shohei Ohtani.