Shohei Ohtani ended Wednesday’s Dodgers game in spectacular fashion, sending the first pitch he saw from Atlanta Braves reliever Raisel Iglesias 399 feet over the center-field wall for a walk-off home run and a 6-5 win.
It just so happened that everyone who witnessed that moment at Dodger Stadium had a tiny replica of the Japanese superstar in their possession, as all fans in attendance with a valid ticket were given an Ohtani bobblehead commemorating the National League most valuable player award he received last year.
What a wonderful memento for those folks!
Or in some cases, what a wonderful money-making opportunity!
The Ohtani MVP bobbleheads — which feature a smiling Ohtani in his Dodgers uniform, holding his MVP award in his right hand and resting a bat on his shoulder with his left hand — have been a hot seller on the resale market, with more than 250 sold on eBay since Wednesday.
As of Thursday morning, the most paid for the standard bobblehead was $299.99, while some lucky fan got a bargain at $90. The majority seemed to sell in the $150 to $170 range.
All fans in attendance with valid tickets received Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers are scheduled to give away Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads at three other home games this season.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A limited number of bobbleheads featuring Ohtani holding a silver bat appear to have been handed out as well. A handful of those variants also have sold on eBay, for prices ranging from $499 to $900.
The Dodgers declined to comment for this story.
During a postgame interview with Spectrum SportsNet, Ohtani brought up the bobbleheads while answering a question about his game-winning hit that helped the Dodgers improve to 8-0.
“One of the fans was telling me, ‘It’s your bobblehead night, so you better get a hit,’” Ohtani said in Japanese through interpreter Will Ireton. “So I’m glad I was able to do that.”
If you’re still in the market for an Ohtani MVP bobblehead, fear not. There are more than 100 still for sale on eBay. Many of the standard models are available for buy-it-now prices ranging from $143 to $500, while others are up for bid with final prices yet to be determined.
A number of silver-bat variations are listed as well, with price tags ranging from $699 to $1,450.
The Dodgers are handing out Ohtani bobbleheads at Dodger Stadium three more times this season — twice to commemorate him becoming the first player to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases (May 15 vs. the Athletics and Aug. 27 vs. the Cincinnati Reds) and once to commemorate his 2024 World Series ring (Aug. 6 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals).
Ohtani items seem to hold special value for collectors. An Ohtani Topps Dynasty Black baseball card featuring his signature in gold and a patch from the pants he wore while reaching the 50-50 milestone last season sold for $1.07 million this month, while his 50th home run ball was auctioned for $4.392 million in October.
