You remember where you were. It’s October 25, 2024. Bottom of the 10th. Bases loaded. Two outs. Freddie Freeman, hobbling on a right ankle that looked more like a purple balloon than a joint, steps up to the plate. The Dodgers are down 3-2 to the Yankees. Nestor Cortes throws one pitch—a 92-mph heater on the inner half—and Freddie just unloads.
The sound was different. You could hear it through the TV. It was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. It was pure Kirk Gibson 2.0. But while we all watched Freddie limp around the bases, a 10-year-old kid in the right-field pavilion was living a totally different reality. That Freddie Freeman grand slam ball wasn’t just a souvenir; it was a winning lottery ticket that fell out of the sky and bounced off a stadium seat.
The Scramble in Section 302
Zachary Ruderman didn't even think he was going to the game. His parents, Nico and Anne, pulled the classic "dentist appointment" fake-out. They told him he was leaving school early to get his braces off, but instead, they steered the car toward Chavez Ravine. Honestly, that’s top-tier parenting.
When Freeman’s blast headed toward the bleachers, the pavilion went absolutely feral. In the footage Nico was recording on his phone, you can see the chaos. The ball actually hit the seat in front of Zachary first. It rolled toward his feet, he batted it toward his dad, and Nico jumped on it like it was a live grenade.
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I’ve seen a lot of "fan catches," but this one was messy. It was a dogpile. People were mobbing the kid for photos. At that moment, Zachary just wanted a signature. He told reporters the next day he just hoped to meet Freddie and get the ball signed. He had no clue he was holding $1.56 million in his hands.
Why the Freddie Freeman Grand Slam Ball Hit Seven Figures
You might think, "It’s just a baseball." And yeah, basically, it is. But in the world of high-end sports memorabilia, timing is everything. This wasn't just any home run. This was the "immaculately timed" artifact of a World Series MVP performance.
The ball eventually made its way to SCP Auctions in December 2024. Here is the thing about the price tag: it actually surpassed Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball ($1.5 million). It became the third-most expensive baseball ever sold, trailing only Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 ball ($4.39 million) and Mark McGwire’s 70th ($3 million).
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Why so much? A few reasons:
- Historical First: It was the first walk-off grand slam in 120+ years of World Series history.
- The "Gibson" Factor: The narrative of the injured hero (the ankle) mirrored the 1988 Kirk Gibson moment so perfectly it felt scripted.
- Authentication: This is where it gets tricky. Because the game ended instantly, MLB couldn't do their usual "on-site" stickering. The Ruderman family had to use Sports Investors Authentication to "photomatch" the scuffs on the ball to high-res photos from the game. Nico even took a polygraph test to prove the ball's provenance.
The Reality of the Sale
The auction ended on a Saturday night in mid-December. Bidding started at $50,000, which feels like a bargain now, right? By the final hours, it was sitting around $800,000. Then, the "whales" came out. The price doubled in the final sprint, landing at exactly $1,561,248.
People on Reddit were arguing about whether the family should have kept it. Some said it belonged in the Hall of Fame. But look, when you’re a family in Los Angeles and someone offers you a million and a half dollars for a piece of leather and yarn, you take the money. It’s life-changing. It’s college tuition, a house, and then some. The Rudermans originally wanted it displayed at Dodger Stadium, but the auction house route was the "smart" play for their future.
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Where is it now?
As of early 2026, the buyer remains anonymous. That’s pretty common for these high-stakes auctions. Usually, these items end up in private humidity-controlled vaults or as the centerpiece of a billionaire’s office. There’s always a chance it resurfaces at a museum, but for now, the Freddie Freeman grand slam ball is tucked away in a private collection.
What This Means for You
If you’re a collector—or just a fan who happens to be in the right place at the right time—this story is a blueprint.
- Record Everything: If Nico hadn’t been filming on his phone, proving they actually caught the ball would have been a nightmare. That video was evidence.
- Professional Authentication is King: Don't just put it in a shoebox. If you catch a milestone ball, get it to a reputable authenticator immediately. Photomatching is the gold standard now.
- Know the Market: The 2024 season was an anomaly with Ohtani and Freeman both hitting historic marks. The market for "moment-based" memorabilia is higher than ever.
The Freeman ball represents more than just a win. It’s a reminder that baseball still has the power to create these "lightning in a bottle" moments. Freddie might be dealing with health hurdles and skipping the 2026 World Baseball Classic now, but that swing in October 2024 is frozen in time—and currently worth a small fortune.
If you’re headed to a game this season, bring a glove. And maybe keep your phone recording when the bases are loaded in the 10th. You never know when $1.5 million is going to fly into your section.
Next Steps for Collectors:
- Check out SCP Auctions or Goldin past listings to see how similar World Series artifacts are trending in 2026.
- Research Sports Investors Authentication (SIA) if you have game-used items that lack an official MLB hologram.
- Keep an eye on the Dodgers' 2026 season—as the team continues to chase titles, the "historical tax" on their memorabilia only goes up.