The fan who caught Shohei Ohtani's historic 176th home run is about to be a whole lot richer ... TMZ Sports has learned the man's putting the ball up for auction -- and it's expected to net him a small fortune!!
The guys over at Heritage Auctions tell us ... Jason Patino -- who snagged the record-setting baseball after Ohtani blasted it toward him in an April 21 victory over the Mets -- is selling the memento on their block, and they're figuring it'll eventually go for around $200,000.
Shohei Ohtani now holds the MLB record for most HRs hit by a Japanese-born player.
— Covers (@Covers) April 21, 2024
1. Shohei Ohtani (176)
2. Hideki Matsui (175)
3. Ichiro Suzuki (117)pic.twitter.com/NnZupuWfvm
The ball, of course, holds a ton of value ... as it marked the official breaking of Hideki Matsui's MLB record for dingers by a Japanese-born slugger.
As for the ball itself, check it out ... it's pretty sweet. It's got official MLB logos all over it, along with a holographic authentication sticker. It's also got a handwritten "E" on it.
Some might be wondering why Patino would give up such a gem, especially when, initially, he said he would keep it. Well, we're told the potential six-figure price tag made things simply too hard for the man to hang onto it any longer.
Bidding officially opens on August 23 ... good luck!!