Major League Baseball is the American sport. While there are different items from different games that have sold at auction for millions and millions of dollars, it’s not typically bats you see all that often. For one, they don’t always hold up well. It’s easy to break them. Secondly, it’s the balls and jerseys from games that get the most attention. And while not all the bats on this list are the most expensive ever to be sold at auction, save for the actual most expensive one, they are special for their own reasons.
We have a bat that might not be the most expensive ever sold, but it’s the most expensive piece of memorabilia ever sold for a certain player. This list features some of the most expensive bats ever sold at auction; but we picked and chose the ones that seem most important, most relevant and most likely to increase in value over time.
Babe Ruth’s First Baseball Bat – $1.265 million
When Babe Ruth was alive, this bat was the first of many he would use to create his legendary career. When he hit his first home run as a Yankees player in 1923, this is the bat he used. Sotheby’s auctioned off this glorious piece of Babe Ruth memorabilia thinking that it would be the most expensive piece of baseball memorabilia ever sold. There is no word as to who purchased it back in 2004 when it became the most expensive baseball bat ever auctioned.
Babe Ruth’s 1927-1928 Game Bat – $591,007
It must be said that among all the most famous baseball players in the history of the game, Babe Ruth stands out as the most famous. His bats are more famous than anyone else’s which is why they sell for so much money. This particular bat is one of the most expensive, and it sold at an SCP Auction in 2012. He used this bat when he broke records hitting 60 home runs in one season.
Babe Ruth’s First Hillerich & Bradsby Bat – $537,750
For once, we’re seeing a bat that the Babe did not use when he played for the Yankees. Instead, he used this bat in 1918 when he was a Red Sox player. It was his first bat received after he signed his first contract as a professional baseball player with the company, and he chose this bat. The company then asked him to use it, critique it and then they changed up their bats based on his suggestions.
Mickey Mantle’s All-Star Home Run Bat – $430,200
This bat is one that the famed played used in 1956 when he was crowned the “Triple Crown” for his achievements at bat. He was given the bat he used during this time to commemorate his time as a winner, and it recently sold for a staggering sum in 2014 at Heritage Auctions. At that point, it was the most expensive piece of Mickey Mantle memorabilia ever sold at auction.
Babe Ruth’s 1927 Bat – $388,375
During this 1927 season, the Yankee’s hitting team was known by the world at Murderer’s Row. It was an ugly name, but a fitting one. Ruth was the best on the team, and he led the team to yet another World Series win this season. He used more than one bat this year – another is on the list – but this is the only one he used this season alone without using it any other season. Heritage Auctions sold it back in 2012 to an unknown buyer for a lot of money.
Mickey Mantle’s First Bat – $242,209
When he was just a child of only 18, he made his way from the Midwest to New York to play for one of the greatest teams in baseball history; the Yankees. During his time here, he ordered himself two bats to start his career. This is one of them. It was sold in 2015 by an SCP auction to a bidder who is a huge Mantle fan and was willing to pay a lot of money for it.
Babe Ruth’s 1932 Bat – $216,000
In 2006, Sotheby’s came across this bat to auction. It was the last bat that the famous baseball player used during a World Series championship. He won 7 and used this bat in the last series he ever won for the team. It’s a special bat for that reason, and it’s one that the auction house knew could fetch a pretty penny over time.
Babe Ruth’s 1926-1929 Home Run Bat – $155,628
This bat was used by Babe Ruth when he hit more than just a few home runs. This bat has 11 notches in it, which is what he would do every time he hit a home run; carve a notch. This bat was one he used for four seasons, hitting 11 of his 207 home runs during that time. It was auctioned in 2009. There are reportedly only four bats in the entire world that have he notches he carved in them when he hit a home run, and this is why this bat is so important.
Derek Jeter’s 1996 World Series Bat – $155,350
He’s not someone who has been gone for long, but he is one of the most prolific players in the MLB history. Jeter is one of the best players of our generation, and he will always be remembered as one of the legends. This bat was auctioned by Heritage Auctions in 2014. It remains the most expensive piece of his memorabilia to date. Of course, he’s still alive and well so it will be a long time before his items begin selling like Babe Ruth’s.
Babe Ruth’s 1934 Bat – $137,866
This bat was used to hit his 702nd home run. It was auctioned for almost $138k back in 2010. The bat was owned by A.V. Ott. This was a man who was god friends with the manager of the Yankees, Joe McCarthy. The team all signed the bat and presented it to Ott, who kept the bat his entire life until he gave it to his nephew, Jackie Flamming. His wife auctioned the bat through SCP in 2010 following his death.
