Ohtani's 50/50 ball is over $1.5M in auction as bidding continues

The auction for Shohei Ohtani's 50/50 game ball is approaching the $2 million mark.

Bidding for the piece of MLB history is now up to $1.6 million.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar reached the milestone of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season last month, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to do so. Ohtani reached the milestone during his 150th game.

Ohtani was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, needing just 126 games.

Days after Ohtani made history, the ball that got him 50 home runs was put up for auction, with the bid starting at $500,000.

Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, told Eyewitness News that a friend of the fan who caught the ball contacted the company through social media.

"You want to sell it right now while it's top of mind and everybody wants it," Goldin said.

However, ownership of the historic ball is hung up in a legal battle. Two people have filed lawsuits claiming they are the rightful owners of the ball. Max Matus, 18, filed a civil lawsuit in late September claiming he had possession of the ball and asking for a temporary injunction to halt the auction. Judge Spencer Eig of Florida's 11th Judicial Circuit Court did not grant the injunction. Instead, he scheduled an Oct. 10 hearing and ordered that the ball couldn't be sold before that date. Then a second fan, Joseph Davidov, filed suit claiming he was the rightful owner of the ball.

Related story: Who owns Ohtani 50/50 home run ball? Legal experts weigh in

Then earlier this week, an agreement was reached. The plaintiffs agreed to allow the auction to continue receiving bids while the legal dispute plays out. The money eventually paid for the ball will be placed in an account until the pending ownership litigation is resolved.

Experts say bidding could reach $3 million before the auction ends Oct. 22.