Iconic Yankees Jerseys Set for Record-Breaking Sotheby’s Auction

Sotheby’s Summer Sports Marquee auction will feature two game-worn New York Yankees jerseys. Bidding runs July 1-20, with estimates of $3-5 million for Aaron Judge’s debut shirt and $500-700 thousand for Derek Jeter’s 2004 “dive” jersey.

New York Times

Judge debuted on August 13, 2016, going 2-for-4 and homering off Matt Andriese in the second inning—a home run that followed teammate Tyler Austin’s. The jersey was authenticated by MeiGray. Jeter’s shirt appeared in 74 games during the 2004 season, including his July 1, 2004 12th-inning catch that left him bruised. Photomatching ties it to games from April 23 through the ALCS Game 7.

New York Times

MVP Aaron Judge, with 385 homers, is injured with a rib stress fracture. Hall of Famer Derek Jeter (Class of 2020) spent his entire career with the Yankees (1995-2014). Sotheby’s head Brahm Wachter oversees the sale. Sales include Judge’s 62nd-home-run ball $1.5 million (2022) and a 2013 Bowman Chrome Superfractor $5.2 million; Jeter’s debut jersey $369 000 (2020) and his top card $600 000 (2022).

New York Times

Judge’s jersey is rare because it combines a rookie debut with a home-run, while Jeter’s shirt’s extensive use across an entire season is uncommon in today’s market, where jerseys are often worn briefly. Together they highlight a shift toward valuing complete, season-long narratives in sports memorabilia.

New York Times

Sotheby’s officials called Judge an “iconic Bronx Bomber” whose debut jersey is significant for its home-run impact. They described the Jeter jersey as “incomparable” because it offers a complete picture of a single season.

New York Times

All sources list Judge’s debut as August 13, 2016, but one outlet incorrectly cites August 13, 2018. Final auction results are not yet reported.

Heavy

• “Obviously he became an iconic Bronx Bomber and passed (Roger) Maris’ (single-season AL home run) record, he’s kind of known for being a home run hitter,” — Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s

New York Times

• “So we have a rookie debut jersey where he hits a home run, not just wore it for his first game. He actually did something important in it.” — Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s

New York Times

• “The early 2000s were when teams started recognizing the popularity of game-worn jerseys and started issuing them to their players to be worn in greater quantities, so for a jersey from 2004 to be worn for virtually the entire regular season and into the playoffs make it incomparable,” — Barry Meisel, MeiGray

New York Times

• “When you look at collectibles now, we have jerseys that are worn for half a game very often … to have something that’s as complete a picture as this, a complete picture of that season of 2004, is really rare,” — Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s

New York Times

Bids are accepted online July 1-20. Sotheby’s will announce the winning results shortly after the close, potentially setting new benchmarks for game-worn baseball memorabilia.

Heavy