AI Determines Acquisition of Commemorative Ball Taiwans Top Algorithmic Traders Secure Shohei Ohtanis 50th Home Run Ball for 140 Million TWD

Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani achieved an unprecedented 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the Major League Baseball (MLB) this season. The home run ball he hit for his 50th home run recently sold for a staggering $4.39 million (NTD 140 million). Ken Goldin, the founder of the auction company, revealed that the buyer is not American or Japanese, but from Taiwan. Many speculated that it could be Taiwan’s prominent baseball enthusiast, Chang Kuo-Wei, who sponsors Ohtani’s team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, or Tsai Eng-Meng, the chairman of the CTBC Financial Holding and the sponsor of the Dodgers. However, the answer turned out to be UBS Capital, a quantitative trading company located in Taipei 101.

Ohtani’s 50-50 epic season, a feat never seen before

Ohtani is well-known for his ability to pitch and hit, a rarity in professional baseball. While many players are dual-threat pitchers and hitters during their student years, very few can elevate both skills to a professional level. Ohtani is one of the few exceptions, excelling in both pitching and hitting at the top level of the league. Due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament, Ohtani gave up pitching this season and delivered an unprecedented record of 54 home runs, 59 stolen bases, 197 hits, and 130 RBIs, with an OPS+ of 190, representing him surpassing 90% of the players in the league.
The difficulty of achieving 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases lies in the fact that power hitters who are capable of hitting 50 home runs are not usually as agile in running bases. Successfully stealing 50 bases also demonstrates Ohtani’s exceptional explosiveness.
This season, Ohtani also advanced to the World Series with the Dodgers and is set to face the New York Yankees, a team familiar to Taiwanese fans, with the goal of winning the championship. On September 19th, Ohtani went 6-6 (meaning he hit safely in all six at-bats) in a game against the Miami Marlins, including three home runs. One of those home runs was the record-breaking 50th home run and 50th stolen base commemorative ball, which is the focus of this article.

Statement from UBS Capital: AI system determines the purchase of the commemorative ball

Although auction company Goldin Auctions stated that they will announce the buyer’s information after the World Series, discussions have already started online. Japanese entrepreneur Yusuke Tanaka shared the auction process in his YouTube video and expressed his efforts in acquiring the ball.
On Friday night, UBS Capital issued a statement:
“UBS Capital focuses on its core investment business and fulfills its corporate social responsibilities. This historic record-breaking 50th home run commemorative ball is a holy grail in the hearts of many baseball fans around the world. Therefore, we are honored to bring this historically valuable baseball back to Taiwan and share this moment in history.”
They also revealed that the decision to acquire this meaningful ball was made by an AI system estimating its price. They stated:
“Our AI system continues to collect and calculate collectibles worth preserving, capturing beautiful things. Ohtani’s influence on baseball worldwide is still rising, and we believe this decision is meaningful.”
They expressed their willingness to cooperate with institutions in Taiwan and Japan to arrange public exhibitions for this ball.

UBS Capital, a top-frequency trading firm in Taiwan, reportedly earns over 200 million NTD per month

In fact, UBS Capital is not an unknown company. Its main business is program trading, with its headquarters located in Taipei 101 and 13 trading offices across three continents. Well-known financial podcast Stock Cancer has repeatedly mentioned UBS Capital as one of Taiwan’s top trading companies, covering various strategies such as stocks, futures options, individual stock futures, ETF arbitrage, hedging, quantification, and momentum.
UBS Capital’s distinctive feature is that it only uses its own funds for trading and has never raised external capital. According to their official website, the company’s annual trading volume is equivalent to the total trading volume of a medium-sized brokerage firm’s clients or the trading volume of the proprietary trading departments of the top three brokerage firms.