Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers jersey sets online sales record
Shohei Ohtani's contract is worth $700 million, but it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers will be able to make up that number relatively quickly.
Ohtani agreed to the record-shattering deal over the weekend, breaking the previous most-lucrative contract by almost $300 million – the record had been his former teammate Mike Trout's $426 million.
Both the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants offered the astounding figure, with Ohtani opting to stay in southern California.
The Dodgers officially announced the move on Monday, thus putting Ohtani jerseys on the shelves – and they're moving off them fast.
Fanatics, the online retailer for sportswear of professional sports leagues in North America, announced on Wednesday that Ohtani's jersey was the fastest-selling within the first 48 hours of any player ever.
Ohtani broke the record that had been held by Lionel Messi when he signed with Miami FC. Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United jersey now ranks third, followed by Chicago Bears' Justin Fields and Bryce Harper's Philadelphia Phillies jersey.
The money the Dodgers rake in from the jersey sales can be tabled for the next 10 years, as Ohtani agreed to defer $680 million of his contract until after it expires in 2033.
Ohtani just won his second unanimous MVP in three seasons. He would have won in 2022, too, had it not been for Aaron Judge's record-breaking 62-homer season.
At the plate, Ohtani led the majors in 2023 with a .654 slugging percentage and 1.066 OPS. His .412 on-base percentage was second, his 44 homers were fourth and his .304 average ranked ninth.
Ohtani was also brilliant on the mound, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. Among pitchers who threw 130 innings, his ERA was the ninth-lowest in MLB, and his K/9 was sixth. Among AL pitchers with that number of innings, he ranked fifth and third, respectively. His 10.0 WAR led the majors. Mookie Betts, now Ohtani's teammate, ranked second at 8.3.