The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million mega deal last offseason.
After a third MVP award, becoming the first player to hit 50 or more home runs and steal 50 or more bases, and helping the franchise win their eighth World Series title, it’s safe to say that the enormous contract is paying off — especially given the reality that all but $2 million a year is deferred for Ohtani to receive at a future date.
A recent report from Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen claimed that despite the $2 million due from the Dodgers this season, the two-way star is set to earn upwards of $100 million this year.
Badenhausen reported that his estimated $100 million in off-the-diamond endorsements has only been reached once by global athletic icons like Tiger Woods, Rober Federer, and Stephen Curry. As Ohtani will only turn 31 this July, one can comfortably guess that this won’t be the only time the three-time MVP hits this mark.
The deferred contract clearly isn’t an issue for Ohtani’s annual earning as he added six more companies to his endorsement portfolio, bringing his total number of brand partners to 20. New Balance, Beats, Fanatics/Topps, and most recently Epic Games are just a few major brands that Ohtani works with.
Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo spoke with Badenhausen about how Ohtani’s management helps secure these lucrative deal for the superstar.
“We’re very careful and strategic with the gameplan for Shohei,” Balelo said. “It’s important to be aligned with all the brands we work with on how they use Shohei in their campaigns.”
The brands don’t stop in North America as Ohtani leverages his international stardom with Japanese brands such as Ito En, Kowa, Kose Cosmetics, and Seiko watches.
Switching to the L.A. baseball team with more championships helped Ohtani’s global perception and winning a championship in that first year may have solidified it, but as he eyes his return to the mound at some point this season, the already invaluable impact he carries will only grow greater.
