Shohei Ohtani has broken records in baseball with his versatility as a power hitter and as a pitcher. The Japanese superstar has helped take the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series championships since joining the Boys in Blue in 2024. Whether one follows baseball or not, the likelihood is that people know or have heard the name Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani’s popularity has boosted the popularity of the Dodgers across the U.S. and Japan and many places in between. It’s drawn such Asian brand dynamos such as apparel brand Uniqlo to the team’s West Coast temple of baseball in the heart of Los Angeles.
Stan Kasten, the current president and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, calls Ohtani “unique.”
As a baseball star, Ohtani is unique in that he is the highest-paid player in baseball overall in 2026 even though his $2 million annual salary is dwarfed by A-list sluggers, outfielders and pitchers. But Ohtani’s endorsement income – estimated by Sportico at $125 million for 2026 – towers by more than $100 million over everyone else in the league.
For the third straight year, Ohtani’s #17 jersey remains atop the bestselling sports jerseys. He is the face of Japan’s No. 1 green tea brand, Ito En, as well as a key brand partner of Seiko Watch Corp, Japan Airlines, Kirin spirits and other top Japanese brands, per Sportico.
