Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese professional baseball player who has redefined what is possible in Major League Baseball as a two-way player excelling as both a pitcher and a hitter. Born on July 5, 1994, in Oshu, Iwate, Japan, Ohtani first gained attention as a high school phenom who could throw 100 mph and hit towering home runs. He played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball before being posted to MLB in 2017.

Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017 and quickly established himself as the most unique talent in baseball. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2018 and went on to win back-to-back AL MVP awards in 2021 and 2023, putting up historic numbers as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter. His 2021 season, in which he hit 46 home runs while also posting a 3.18 ERA as a pitcher, was widely regarded as one of the greatest individual seasons in baseball history.

In December 2023, Ohtani signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the largest contract in professional sports history. The deal was uniquely structured with the vast majority of the money deferred to future years. In his first season with the Dodgers in 2024, despite being limited to designated hitter duties while recovering from elbow surgery, he hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases, becoming the first player in MLB history to join the 50-50 club, and helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series championship.

With an estimated net worth of $85 million, Ohtani’s wealth comes from his MLB salary, the massive Dodgers contract, and extensive endorsement deals with Japanese and international brands including New Balance, Seiko, Hugo Boss, and numerous Japanese companies. He is one of the most marketable athletes in the world and his full contract value will make him one of the wealthiest athletes of all time.