So what if his free agency is over? Shohei Ohtani is still the talk of the town. As he joins the Los Angeles Dodgers, with him comes his gargantuan number of fans. Proof? Well, look at his team’s sports merchandising, memorabilia, and even social media following numbers. The surge has been humongous. Can we call it the Shohei Ohtani-effect? 

With the two-way phenom joining the Blue Crews, could it mean that it’s time for the historical baseball’s biggest to pass on the baton? Lately, this frenzy has risen to record-breaking heights. It all started when the 29-year-old put pen to paper on the $700 million deal. A new era has dawned and “Nobody should be surprised”. 

Shohei Ohtani Breaking Records Even Before Starting His Season

Well, it has so happened that the New York Yankees which boasts the biggest and the most passionate fan base are runners-up now. Surpassing the NYY, the Unicorn’s South California team has raced ahead of the Yankees with 3.4M Instagram followers. Thanks to Shotime, the Yanks who had 3.3M followers to their name dropped to being 2nd. 

Not only does the number of followers reflect the massive Dodgers fan base that is swelling, but also other aspects, like sports apparel and merchandise. Ohtani’s Dodgers jersey touched a significant milestone on the sports merchandise platform Fanatics. The sale of his new jersey was in close competition with some big names beyond the realm of baseball. 

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The Japanese two-way athlete set a new record for the highest number of jerseys sold within a 48-hour timeframe. The sales surpassed the previous held records held by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the football world. One could have foreseen this spike owing to the rare generational talent that the fans are presently witnessing. 

Here’s Why 2024 Will Be Something to Look Forward To

Ohtani signed a huge contract committing himself to the LA Dodgers last Saturday. With that, he established the most valuable sports deal in history. The number he is slated to earn exceeds (Barcelona’s) Messi’s compensation for the time 2017-2021 by a whopping $26 million. Yes, there are deferrals but that does not mean that the 2X unanimous MVP would earn any less than the number ‘700’. Observing these major pivots happen in MLB due to the Oshu-born, one can say that he definitely has shaken up the baseball world. 

Read More : LA Dodgers See Massive Benefits From Shohei Ohtani Deal, as Details Behind Unique $700 Million Pact Emerge

A one-of-a-kind contract, merch sales, huge fan base; all these are indicators of a new dawn. These facts indicate that as one transitions into 2024, one hopes for magic to happen on the diamond. Entering the Shohei Ohtani era watching him hit till he rests his elbow enough to pitch again, many more records will likely be broken.