NL MVP, All-Star, and the ultimate World Series, Shohei Ohtani has won it all within just two years of signing with the Dodgers. While Ohtani has been phenomenal from the plate, the Dodgers are yet to see the two-way phenom’s magic from the mound. After the kind of injury the reigning MVP had during his last year with the Angels, many even speculated that Ohtani may never pitch again. But come Monday, all signs point to that long-awaited moment finally arriving.

552 days after signing his $700 million contract and 453 days after his Dodgers debut, to be precise, Ohtani will be making his pitching debut for the Blues against their division rivals Padres. Just hours ago, the LA Dodgers announced that the league’s best baseball player will start from the mound tomorrow night. And hype is real when you know the ticket’s price has skyrocketed overnight.

Remember the Tokyo Series this year? Ohtani alone hyped that series with Tokyo Dome selling the tickets at a record price. Fans were willing to pay anything just for a glimpse of Ohtani. So, it’s not surprising that the Dodgers fans are willing to pay as high as $37,955.

Baseball channel DodgersMuse, which is associated with MLB’s ticketing partner SeatGeek, made an interesting revelation on X: “Ticket prices have skyrocketed for Shohei Ohtani pitching tomorrow,” they wrote. Well, the buzz is back in the Dodger Stadium. Monday’s game against the Padres, where Ohtani will be the ace on the mound, has turned into a hot-ticket spectacle. Per DodgersMuse, the seats are being sold anywhere between $200 and $37,955.

For context, tickets for Tuesday’s Giants-Guardians game are hovering around $50. Even the legendary Yankees–Red Sox rivalry, which packed Fenway Park on June 14, saw average ticket prices around $340. Now, that’s the kind of premium usually reserved for century-old rivalries. But here? This Padres-Dodgers game has a good chance of beating the Boston-Red Sox record, too.

But this hype around Ohtani is not new. Just a few months ago, we witnessed the same in Tokyo. For the unversed, during the Tokyo Series, ticket demand exploded. Resale prices reportedly ranged from $2,454 to a jaw-dropping $20,822, with some even topping $21,000. On the other hand, the 2023 Seoul Series saw resale prices peak around $1,500, while even the World Series, MLB’s grandest stage, maxed out at $8,500.

While the Tokyo Series was a cultural homecoming for Ohtani, a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of Japan’s global baseball legacy, this one is his homecoming to the mound. And fans are willing to pay any price to be a part of it.

Shohei Ohtani is the true global face of MLB

MLB has had many big names over the years. Take Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Judge, and Juan Soto. Each of them enjoys huge popularity. But when it comes to the global market, Shohei Ohtani is the face that runs the show. Why?

The 2021 MVP campaign, where Ohtani crushed 46 home runs and struck out 156 batters, proved how he is ahead of his contemporaries.

With his record-shattering contract with the Dodgers, Ohtani was the first to break the $700 million mark. Off the field, his endorsement portfolio is just as dominant. According to a Sportico report, Ohtani is set to earn over $100 million in endorsements in 2025. Now, this figure places him on par with global icons like Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, and Stephen Curry. No other star from MLB has achieved this feat ever.

This not only underscores Ohtani’s global marketability but also highlights his singular position as a two-way force. When someone of this caliber is returning to the mound after more than two years, naturally, there will be fan hysteria to watch him live. But to what extent will it go? Let’s wait and watch.