Why are we surprised to see the numbers Shohei Ohtani is producing on the field and off the field? Right now, Ohtani is one of the biggest stars, not just in baseball but in all of sports, and now he has entered an exclusive club, putting him in the same financial bracket as legends like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer.

Sportico reported saying, “Shohei Ohtani’s single-year endorsement tally is more than any other athlete in the history of sports. Last year, Ohtani made $100 million from endorsements, a threshold previously reached by only three athletes: Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, and Stephen Curry.”

Sho Time has been a unicorn both on and off the field. His earnings are levels above any baseball player who has come before him. In 2025, he earned a staggering $100 million from endorsements, putting him above LeBron James and Lionel Messi. Before Ohtani, Derek Jeter had a value of $10 million. So this leap is huge and unprecedented.

The historical context of his endorsements makes his financial story feel real and documented. The only other athletes who touched that valuation of $100 million were Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, and Steph Curry. Even though baseball doesn’t have the same following as tennis and golf, this shows how impactful Shohei Ohtani is.

When we compare him to other MLB superstars, things aren’t even close. None of the others even reach $10 million, with the highest being $9 million for Aaron Judge. Bryce Harper is also around the $8 million mark. Even though stars like Judge and Soto have huge salaries, the impact Ohtani has on global baseball is not close to anyone.

This shouldn’t really surprise anyone because of the economic revelation at the start of 2025. According to reports, the Dodgers made back the whole $700 million of Ohtani’s contract in his first year with the team. Sportico also reported that the Dodgers’ franchise value jumped 23 percent to $7.73 billion after Ohtani arrived, the biggest growth in MLB.

Beyond the dollars and valuations, the number of fans that have been coming to games is just sky-high. It was reported that his No. 17 jersey was the most sold in 2024 during the Dodgers’ World Series run. In Japan, MLB merchandise tied to Ohtani accounted for roughly 57 % of all MLB sales. It was also reported that the Dodgers’ merch grew by over 2,000 % year‑over‑year since he signed with the team.

As the 2026 season approaches, he remains a central figure for the Dodgers, and his performances will serve as the justification for the staggering financial numbers he is putting up.

Expectations set for Shohei Ohtani for the 2026 season

Shohei Ohtani is back in the Dodgers camp after the WBC exit to Venezuela. Now his complete focus is on the Dodgers and his pitching for 2026. His return to camp followed a four‑inning simulated pitching outing in Miami. This shows that the club is confident in Ohtani’s arm and will eventually move him into live sessions.

Manager Dave Roberts says that Ohtani is likely to throw three to four innings when the season starts. That build‑up comes after Ohtani did not pitch at the WBC, focusing on readiness for the regular season with the Dodgers.

Before the Dodgers’ career, Ohtani was a full-time two-way star for the Angels from 2021 to 2023. He had at least 23 starts each season and threw a career-best 166 innings in 2022. In that very season, he struck out 219 batters and ranked fourth in American League Cy Young voting.

With the Dodgers looking to go for a three-peat, they will need Ohtani’s arm to be healthy and available to start when they need it.