With a new MLB season about to get underway, the old controversy around Shohei Ohtani and alleged betting links is back in the spotlight. Even though the case was officially wrapped up with Ohtani cleared of any wrongdoing and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, charged and sentenced for a $17 million gambling fraud, questions haven’t gone away.

Critics are still out there. They’re wondering whether MLB really handled the investigation as fairly and aggressively as it should have.

Now, there’s a new twist in the conversation. Dominican sportscaster Tenchy Rodríguez has offered a different take. He explained why MLB may have been hesitant to come down hard on Ohtani in the first place.

“16 Japanese ads fall through if Ohtani doesn’t play,” Rodríguez went no-holds-barred in an interview with Fiebruces Radio Show.

According to Rodríguez, this was never just about weighing the evidence, but was always about the money. And honestly, it’s hard to argue that Shohei Ohtani isn’t the biggest face in MLB right now, if not the biggest star the league has ever produced. There’s simply too much riding on him.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Coming out of Japan, Ohtani brings an enormous fanbase across Asia, especially in his home country. And that reach goes way beyond what he does for MLB in the U.S.

He’s become a global business engine. Japanese and other Asian brands are lining up to partner with him, and the numbers tell the story. About $2 billion in projected value is tied to Ohtani, including major brand alliances with some of the world’s biggest companies. And it doesn’t stop there.

Ohtani is actively reshaping the commercial side of MLB. His presence alone led to a 218% surge in Japanese brand advertising at MLB stadiums. And the Dodgers reportedly landed between $70 million and $75 million in new Japanese sponsorships purely because they signed him.

So, with that kind of money on the line, Rodríguez openly wonders whether MLB ever realistically had the appetite to move aggressively against Ohtani, even if it wanted to. But for the man himself, only on-field accomplishments hold.

Shohei Ohtani sets his sights on the next milestone

The buzz around Shohei Ohtani is nothing new. Back in 2025, it was the same story: critics questioned his ethics because of the betting scandal swirling around him. And yet, he shut all of that out and went on to win the World Series anyway.

Fast forward to this year, and not much has changed. The chatter is still there, the doubts are still floating around, but Ohtani is clearly locked in on what’s next.

The first day of Dodgers spring training felt like a fanfare, with hundreds of cameras trained on the Japanese superstar. Honestly, there couldn’t be a better stage for him to start setting the tone for the season ahead. “If at the end, the result is getting a Cy Young, that’s great,” Ohtani said. A pretty clear hint at where his focus is.

And with him skipping the mound at the upcoming WBC, it only adds to the feeling that something big is coming. All signs point to another season of electric pitching, triple-digit heat, and those jaw-dropping, sky-scraping home runs that have become his trademark.