Michael Phelps has a net worth of $100 million. The most celebrated Olympic athlete, Phelps has 28 medals to his name, 23 of them gold. Following that, he has endorsement and sponsorship deals with the likes of Intel, Under Armour, Visa, Omega, Speedo, Subway, and so on. Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese MLB designated hitter, might well eclipse that soon enough.

A pitcher, Shohei Ohtani, was recently awarded a $700 million contract for a 10-year duration by the Los Angeles Dodgers. That was after a UCL injury in his pitching elbow, which required surgery, and becoming a free agent. He is currently valued at around $50 million overall. The chances of him turning into a $100 million-a-year athlete are quite good.

Largest contract in sports history for Shohei Ohtani

It is debatable whether the Dodgers were shrewd to sign Shohei Ohtani or not. One thing is for certain. He will make them money and plenty of it. During his final season with the Angels, Ohtani earned approximately $40 million in endorsement deals. That was in addition to the $30 million they paid him. He also made them around $10-20 million in advertising, marketing, and so on. The Dodgers are a brand with a much greater global presence.

Shohei Ohtani was offered such a massive contract, knowing he could make the Dodgers that much more. It is easily the largest contract in MLB history, edging out Mike Trout‘s $426.5 million contract across 12 years with the Angels. Also left in the dust was Lionel Messi, who had signed a $673 million contract with former team FC Barcelona.

Michael Phelps, a known baseball fan, up next?

The “Baltimore Bullet” is a well-known baseball fan. He supported his hometown team, the Baltimore Orioles, for the longest time. Michael Phelps changed allegiance to the Arizona Diamondbacks after the Orioles lost to the Texas Rangers. He threw the opening pitch at a Diamondbacks game, which many of the Orioles’ faithful considered a betrayal.

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It is unclear if Shohei Ohtani will go past Michael Phelps in the net worth column soon. Ohtani has endorsed multiple companies in Japan besides deals with the likes of Oakley and Hugo Boss. The Dodgers believe he has the potential to be a $100 million-a-year athlete. All that remains is to see if that prediction becomes a reality soon.

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