Breaking Down Why the Dodgers Spending $700 Million on Shohei Ohtani Is Worth Every Penny

The LA Dodgers have suddenly turned into the favorite team of 125 million people. The Shohei Ohtani fanbase in Japan is officially a Dodgers fan. But that is only part of what has happened after the $700 million deal between the phenom and the Blue Crew. The huge potential that Ohtani’s partnership with the Dodgers has left nearly every baseball fan thirsty for a good reason.

Although the on-field excellence that one will get to witness with Ohtani’s entry in Dodgers increases the heartbeats. Still, the Dodgers wouldn’t give him $70 million per year just for his on-field performances, right? As it stands, there is a Pandora box sitting in front of the Blue Crew and the treasure is eye-catching.

How Shohei Ohtani improves the Dodgers’ roster

In the past three years, Shotime has done things that nobody has ever done before. Even his closest comparison legend Babe Ruth stayed a pitcher only for a few years before becoming a full-time hitter. On the other hand, Ohtani has an ERA of 2.84 in the last three years. At the same time, he has crushed 124 home runs. He was a one-man show in Angels. Now imagine him in a star-studded Dodgers squad.

It is a mouth-watering prospect. Ohtani will join Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman – the two NL MVP finalists. While the Dodgers’ hitting has always been their strength, Shotime will transform into possibly the best lineup in the league today. Ohtani provides them with a hitter who rarely strikes out and is capable of big hits. This, in a stadium that is one of the most hitter-friendly, is a game-changing acquisition.

On the other hand, pitching has been their weakness for some time now. 2023 proved to be the peak of that problem as injuries ravaged the Blue Crew to such an extent that they had to resort to rookies pitching in the postseason. Although Ohtani’s elbow surgery has ruled him out of pitching for 2024, he is expected to return in 2025. But once he’ll return, the two-way phenom will become the centerpiece of their pitching lineup. But it is off-field where the real treasure lies.

Watch This Story: Shohei Ohtani’s Two-Way Dream: Before Injury, He Always Wanted Both!

Two-way phenom’s off-field impact

When Shohei Ohtani announced his deal with Dodgers, the streets of Japan went berserk. Fans lined up to buy special editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, reporting his deal. A simple newspaper clipping has turned into a collector’s item. At the same time, according to Forbes, his personal endorsements are worth $35 million. Added to his popularity, the 2023 MVP surely attracts a huge number of fans to watch the sport. 

In 2023, Ohtani became the first Japanese player to top the list of most shirts sold by an MLB player, according to data released by the league and MLB Players Association. Moreover, a famous economist, Katsuhiro Miyamoto, predicted that Ohtani was responsible for $45 million worth of tickets sold in 2022. Undoubtedly, that figure is poised to rise as his star power continues its ascent.

Read more: 8 MLB Teams Whose Payrolls Are Overshadowed By Shohei Ohtani’s Historic $700 Million Deal