Japan dominating America’s favorite pastime – that’s the reputation Shohei Ohtani holds. This MLB superstar’s popularity is proven every day! Remember the fanfare around him in the recently concluded Japanese series of the Dodgers? Happens when you are a once-in-a-century phenomenon. And this craze around him comes with a cost. The cost that might make the biggest fans think twice.

A whopping $700,000! That’s what it takes for fans to be a part of Ohtani history.

While this sounds outrageous, an autographed jersey of Ohtani just got listed with this amount in Japan. Biz.chosun.com reported that the Dodgers home jersey that Ohtani wore against the Blue Jays on April 26th, 2024, was put up for sale for 100 million yen by the Japanese trading card specialized retail mall Mint Daimaru.

What makes this jersey so special? On this day, Ohtani made the record for the most homers by a Japanese player in the Dodgers.

The jersey comes with inscriptions – ‘Shohei Ohtani’ in Japanese and HR#7, 24 NL MVP. Here, HR#7 conveys the seventh home run Ohtani hit on that very day, achieving the NL’s 2024 MVP. That’s enough to make this jersey special, but for $700,000? Even the Japanese fans are finding it difficult to digest.

“The jersey, which was worn during a game that isn’t particularly memorable, being priced at 100 million yen, feels too expensive. No matter how famous Ohtani is, that’s not a reasonable price for an active player’s item,” one fan shared. While the fans are now on their knees seeing the price, the massive Ohtani fandom cannot be ignored!

Since leaving the NPB for MLB in 2017, Shotime has been named the league’s MVP thrice. He is now a national hero in his home country. Japanese fans previously witnessed the greatness of Hideo Nomo and Ichiro Suzuki. But getting to the biggest stage of baseball and owning it – that’s a first! Their first countryman to break the $700 million deal and the founder of the 50-50 club. The first one to hit 54 home runs and steal 59 bases.

Still, the $700K price for a one-off jersey of Ohtani is stunning for some fans. However, MLB reports that Ohtani tops the chart in terms of their players’ jersey sales. And it has been like that for the last 18 months worldwide. Now, things are expected to take an upward route only with the reports of Ohtani getting back to the mound soon.

The prime-time Ohtani is set to back

Shohei Ohtani’s two-way skill set has helped him become a distinct force over the last ten years. He is the only existing player in the entire sport who can hit and pitch, similar to the legend Babe Ruth. But the three-time MVP hasn’t pitched in a major league game since having elbow surgery in September 2023. Considering Ohtani had his second TJ surgery, his recovery period has been longer.

“I think he’s actually in a good place,” shared Dave Roberts. It is expected that Ohtani will be back to pitching by the end of May. With that being said, fans are going to witness the two-way Ohtani at his best. One who hits those towering homers and throws fireballs. The need of the hour for the team!

The Dodgers, who started the season with two consecutive series sweeps, have lost three games in a row. It took no time for the positive vibe to fade a bit. The Dodgers are currently 10-4 and not quite at their historic win pace. And this is another reason for fans to feel motivated about Ohtani’s return to the mound and straighten up the team’s otherwise mysterious pitching lineup. Think Ohtani’s fastballs can fix the Dodgers’ last game errors?

Imagine Ohtani back to his 2023 time, pitching and hitting both ways. Once that’s back, think about the game, fame, and pockets he will fuel! Cannot wait, can you?