Iconic, showstopping, breathtaking – these are all words that have been associated with Shohei Ohtani in the last few years. Taking over the baseball world with his unique two-way skills, the Japanese Babe Ruth has left fans truly astonished. Raw talent explodes from his body each time he steps into the ballpark, be it behind the bat or the ball. And while MLB has seen a number of lucrative contracts, the Los Angeles Angels’ star player will likely leave them all in the dust.

As his free agency looms closer, Ohtani is poised to become the highest-paid baseball player the league has ever seen. Scratch that, Ohtani may just break contract records for most major American sports. Furthermore, his upwards of $20 million in earnings from endorsement deals don’t hurt either. But will losing out on a recent opportunity to Aaron Judge affect his total income next year?

Is Aaron Judge’s Jordan Brand Deal Detrimental to Shohei Ohtani’s Earnings?

According to most MLB analysts, the Japanese sensation’s next contract is guessed to be around the ballpark of $500 million. Some have even gone as far as $700 mn, showcasing just how truly mindboggling Ohtani is to the baseball audience. But while he may be a unicorn, he isn’t the lone talent in the league.

Aaron Judge, with whom Ohtani often finds himself in direct competition, just became only the second New York Yankees player to join an exclusive list. After Derek Jeter, Judge is the new captain on the roster of NBA legend Michal Jordan‘s eponymous shoe brand, joining a handful of other MLB names. Given the way Judge and Ohtani’s seasons have gone so far, many have felt Ohtani was the better choice.

The Yankee outfielder’s nine-year, $360 million contract, as well as brand endorsements, give him a cushy paycheck. The same of course goes for the Angels player, but is this a case of Jordan picking sides? New York over LA? If so, does this skyrocket Judge into more popularity than Ohtani, thereby affecting his next contract?

So far, this speculation is highly unlikely. Jordan Brand’s renown will undoubtedly catapult Judge’s image to new heights but there is no guarantee of a worse analogous effect on Ohtani. It also helps that the two-way slugger has a shoe deal of his own.

Ohtani and New Balance – A Partnership Forever?

One needn’t be too familiar with sneaker culture to recognize that New Balance doesn’t quite have the same ring as Air Jordans. And yet, Shohei Ohtani will now partner with a name whose NB 574s are worn as much in the USA as in Japan. Owing to this unique connection, Sho-time’s partnership has many excited as they wait for a signature shoe line.

READ MORE – Did Shohei Ohtani Ditch Michael Jordan’s $160,000,000,000 Company for a 40x Smaller Brand?

While details of neither of the players’ deals have been made public, they bring one more point of competition between the reigning AL MVP and the 2023 hopeful. But it’s clear who’s getting the big bucks overall.

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