Too Rich to Compete? How Shohei Ohtani’s Wealth Overshadows Other Athletes in the Latest New Balance Ad

Sometimes it’s difficult to understand just how big Shohei Ohtani is. Despite baseball not being as mainstream as it used to be, Ohtani’s popularity has transcended the sport. In Japan, he’s as popular as one can get – perhaps even the biggest star there. All of that has led to some massive brand deals and that ridiculous $700 million contract. However, just to understand the sheer gulf between Ohtani and others, one just needs to see his latest New Balance ad.

Ohtani recently became the ambassador of the brand. While that endorsement deal was one reason why Ohtani couldn’t accept Kobe Bryant’s Nike shoes, he’s enjoying his time there regardless. Right from the start, the superstar has become the prime focus of the brand. It’s for a good reason, Ohtani’s presence opens up a market of over 100 million people for the company. In short, his brand value is just too high.

In the latest ad, Ohtani was joined by Coco Gauff, Sydney McLaughlin, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey, Cameron Brink, and Bukayo Saka. At first glance, all of them are huge athletes in their respective sports but there’s something that differentiates them from Ohtani. According to Celebrity Net Worth Shohei Ohtani’s net worth is somewhere around $50 million! That’s higher than each one of these stars. 

The closest person to Ohtani in this list is the NBA star Jamal Murray ($40 million). However, even Murray might fall short if one starts accounting for Ohtani’s $700 million deal. Simply put, Ohtani’s brand value is so high that he could afford to defer 97% of his salary by ten years and not feel the sting. 

So from where does Shotime’s brand find its strength? It’s his huge popularity in Japan that fuels this image. After all, according to most sources, Ohtani’s brand deals alone are almost 10 times more than other baseball stars

How Shohei Ohtani mogs others with his brand deals

Here’s a mind-boggling stat – Ohtani brand deals are bigger than the rest of the top 10 baseball stars combined! That’s right, according to LA Times’ Bill Shaikin, Ohtani’s endorsement earnings in 2024 are $65 million. Bryce Harper comes second with $7 million and Aaron Judge follows him with $6 million. In a way, Ohtani is currently operating on his private island away from the league.

Few, if any, players have ever shown such sheer domination in their sport. But then, Ohtani has always been a unicorn – on and off the field. These numbers once again prove that the two-way phenom is a giant anomaly in baseball. One could wonder if there ever will be a phenomenon as strong as him again. For now, there is Shohei Ohtani and then there’s everybody else.