(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is the owner of the largest contract ever signed by a baseball player, at $426.5 million.
New York Mets aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander earn the highest annual salary in MLB, at $43.3 million per season.
However, if we combine MLB salary with endorsement deals, no baseball player makes more money than Angels star and Trout’s teammate, Shohei Ohtani.
“MLB’s highest-paid player, per @Forbes: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is set to earn a record $65 million this year — with at least $35 million coming from endorsements like New Balance, Hugo Boss, ASICS, and Japan Airlines,” Front Office Sports tweeted.
MLB’s highest-paid player, per @Forbes:
Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani is set to earn a record $65 million this year — with at least $35 million coming from endorsements like New Balance, Hugo Boss, ASICS, and Japan Airlines. pic.twitter.com/495mMQHz5j
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 28, 2023
$65 million.
That’s a pretty nice payday, isn’t it?
The best thing of all is that Ohtani is well worth it.
He is well worth it for the Angels, who will pay him $30 million this year but make much more than that in merchandise sales, ticket sales, and TV rights.
People pay to see Ohtani play, and the Angels collect.
He is also well worth the investment for the mentioned companies, because Ohtani’s image helps them sell their goods.
Ohtani has become the global face of baseball and those who don’t like it are running out of reasons to criticize.
The man won an MVP award in 2021, had a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts as a pitcher in 2022, has 80 home runs in the last two seasons, and just took his country to its third World Baseball Classic title.
He does things on a baseball field that nobody has done before, and he does them with flair, style, and a smile.
Baseball is lucky to have Ohtani.
The post Shohei Ohtani Is Already Making Record Money appeared first on The Cold Wire.