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Here’s Why Shohei Ohtani Is The Best Player In MLB—And Why He Might Score A $600 Billion Deal

July 15, 2023

Topline

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who at 29 years old is already being discussed as the best player in his generation in the MLB, is expected to set a league record earning hundreds of millions of dollars after his contract expires at the end of the year, and teams across the league have entered a trade war for the superstar pitcher.

Binary star: Shohei Ohtani, No. 17 of the Los Angeles Angels, leads the league in home runs and is … [+] in the running for the Cy Young Award as a pitcher.

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Key Facts

Ohtani leads the league in home runs, with 32 through the All-Star break—12 home runs above second-place Matt Olson—and is on track to break the American League’s single-season home record, which was set last year by Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge.

Ohtani, who was named MVP in 2021 and came second in MVP running last year, is also third in the league in runs batted in, with 71, and tenth in the league in batting average, at an impressive .302.

As a pitcher, Ohtani is posting a 3.32 earned run average (the number of runs a pitcher gives up, on average, over a nine-inning game)—putting him 24th in the league—while striking out 132, the fourth best in the league, giving the American League West fourth-place Angels a much-needed boost—Ohtani is posting a league-leading 6.5 wins above replacement this season.

Big Number

$30 million. That’s how much Ohtani is earning this year, after re-signing with the Angels before the start of the season. Ohtani had re-signed with the Angels in 2021 on a two-year, $8.5 million contract. His $30 million deal is the biggest contract for a player eligible for arbitration, over the $27 million Mookie Betts made in 2020.

Key Background

Ohtani, a breakout star in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league who attracted international recognition for his similarities to MLB legend Babe Ruth, signed with the Angels in December 2017 as a 23-year-old, making just over $2 million in his rookie season, when he was named rookie of the year. In his first MLB season, Ohtani served primarily as the team’s designated hitter, picking up 22 home runs on the year and four wins as a pitcher with a 3.31 earned run average. After moving off the mound in 2019 and again during the Covid-shortened 2020 season, Ohtani returned to the Angels’ starting rotation in 2021, increasing his innings pitched to 130.1, from 51.2 in 2018. As a pitcher, he came in fourth in Cy Young Award voting last year—his best year on the mound—blowing batters away with a 2.33 earned run average and striking out a career-high 219. At the plate, Ohtani belted 34 home runs last year with a respectable .273 batting average.

What To Watch For

Ohtani’s contract for the 2024 season. Regardless of where he lands after the MLB trade deadline on August 1, Ohtani’s contract will be up at the end of the season. One agent told the Los Angeles Times Ohtani could see up to 12 years and $600 million, while sports contract outlet Spotrac pegged his player value at $36.25 million per year over nine years ($326.3 million total).

Forbes Valuation

We estimate Ohtani is making $65 million this year through both his $30 million contract and $35 million in off-field endorsement deals, the highest in the league, above Max Scherzer ($59.3 million) and Aaron Judge ($44.5 million).