"Like LeBron James, we're trying to bring Shohei Ohtani into the family" - Topps executive expects big things from Dodgers superstar's exclusive deal

Since signing his record-breaking deal with the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani has been the hottest name in baseball. Recently, the Japanese-born superstar added another entity to his long list of corporate sponsorships.

On Thursday, Topps, a division of Fanatics Collectibles, announced that Ohtani had signed a long-term deal. According to president of trading cards at Fanatics David Leiner, outlined Topps' ambitious plans for their new association Shohei Ohtani:

"Historically, trading card companies would stick a thousand cards in front of an athlete in a hotel room on the road or something, scribbling away. It's no secret, these guys make a lot of money, [but] we want true partnerships, 360 deals; they're gonna sign their cards, that's part of the gig, but there's bells and whistles -- marketing and partnering on the category, social media -- and we're trying to, like with LeBron, bring Shohei into the family and have a true partnership."

Leiner compared the deal with Ohtani to that of LeBron James. James, a Los Angeles Lakers forward and four-time NBA MVP, signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Fanatics in January.

By virtue of his deferred deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani will take a mere $2 million in official salary this season. However, due to his long list of endorsements and deals, the 30-year-old's income will surely be much higher.

In addition to Topps, Ohtani has also signed partnership agreements with New Balance, ASICS, Japan Airlines, and Salesforce, to name a portion.

"SHOHEI OHTANI HOME RUN IN HIS FIRST AB ON HIS AND DECOY BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT BECAUSE OF COURSE HE DID" - Ben Verlander

Although injuries have limited his ability to pitch this season, Shohei Ohtani is having an incredible season in the batters box. In addition to leading the NL in runs scored, slugging, OPS, and total bases, Ohtani's home run and two stolen bases makes him the first player to join the 42/42 club since A-Rod did so with the 1998 Seattle Mariners.

Topps deal gives Shohei Ohtani further opportunity to connect with fans

Although his lack of fluency in English sometimes adds some distance between Ohtani and his American fans, the superstar is known to always make time for his admirers. According to David Leiner of Fanatics, the deal will give Ohtani a further chance to connect with fans, as he told ESPN:

"He enjoys seeing kids at stadiums, fans with his cards, attempting to get them signed at the stadium. He has a lot of respect for the category, going back to when he was a growing superstar in the Nippon Professional Baseball league."