MLB analyst places Shohei Ohtani on LeBron James' level, dismisses Juan Soto and Patrick Mahomes

Since stepping foot in America, Shohei Ohtani has captivated audiences with his generational play. Since signing with the Dodgers, however, he has added to his lore by unequivocally becoming the face of baseball.

On Monday's episode of the "Baseball Today" podcast on the JM Baseball channel, MLB analyst Chris Rose and former pro Trevor Plouffe discussed Ohtani's impact on the game of baseball, comparing him to his colleague Juan Soto, NBA star LeBron James and NFL star Patrick Mahomes.

"I don't think Patrick Mahomes and Shohei Ohtani are on the same level in terms of star power," Plouffe said. (24:07) "I think it's just LeBron James and Shohei—those are the only two names you can mention that are athletes in America who have the worldwide appeal."

"When people were thinking about Juan Soto and how he can bring as much to a franchise as Ohtani does, however, he can't!" Rose said. "Nobody can, Shohei is one of one."

Plouffe added that only James and Ohtani could match the popularity of soccer stars and even Formula One drivers in terms of worldwide recognition.

Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe label Shohei Ohtani's contract as a "team-friendly" one

When Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season, the sporting world was shocked by the magnanimous amount. However, fast forward to today and some pundits have even labeled the deal as a "bargain."

Analysts and podcasters Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe discussed the $70 million in revenue the Dodgers received by engaging in business partnerships brought by Ohtani's drawing power in just his first year with the club.

"I think the Dodgers had a team-friendly deal when they signed Shohei, even without the deferrals," Plouffe said. "He transcends baseball. I think he is going to be considered as one of the best players of all time. In just his first year, he has helped the team to a World Series title.

The Dodgers made $70 million off the field because of Shohei, that alone pays for his [deferred] salary and they got the greatest player in the game for free."

Ohtani will be paid $2 million in annual salary for the duration of his deal, which amounts to $40 million when his contract expires in 2033. From that point on, the Dodgers have the responsibility to pay the baseball star $68 million per annum.