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New York Mets slugger Juan Soto and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani are set to become the first Major League Baseball players to collect $100 million in total earnings this year. According to a report from Sportrac, Soto is going to have a nine-figure income in 2025 due to the signing bonus on his record-breaking contract, while Ohtani will make $100 million in endorsements alone.
MLB fans were understandably left bewildered as they reacted to the news on social media. Some of them still can't seem to believe the jaw-dropping salary of Juan Soto, while many others have predicted Shohei Ohtani to become a billionaire before he turns 40 years of age.
Juan Soto will be the highest-earning player in the MLB by a big margin this year with a projected total of $129 million. This includes his $47 million non-deferred annual salary, plus a $75 million signing bonus from the New York Mets, as well as $7 million in endorsements.
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On the other hand, the total earnings for Shohei Ohtani in 2025 are projected at $102 million. The Japanese superstar will receive $100 million in endorsements alone. He will only earn a $2 million salary from the Los Angeles Dodgers, having $68 million of his $70 million wages annually over his 10-year contract.
The fans offered their reactions on various social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit.
"S******g on Juan Soto's salary," wrote one fan on X.
"He will be a billionaire before he turns 40," said another fan about Shohei Ohtani on X.
"Well, eggs are expensive," posted another fan on X.
Meanwhile, some fans offered a lighthearted perspective on the yearly earnings of Shohei Ohtani.
"At this rate Ohtani is gonna pay the Dodgers $25M to play for them," a fan joked.
"He could care less about making money playing baseball," another fan wrote.
"Bro is just truly in it for the love of the game at this point," said another fan.
As per Sportico, Blake Snell is a distant third in their list of the top-earning MLB players for 2025, with a total income of $65.6 million. This includes a $52.5 million signing bonus that he received upon joining the Dodgers in the offseason, $12.5 million in non-deferred wages, and $750,000 in endorsements.
Dodgers manager reveals Shohei Ohtani getting emotional during national anthem
The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially kicked off their 2025 season in Japan with a two-game series against the Chicago Cubs as part of the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that he noticed the unflappable Shohei Ohtani getting slightly emotional when the Japanese anthem was played out at the Tokyo Dome in front of his home fans for the first time.
"I don't think I've ever seen Shohei nervous, but one thing I did notice is how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem," Roberts said. "That was something that was very telling—how emotional he was."
The reigning World Series champions defeated the Chicago Cubs in both their meetings at the Tokyo Dome to make a 2-0 start to the regular season. They will face the Detroit Tigers next in their home opener at Dodger Stadium on March 27.
