"Shohei Ohtani doesn't care if he gets $68,000,000 for a while" - Fans react to Dodgers star's huge fame in Japan despite not staying in home country

Shohei Ohtani is without question the biggest superstar in Major League Baseball right now. The Japanese slugger has gone from a two-way star to a full-in global sensation who draws a crowd wherever he goes. Even though Ohtani communicates largely through an interpreter, he has managed to become the face of MLB.

Although Shohei Ohtani is one of the highest paid athletes in any of the four major North American sports and is incredibly popular throughout the continent, it does not compare to his level of fame in his home country. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar's face can be seen in advertisements all over Japan, something that has continued to help his global icon status.

Ohtoni ads in Japan byu/Flat_Championship548 inbaseball

Thanks to taking part in all of these advertisements, Ohtani has become one of the biggest celebrities in Japan despite playing baseball on the opposite side of the world. After a post highlighting Ohtani's various ads was made online, several fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the star, with some saying that the ads are a reason he could defer much of his $700,000,000 contract.

"You can see why he doesn’t care if he gets his $68,000,000 for a while, he’s doing ALL the publicity in Japan. Then when his contract is up he can just do nothing and still collect his money" - One fan posted online.

Comment byu/Flat_Championship548 from discussion inbaseball

"This dude is stinking rich rn" - Another fan shared.

"He is so popular he even has TV ads in Korea. Koreans love Ohtani!" - One more fan added.

Following a six-year stint with the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani entered unrestricted free agency and secured the richest contract in MLB history (at the time). He agreed to a 10-year, $700,000,000 deal with most of the contract heavily deferred over time. While he may not see the money for some time yet, fans claim it won't matter thanks to his face being all over ads in Japan.

"Yeah I was in Tokyo a month ago he is absolutely everywhere. And somehow advertising just about everything" - One fan posted.

Comment byu/Flat_Championship548 from discussion inbaseball

"The third one is all over the Japanese markets near where I live. It just annoys me that he won’t look at the bottle of tea" - Another fan shared.

"People might not know who the Japanese Prime minister is, but everyone know who Ohtani is" - One more added.

Shohei Ohtani will return to his two-way form this season as he is slated to pitch this year

One of the reasons for Shohei Ohtani's success, popularity and ability to secure such a lucrative contract is the fact that he excels as both a hitter and a pitcher, making him must-watch television. After being unable to pitch all of last season, the three-time MVP is set to return to the mound this year for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite putting together one of the best offensive seasons of all-time in 2024, Ohtani's value to the Dodgers might only increase as he is set to return to the mound this year. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Shohei Ohtani could be back in the rotation as early as May, which will only add to his already impressive aura.