Shohei Ohtani fuels $70M revenue boost for Dodgers in just 1st year: Reports

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was vital to the team's success in 2024. He started 159 games, hitting .310/.390/.646 with a career-high 54 home runs and 130 runs batted in.

While the club was talented before acquiring Ohtani, they were a juggernaut with him. No other team stood a chance in the postseason as L.A. cruised to their eighth World Series title.

Ohtani has helped the club in more ways than one. According to Forbes, he helped the team acquire 12 new Japanese-based sponsorships and $70 million in incremental revenue.

"My man paid for himself and then some in Year 1. He was a massive success" said Dodgers Nation host Doug McKain.

With the money Ohtani brought in, L.A. does not even have to think about his annual salary of $2 million until the 2034 season. After that, the superstar will be paid $68 million annually.

The Dodgers are not looking to rush Shohei Ohtani back on the mound

MLB - Shohei Ohtani (Photo via IMAGN)

After winning his first World Series ring, Shohei Ohtani had a procedure done to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He got the surgery done on November 5 but was back on his throwing program in early December.

This is a great sign for fans. Not just Dodgers fans, but baseball fans everywhere have been patiently waiting for the two-way player to return to the mound.

However, it is unlikely that he will be the Opening Day starter when March comes around. Manager Dave Roberts does not want to rush or put too much strain on his star player.

L.A. has a pitching staff that can hold things down until Ohtani feels completely ready to go. Not including Ohtani, they have multiple pitchers who would easily be No 1s on other teams like Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.