"There were teams that didn’t really see the vision" - Shohei Ohtani's agent credits Dodgers for trusting in Japanese superstar's influence

Shohei Ohtani had a great 2024 season. He set a record by hitting at least 50 home runs and stealing at least 50 bases within one Major League Baseball season. Thanks to that, he won the MVP award in the National League unanimously.

He did not play in the postseason during his six years with the Los Angeles Angels. After joining the Dodgers, he lived his dream by playing in the World Series and winning the title.

In an interview with USA Today Sports on Thursday, Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, applauded the Los Angeles Dodgers for being brave and loyal enough to sign Ohtani. Balelo added that other teams were blind to the potential of Ohtani.

There were many suitors for Ohtani but the Dodgers signed the superstar. Balelo also pointed out how some franchises did not recognize Ohtani’s ability to increase their market value worldwide.

“I wanted organizations to understand and appreciate Shohei’s real value. For teams to justify that amount of money to sign him, you have to really capitalize on the off-the-field opportunities, his ability to attract sponsors and brands. And there’s a whole frenzy of memorabilia and novelty items. You had to quantify that as value," said Balelo.

“There were teams that didn’t really see the vision we had. The attraction he would bring to an organization. If they didn’t get that part, we weren’t on the same page," he said.

"They either got it or didn’t. Clearly, the Dodgers got it. The Dodgers (front office) from Mark Walter to Stan Kasten to Andrew Friedman to Lon Rosen, they understood me from Day 1. They understood the value. Look where it got them," he said.

The Dodgers won their eighth World Series title after defeating the New York Yankees in five games in the 2024 World Series.

Nez Balelo on Shohei Ohtani’s historic impact as a record-breaking investment for the Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani - Image via Getty

It was clear to the Dodgers that by signing Ohtani they were not just getting a good player, but also they were able to raise their overall franchise value with his help. This is evident by a record-breaking contract amounting to $700 million over 10 years.

According to former World Series-winning catcher AJ Pierzinski on the "Foul Territory" podcast, the Dodgers made about $120 million extra income through marketing contracts with Japanese firms alone due to Ohtani's influence.

In the 2024 MLB season, Shohei Ohtani had a unique season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in 159 games and had a batting average of .310, with 197 hits. Ohtani hit 54 home runs and drove in 130 RBIs, while also scoring 134 runs. His on-base percentage (OBP) was .390, along with a slugging percentage of .646 and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of 1.036.

In addition to his regular season performance, Shohei Ohtani also contributed during the postseason, appearing in 16 games. He recorded a batting average of .230 with 14 hits, 3 home runs and 10 RBIs.

Ohtani is set to come back on the mound in 2025 after not pitching in 2024 due to a right elbow surgery in September 2023. He also had surgery on his left shoulder right after the World Series, the Dodgers informed on Nov. 5.

Nez Balelo stressed that there were teams that failed to see the Shohei Ohtani vision and thus lost the chance of having one of the most talented players in baseball.