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Adding Shohei Ohtani to the lineup makes the Los Angeles Dodgers the World Series favorites early on. It also vaulted them past an American League titan in one metric, too. Since the inception of the social media site, no MLB team has had more followers than the New York Yankees, who currently boast 3.3 million followers. Thanks to Ohtani's arrival, the Dodgers have passed them.
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After the signing of Ohtani, to a record 10-year, $700 million deal, the Dodgers began to swoon in popularity. They eventually tied the Yankees on the popular social media site, and have just taken the lead.
Shohei Ohtani deal lets Dodgers pass Yankees in more ways than one
The New York Yankees have often been held as the pinnacle of baseball and their status was proven with social media followers. Since it began, no team was more prominent on the app than they, but that is no longer the case.
The Yankees have also been held as the pinnacle of free agency in the MLB. The days of everyone wanting to sign for the Yankees may be over, but they still hold that "Evil Empire" tag.
While the trade for Juan Soto harkens back to those days, they arguably do not have that crown anymore. The Dodgers, thanks to their signing of Ohtani to pair with potential Hall of Famers Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, shows that they might be the new Evil Empire.
With the deferral of $680 of those $700 million they owe the Japanese superstar, they're open to signing more free agents, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a big Yankees target. Not only has this move surpassed New York's Instagram presence, but it has also surpassed perhaps their reputation in MLB free agency as well.
They still hold a lot of allure, and obviously they can go get the players they want, as evidenced by the Soto trade and their refusal to let Aaron Judge go last offseason. Still, the Dodgers are setting new precedents when it used to be the Yankees' role.
