Shohei Ohtani Contract: Could the Angels phenom become the first $500 million player in the MLB?

How does one place a numerical value on a Shohei Ohtani? The Japanese superstar and former American League MVP seemingly sets a new record every time he touches the field. The two-way superstar is truly a unicorn when it comes to baseball players.

An elite pitcher and elite batter, Ohtani ranks among the top of the league in both positions. The league has never seen anyone achieve the level of success that Ohtani has as both a pitcher and batter.

While baseball icon Babe Ruth was one of the best players of all time and played both positions, Ohtani plays in an era of elite talent across the league and generational contracts.

"Oh, so now that the MVP race is over and we're talking about what teams will be in on Shohei Ohtani, MLB Network *finally* finds enough room on the graphic to post his hitting *and* pitching stats together. Cool. Cool cool cool. #GoHalos #Angels #AngelsBaseball #LAAngels #LTBU" - Super Halo Bros.

Teams are lining up for the superstar's free agency, which will take place following the 2023 season. However, speculation could be rendered useless if the Los Angeles Angels are able to extend him.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have already announced that they are "all in" on signing Ohtani if he hits the open market.

"I have some doubts about whether Shohei Ohtani will be getting a $500m contract next offseason. There will likely be up to 5 legitimate suitors. Angels, Dodgers, Mets among them. Important to ask: would those teams ever give out that kind of contract? Think payroll flexibility" - Lionin Texas

While every team would love to sign the two-way sensation, the big question is how much Shohei Ohtani can make on the open market.

Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com has toyed with the notion that Ohtani may very well become the MLB's first half-billion-dollar player.

“In 10 months, barring a last-minute extension with the Los Angeles Angels, it’ll be Shohei Ohtani’s turn to venture into the open market. And one number keeps being brought up by the many who have pondered the two-way star’s next contract: $500 million.”

While $500 million is obviously a ridiculously lucrative deal, consider the contracts signed by Mike Trout and Jacob deGrom.

In 2019, Mike Trout signed a 12-year, $426,500,000 million extension with the Los Angeles Angels. This offseason, Jacob deGrom signed a 5-year, $185,000,000 deal with the Texas Rangers.

"The only starting pitcher in the last 64 MLB seasons to be walked intentionally when he came up to bat is Shohei Ohtani." - Codify

How much do you pay someone who can produce at the same, or similar, levels as deGrom and Trout, but does both? $500 million might not be as improbable as it sounds.

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Shohei Ohtani's 2022 stats with the Angels

Last season with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani dominated on both sides of the ball. As a pitcher, he produced a 2.33 ERA through 166.0 innings, posting a 15-9 record with 219 strikeouts. His 219 whiffs ranked him sixth in the entire MLB last season, ahead of both Cy Young winners Sandy Alcantara and Justin Verlander.

As a batter, Ohtani hit 34 home runs and 95 RBIs, while recording 11 stolen bases. Throughout his 157 games, the two-way unicorn maintained a .273 batting average.