Shohei Ohtani has yet to be introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers, let alone play a game, and he's already breaking records. ... Well, at least his jersey is.
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced that Ohtani's new No. 17 jersey with the Dodgers broke Fanatics' record for the highest sales within the first 48 hours of its release. Previous top sellers included soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, among others.
Fanatics officially released the jersey for pre-order on Monday afternoon, starting at $134.99 for the men's home replica jersey, while a limited player jersey will cost a customer $174.99.
Shohei Ohtani breaks Fanatics record for the highest sales within the first 48 hours of a jersey release
— MLB (@MLB) December 13, 2023
He beat jersey drops for Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and others pic.twitter.com/myijZ7TveN
Ohtani was able to sport the number he played with as a member of the Los Angeles Angels thanks to fellow pitcher Joe Kelly conceding No. 17 and switching to No. 99.
On Saturday, Ohtani announced on Instagram that he was signing with the Dodgers. In the days that followed, it was revealed that the two-way superstar was signing the largest deal in North American sports history when he inked a 10-year, $700-million contract.
Thanks to the deferrals in his deal, though, Ohtani will make $2 million annually over the life of his contract. The deferrals will kick in in 2034, when the Dodgers will begin to pay him $68 million a year.
The two-time American League MVP is expected to spend his first season with the Dodgers as the team's designated hitter, and will pitch again in 2025. The idea being to give him additional time to heal from the elbow procedure he underwent in 2023 to repair a torn UCL.
Ohtani finished last season hitting .304, 44 home runs and 95 RBIs. On the mound, he had a 3.14 ERA, 167 strikeouts and issued 55 walks in 132 innings pitched. By signing Ohtani, the Dodgers became the new favorite to win the World Series ahead of the Atlanta Braves.
