Shohei Ohtani is the highest-paid player in 2024, despite a $2M salary
By lee nguyen on Apr 12, 2024
Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are now teammates and will be the two highest-paid players in baseball this year with a combined $127 million, but how they earn their money will be wildly different. Ohtani’s $67 million in 2024 earnings includes only $2 million in salary from the Dodgers, while Los Angeles gave Yamamoto a $50 million signing bonus, which represents the bulk of his $60 million income this year.
Despite the small salary in 2024, Ohtani will earn more than any other player in baseball because of his endorsement portfolio, which has also reached unicorn levels compared to the rest of the sport. His 2024 off-field earnings are estimated at $65 million, or 60% more than the rest of the top 15 combined; Bryce Harper ranks second in endorsement earnings at $7 million. Ohtani’s endorsement profile comps are more akin to global stars in basketball (Lebron James, Stephen Curry) and soccer (Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi) than anything in baseball.
Shohei Ohtani has nearly 20 endorsement deals right now, with the most valuable being New Balance. The sneaker brand unveiled a new logo this week of Ohtani running the bases. The move to the Dodgers helped unlock even more off-field value for Ohtani, who, in six years playing for the crosstown Angels, never made the playoffs. The Dodgers have made the playoffs 11 straight years and are the 2024 World Series favorites entering the season.
Top 10 Highest-Paid MLB Players in 2024
Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers): $67 million
Salary: $2 million | Endorsements: $65 million | Age: 29
Ohtani captured his second MVP award in 2023 and made history as the first player ever unanimously selected twice. He has endorsement deals in the U.S. and Japan that include BOSS, Porsche, Kowa, Seiko and Kosé. His off-field earnings are seven times what Derek Jeter made at his peak. LeBron James is the only active athlete on the planet who earned more than $65 million in endorsements last year.
Please click this link to see Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers Jersey Collection
Cre: Sportico
