Shohei Ohtani Continues to Rewrite MLB Business and Record Books

The on-field prowess, off-field business power, and cultural impact of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani seemingly knows no bounds.

As Ohtani, owner of the largest player contract in U.S. team sports, continued his bid to become MLB’s first player with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season, the phenom signed an exclusive, long-term deal with Topps. The Fanatics-owned company will have rights to Ohtani for autographs and game-used memorabilia cards, as well as cards focused on specific moments and achievements.

Ohtani had already been aligned with Topps since early 2018, but the latest pact expands that relationship to include cards and exclusive rights to have on-card autographs and game-used memorabilia within cards.

“With this new, exclusive deal, Topps will continue to be innovative in our offerings with him, giving collectors product that’s never before seen in the hobby, all the while bringing them closer to this once-in-a-lifetime player,” said David Leiner, Fanatics Collectibles president of trading cards.

Ohtani is the heavy odds-on favorite to win the National League Most Valuable Player award. MLB’s other megastar, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, holds an even larger edge in the American League. That presents something of a good news–bad news situation for the league. The sport’s two biggest stars are both in the midst of potentially historic seasons, but in the eyes of some executives, the face of baseball doesn’t go much deeper than that.

Most recently, Mets president of business operations M. Scott Havens said at the FOS Huddle in the Hamptons event that MLB has not sufficiently marketed its player talent, particularly those beyond Judge and Ohtani.

Next year, Ohtani is slated to resume his status as a two-way player. This season, he has been a designated hitter only and pitching has been on hold while he recovers from an elbow injury. 

Even as nearly all of Ohtani’s $70 million annual salary is deferred, his overall earnings are unrivaled in MLB thanks to a large collection of endorsements and marketing deals, now supplemented by the Topps pact.

Bobblehead Mania

Ohtani and his dog, Decoy (above), meanwhile were featured Wednesday night in a bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium, with the two presented in a special gold motif. The massive popularity of Ohtani, and bobbleheads generally, prompted fans to begin lining up about 14 hours before first pitch to be among the first 40,000 in attendance and get the giveaway. Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch of the game to Ohtani.

As is often the case with MLB players on game days when they featured on a bobblehead giveaway, Ohtani was again a star for Los Angeles during the team’s 6–4 win over the Orioles, homering and stealing two bases. The game drew an attendance of 53,290 as the team extended its league-leading status in that category. Bidding for the Ohtani-Decoy bobblehead, meanwhile, approached $2,000 each in many instances on eBay early Thursday, with some listing prices running well into five figures.