Shohei Ohtani’s Contract Impact On Dodgers And Economy

Joe Pompliano broke down Ohtani’s impact in his first year with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers led the MLB in attendance with 3.94 million attendees, averaging 48,657 fans per game. That’s head and shoulders above the MLB’s second-highest attendance, the 3.3 million from the New York Yankees.

Ohtani finished the 2024 season with the most popular jersey in the MLB.

Although the Dodgers have to share portions of their ticket and jersey sales due to MLB policies, the team still generates millions in profit from these two avenues.

Then, there’s the rise of Japanese sponsorships. The Dodgers welcomed 12 new Japanese sponsors at their stadium. What’s even crazier is that Japanese companies bought advertising in road stadiums and local networks where the Dodgers play.

The Dodgers generated over $30 million in revenue, the most out of every professional sports team in North America.

Tourism also soared in Los Angeles, with the LA Tourism Board estimating that 80%-90% of Japanese tourists stopped by Dodger Stadium at least once during their trip to the “City of Angels.”

Shohei Ohtani’s Impact On The Field

It goes without saying that Ohtani is the best player in the National League. When he pitches, Ohtani is also the best player in the MLB.

This season as a DH, Ohtani rewrote the record books. Ohtani became the first player in MLB history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.

Ohtani’s final regular season numbers: .310 average, 54 HRs, 130 RBI, 59 SB, and a 1.036 OPS.

Ohtani propelled the Dodgers to an MLB-best 98-64 record.