Shohei Ohtani's net worth in 2024 is $50 million, but it's going to get much larger in the future. Ohtani is a star pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers who signed the biggest contract in any sport ever.
One day after it was reported that Ohtani was signing with the Blue Jays, Ohtani himself announced on his Instagram that he was staying in Los Angeles and signing with the Dodgers after spending six years with the Angels.
The contract is reportedly for 10 years and $700 million with much of the money deferred and no opt-out clause. So let's look at Shohei Ohtani's net worth after his former interpreter has been charged with stealing $16 million from Ohtani.
What is Shohei Ohtani’s net worth in 2024?: $50 million (estimate)
Shohei Ohtani’s net worth in 2024 is estimated to be around $50 million, per multiple sources, including Celebrity Net Worth. With that kind of wealth, no wonder Ohtani felt it was time to settle down and get married.
Shohei Ohtani was born on July 5, 1994, in Ōshū, Japan, to parents Kayoku and Toru Otani. He came from athletic genes as his mother was a national-level badminton player and his father was an amateur baseball player who played in the Japanese Industrial League.
Ohtani attended Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture. He threw a 99-mph fastball as an 18-year-old.
Shohei Ohtani is drafted by the Nippon-Ham Fighters
After high school, Shohei Ohtani expressed his desire to play in the major leagues, receiving interest from teams such as the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Still, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters selected him with the first pick of the 2012 NPB Draft. He ultimately decided to play with the Fighters for a few years before achieving his MLB dreams.
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Shohei Ohtani made his professional debut on March 29, 2013, at the age of 18 years old, playing as a right fielder. He was selected to participate in the 2013 NPB All-Star Game as part of the Pacific League roster.
He played for five years in the NPB, garnering a bevy of individual accolades.
- 2015 WBSC Player of the Year
- 2x Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
- 2015 Pacific League Battery Award
- 2015 Pacific League ERA Leader
- 2016 Designated Hitter Best Nine
- 2x Pacific League Pitcher Best Nine
- 5x NPB All-Star
- 2016 Pacific League MVP
- 2016 Japan Series Champions
Angels win the bid for Shohei Ohtani
On Nov. 21, 2017, the NPB and MLB came to an agreement to send Shohei Ohtani to the MLB. However, because he was under 25 years old, his bonus was capped at $3.6 million, and he was limited to a rookie salary scale. He then decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels for a $2.3 million bonus with the team paying a $20 million posting fee to the Fighters.
On March 29, 2018, Shohei Ohtani made his MLB debut as the Angels’ designated hitter. On April 3, he hit his first MLB home run. He ended his first season playing 104 games, with a batting average of .285 and a .361 on-base percentage.
Ohtani also had 22 home runs, 61 RBIs and 10 stolen bases — joining the legendary Babe Ruth as the only player with 10 pitching appearances and 20 homers in a season. He capped off his first season as the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year.
Shohei Ohtani struggled during the 2019 and 2020 seasons because of injury and the shortened year in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He then dedicated himself to improving during the offseason, changing his diet and focusing on strengthening his lower body, eventually bulking up to 225 pounds.
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On Feb. 8, 2021, he agreed to a two-year $8.5 million contract extension with the Angels. Shohei Ohtani returned the trust of the Angels by having an incredible season. He made history by becoming the first player to be selected as an All-Star as both a position player and pitcher.
Shohei Ohtani wins 2021 American League MVP Award
He finished the season as the unanimous American League MVP, also becoming the first player ever to make both All-MLB teams, First Team at DH and Second Team at pitcher.
On top of that, he was also named to the “TIME” 100 List of Most Influential People and won multiple Athlete and Player of the Year awards from the Associated Press, “Sporting News”, “Baseball Digest” and “Baseball America”.
Ohtani continued his incredible play during the 2022 season, once again being selected as an All-Star at designated hitter and starting pitcher. He finished second in MVP voting behind Aaron Judge.
Shohei Ohtani wins second unanimous MVP
Most recently, Ohtani led Japan to a World Baseball Classic title in thrilling fashion prior to the 2023 MLB season. In July 2023, Ohtani led the American League in home runs and was named to the All-Star team as both a DH and pitcher.
Unfortunately, his career and future earnings received devastating news in August 2023 when Ohtani tore the UCL in his pitching elbow. Ohtani then had elbow surgery in September. Prior to the injury, ESPN estimated Ohtani's new contract could be for nearly $800 million, so he had to “settle” for $700 million.
Despite the injury, Ohtani still was the unanimous AL MVP. He was the first player to ever twice win MVP unanimously. Ohtani finished second in MVP voting in 2022 between his two unanimous MVPs.
As a batter for 2023, Ohtani led MLB in OPS, home runs and total bases. On the pitching side, he was third in ERA, fourth in WHIP and fifth in strikeouts.
Shohei Ohtani's endorsement income
As for his endorsements, Shohei Ohtani led the league in annual endorsement earnings in 2021 with a total of $6 million. He brought in an estimated $20 million from endorsements in 2022 and was the cover athlete for video game “MLB The Show 22”.
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In 2023, once again, Ohtani will lead MLB in income from endorsements at $35 million. Because he began his career in the NPB, he derives plenty of endorsement income from Japanese products.
For the 2023 season, Ohtani made $30 million in salary. Forbes also has Ohtani tabbed at No. 1 on the list of MLB's highest-paid players for 2023, with the two-way star raking in an MLB-record $65 million for the year.
Shohei Ohtani's interpreter is fired, charged in gambling scandal
In March 2024, the baseball world was stunned when the Dodgers announced they had fired Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, as reports of a $4.5 million payment wired from Ohtani's accounts to an illegal offshore bookie came out.
Ohtani's lawyers accused Mizuhara of stealing the money, which Ohtani reiterated in a prepared statement he made on March 25. Ohtani also stated that he never made any bets and never had anyone make bets for him.
Mizuhara eventually admitted to stealing the money, although he originally stated that Ohtani had agreed to make the payment to pay off Mizuhara's gambling debt. He also claimed he never bet on baseball, which could have led to a bigger scandal since he was technically employed by the Dodgers and the Angels.
Mizuhara had been Ohtani's interpreter and constant companion since he was signed by the Angels and came to the United States, which made news of this sordid affair even more shocking. In April 2024, Mizuhara was charged with bank fraud after a federal investigation found evidence he stole $16 million from Ohtani's bank account.
This has been a huge black eye for MLB, who have embraced endorsements from legal gambling outlets in recent years. Fortunately, Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing. He apparently had been duped by Mizuhara since 2021. He also did not bet on baseball, according to investigators.
Nevertheless, did Shohei Ohtani’s net worth in 2024 surprise you?
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