Forbes released its annual list of highest-paid players in baseball this week, and it’s Los Angeles Angels’ star Shohei Ohtani that sits at the top of the list. The magazine estimates that the Japanese two-way phenom will take home $65 million in 2023, which is an absolute MLB record.
Ohtani will earn $30 million in base salary from the Angels thanks to a one-year contract that the two sides agreed on last year in order to avoid arbitration. However, this only represents a chunk of the 28-year-old’s earnings.
Forbes calculated that Ohtani would get another $35 million thanks to endorsement deals. He has a high-profile partnership with a number of companies in his native Japan, including pharma company Kowa, watch manufacturer Seiko Watch, and cosmetics company Kose. In the U.S., Ohtani is endorsed by Fanatics, New Balance, and Topps, among other brands.
No other baseball player comes even close when in terms of endorsement deals. For example, Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) earned $6.5 million from endorsements in 2022, while this year’s highest earner behind Ohtani is New York Yankees’ star Aaron Judge with $4.5 million.
The second highest-paid player in baseball is New York Mets’ pitcher Max Scherzer who will earn $59.3 million in 2023. Judge with $44.5 million, Justin Verlander (Mets) with $44.3 million, and Mike Trout (Angels) with $39.5 million round up the top five earners.
