The Dodgers are already reaping the rewards from Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract. The Japanese superstar led Los Angeles to a World Series championship in his first season while generating an estimated $70 million in additional sponsorship revenue for the team. That’s on top of the roughly $100 million annually Ohtani earns from his own endorsements.
Ohtani’s latest brand partnership has him entering the world of video games as a playable character in “Fortnite” – but fan reactions have been mixed.
When MLB shared a video teasing the collaboration on X, many fans expressed excitement about seeing baseball’s biggest star in the popular game.
“Can’t wait to see him in action,” wrote one enthusiast.
“This is great news! What a great day for baseball!” added another.
But not everyone was celebrating. Some fans used the announcement to reference last year’s gambling scandal involving Ohtani’s former interpreter.
“Can’t wait to pair the Shohei skin with my other gambling gear,” wrote one commenter. “Maybe I will hit legendaries in every chest.”
That comment refers to the case that saw Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, plead guilty to bank fraud and tax fraud. Mizuhara admitted to stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts. Before confessing, Mizuhara had initially claimed Ohtani was knowingly helping him pay those debts, pointing to wire transfers from the player’s account.
Though Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing, the reactions to his Fortnite partnership suggest the gambling scandal will continue to shadow him, regardless of his on-field success or growing commercial empire.
