Los Angeles Dodgers make Shohei Ohtani the highest-paid athlete in the world

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has signed a 10-year $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers following six years with the Los Angeles Angels.

Ohtani’s $70 million per year deal dwarfs the previous record in the MLB, which used to be held by Ohtani’s ex-teammate Mike Trout, who is earning $426 million over 12 years.

Not only is this the biggest contract in baseball history, it is now the largest contract in the history of sport. Previously, that record was held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is earning $536 million over his contract.

Remarkably, Ronaldo’s contract is only 2.5 years long, blowing Ohtani’s $70 million a year out of the water.

Ohtani is a true phenomenon in baseball, operating as both a designated hitter and starting pitcher during his career. There are almost no two-way players in the sport anymore, making Ohtani’s abilities on both sides of the ball standout.

Last season, Ohtani was able to clobber 44 home runs and drive in 44 runs whilst batting .304 across the season. He is also a quality pitcher with a 38-19 record as a starter.

The Japanese injured his elbow during the 2023 season so will be unable to pitch next year, however, his value as a hitter is so great that he is still worthy of such a large contract.