The indisputable best player in baseball became a free agent.
When the 2023 MLB season ended with the Texas Rangers winning the World Series, eyes fell on Shohei Ohtani to see which team would land the two-way superstar.
Since arriving from Japan in 2018, Ohtani has more than lived up to the hype. He’s established himself as one of baseball’s best hitters and pitchers – a feat not seen since Babe Ruth over a century ago.
After six marvelous seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani became a free agent after the 2023 campaign. The timing couldn’t have been much better, as he was coming off a historic three-year run that saw him win two American League MVP awards, including unanimously in 2023. He was also relatively young for a free agent at age 29.
The hiccup for Ohtani is he won’t pitch in 2024 after undergoing surgery on his right elbow.
Shohei Ohtani Contract
The bidding war for Ohtani reached historic levels. On Dec. 9, 2023, he signed the largest contract in professional sports history, agreeing to a 10-year deal worth $700 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Much money is deferred, but the contract is staggering. Ohtani easily eclipsed the previous MLB records of Mike Trout (12 years, $430 million) and Aaron Judge (nine years, $360 million) for the largest contract overall and largest for a free agent, respectively.
At the time of Ohtani’s signing, the average annual value of his contract exceeded the entire payrolls of eight teams. He will earn $50 a second over the life of his contract.
There’s a chance Ohtani will be worth it. Nobody can affect a game, a season or a team the way he can, thanks to his prowess on the mound and in the batter’s box.
In 2023, Ohtani was worth 10 wins above a replacement-level player (WAR), according to Baseball-Reference. He became just the fifth player to reach that WAR since 2005.
Ohtani’s offense has been worth roughly five wins per season over the last three years. That’s still a significant impact that should help the Dodgers remain World Series contenders for the foreseeable future.
When healthy, Ohtani is one of the best hitters in baseball. He batted .304/.412/.654 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs and 102 runs scored in 2023, leading the AL in numerous offensive categories.
While he doesn’t play the field when not pitching, Ohtani has surprising speed for a full-time designated hitter. He adds value on the bases with his legs, averaging 19 stolen bases per season over the past three years.
Bottom line: His signing figures to have a considerable effect on the postseason race.
Shohei Ohtani 2024 Futures Bets
At online U.S. sportsbooks, bettors can wager on MLB futures for the upcoming season.
That includes the 2024 MVP awards. Ohtani currently has the third-shortest odds (+850) to win the National League trophy at Caesars Sportsbook, behind former MVPs Ronald Acuna Jr. (+500) and Mookie Betts (+700).
However, we don’t recommend a bet on Ohtani to win the 2024 NL MVP at these odds.
The designated hitter was introduced in 1973, and a full-time DH has never won MVP. Voters prefer candidates who contribute on defense, even if they’re not particularly strong fielders.
Ohtani is at a major disadvantage in 2024 because he can’t pitch.
Ohtani may also not be the best player on his team in 2024. The Dodgers already have two former MVPs in their lineup – Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Betts finished runner-up in the 2023 NL MVP voting with Freeman third, so both are candidates to win again. Betts has the second-shortest odds at +700, while Freeman is tied for the fourth-shortest odds at +900.
With his elite defense and baserunning, Betts is arguably the best all-around player in baseball. Freeman is on par with Ohtani as a hitter, improved his baserunning last year and is a solid defensive first baseman.
Unless Ohtani puts together a historic season at the plate in 2024, he won’t claim his third MVP award in four years.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
