Shohei Ohtani has been named the highest-earning player in Major League Baseball over the past year.
Forbes, the U.S. business magazine, on Sunday published its ranking of the top 10 highest-paid MLB players based on earnings over the past year. Ohtani, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, topped the list with $127 million (approximately 190.1 billion won). His base salary accounted for just $2 million, while off-field income reached $125 million. That works out to more than 500 million won per day.
"It's no surprise that countless brands are competing to sign him," Forbes said. "Ohtani recently signed a deal with Japanese company Kirin to endorse health supplements." Ohtani is reportedly tied to sponsorship deals with about 20 companies, including JAL, Seiko and Hugo Boss.
Ohtani was named Most Valuable Player in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. On the same day, MLB.com projected him as a National League MVP candidate for the 2026 season. If Ohtani wins MVP for a fourth consecutive year, it would be only the second such streak since Barry Bonds achieved the feat from 2001 to 2004.
Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees ranked second with $56.5 million in annual earnings. While that figure is substantial, it is less than half of Ohtani's total. Even combining Bellinger's earnings with third-ranked Kyle Tucker of the Dodgers at $56 million falls short of Ohtani's haul. Juan Soto of the New York Mets placed fourth at $51.9 million, and Aaron Judge of the Yankees came in fifth at $46.1 million.