Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani owns the best-selling jersey in the majors since Opening Day, MLB announced on Friday.
Ohtani’s first season with the Dodgers has started strong, with the 30-year-old racking up 28 home runs in 91 games.
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper sits at No. 2, helping his team jump out to the best record in baseball at 61-32. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Los Angeles’ Mookie Betts and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves rounded out the top five.
Ohtani’s high jersey sales shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the two-time American League MVP joined the Dodgers in a blockbuster free agency move following the 2023 season. He signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract that included massive deferrals (per Spotrac).
While it didn’t factor into MLB’s latest update since it occurred before Opening Day, Ohtani set an all-time record for Fanatics jersey sales within 48 hours of his Dodgers uniform releasing in Dec. 2023.
He also wrapped up the 2023 season with the highest-selling jersey based on Nike uniforms sold on MLBShop.com since Opening Day (via the Associated Press).
The Yankees and Dodgers were the only teams with multiple players on Friday’s list, with Betts joining Ohtani and Juan Soto joining Judge. The popularity of Harper and Judge has been evident throughout the year, as the stars earned the first two starting spots in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game by receiving the most votes from fans.
Acuña maintaining a spot in the top five is impressive considering his season-ending torn ACL in late May. Still, the Braves superstar is coming off his first National League MVP award in 2023 and led the majors with 73 stolen bases last season.
If Ohtani maintains his production at the plate and helps the Dodgers earn their 12th consecutive postseason appearance, he’ll have a strong chance to maintain his status at No. 1 by the end of the regular season.
