Shohei Ohtani isn’t just rewriting baseball history-he’s becoming a cultural juggernaut, drawing comparisons to icons like Taylor Swift and The Beatles. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar, fresh off a record-breaking 2024 season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, has everyone talking, from fans to teammates to broadcasters. His fame’s gone supersonic, and even his $7.5 million teammate, pitcher Tyler Glasnow, can’t help but marvel at the madness surrounding baseball’s biggest name.
Dodgers broadcaster Tim Neverett didn’t mince words on the Baseball Biz on Deck podcast: “He’s the Taylor Swift of baseball, there’s no doubt about that. It’s going to be like traveling with The Beatles, having him on the team bus and on the plane-it’s going to be a wild circus.” Neverett’s not exaggerating. At DodgerFest, Ohtani needed seven security guards just to walk through the crowd, with media from Japan and beyond tracking his every move. Now, as the Dodgers prep for their Tokyo Series against the Cubs, that hype’s only getting louder.
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Glasnow, who signed a five-year, $136.5 million deal with a $7.5 million signing bonus, has seen the Ohtani effect up close. “Shohei Ohtani is like Justin Bieber times 10 over there,” he told reporters, picturing the chaos awaiting them in Japan. “It’s probably going to be insane.“
Coming from a guy who’s no stranger to the spotlight himself, that’s saying something. Ohtani’s teammate Max Muncy echoed the sentiment, likening the Tokyo trip to “traveling with The Beatles,” while Clayton Kershaw added, “People say he’s like Taylor Swift. I think we all assume how much of a figure Shohei is.”
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What’s fueling this frenzy? Ohtani’s on-field magic-think 50-50 club pioneer and three unanimous MVP awards in four years-combined with his off-field humility. Magic Johnson even jumped in on Jimmy Kimmel Live, agreeing with Kimmel’s quip: “He’s like the Taylor Swift of baseball.“
Johnson took it further, comparing Ohtani’s global pull to Michael Jackson, noting how eight out of 10 Japanese fans visiting the U.S. head straight to Dodger Stadium. That’s the kind of star power that transcends sports, turning a $700 million contract into a bargain.
From sold-out jerseys to packed stadiums, Ohtani’s fame is unstoppable. Whether he’s slugging homers or stealing bases, the comparisons to music’s biggest legends keep rolling in-and his teammates can’t get enough of the ride.
