The entire MLB community was waiting, sometimes impatiently, for Shohei Ohtani to make his free agency announcement. We know now he decided to stay in-state, switching teams from the Los Angeles Angels to the Los Angeles Dodgers on an odd $700 million contract, much of which is deferred. The excitement has died down in news cycles, but Ohtani is still causing plenty of action among fans.
Even though Dodgers fans haven’t gotten to see their newest superstar take an at-bat in uniform yet, they’re already buying Ohtani’s jersey in droves.
Saturday, Ohtani announced he was signing with the Dodgers. On Monday, his jersey went on sale for $134.99 for a men’s home replica and $174.99 for a limited edition. By Wednesday, he was already setting jersey sales records.
According to MLB, Ohtani’s jersey set a new Fanatics record for the most jersey sales in the first 48 hours of being released. Official numbers have not been released, as far as how many jerseys have been sold.
Previous record-holders include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and more.