Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani is giving back some of the money this franchise has given him. Ohtani's presence on the team has helped bring $6.5 million to the Los Angeles franchise, per USA Today Sports.
The money is coming from the world of advertising. Advertising on the Dodgers' outfield wall is generating $6.5 million for the team in 2024, compared to just $500,000 in 2023, per the outlet. Ohtani is certainly a big reason why, as the slugger is having close to a 50-50 season in Los Angeles.
This is the first season in the slugger's MLB tenure that he will be playing on a winning team. The Dodgers are 85-57 on the year, heading into Sunday's games. Los Angeles has won seven of their last 10 contests. The team is also in first place in the National League West.
The Dodgers broke the bank to grab Ohtani
The Los Angeles franchise agreed to pay nearly $1 billion this past offseason for Ohtani. The Dodgers stole the slugger away from several other teams that wanted him, including the Toronto Blue Jays.
Los Angeles agreed to spend more than $1 billion on Ohtani as well as pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto has been slowed by an injury, but Ohtani is slashing at an incredible rate. Heading into Sunday, the power hitter has 45 home runs to go with 46 stolen bases on the season. Ohtani is hitting at a .289 batting average, with 100 runs batted in. The slugger is likely to receive the National League MVP award, although there's competition out there for that honor.
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It certainly looks like Los Angeles has embraced Ohtani, as the advertising revenue is up for the team. The Dodgers probably need every cent of it, as the franchise broke the bank to bring in these new players. There's extraordinary pressure on the team to win a World Series, and the club looks to be on the right track. Los Angeles leads the NL West heading into the final few weeks of the regular season. The team has a five game lead on the San Diego Padres, heading into Sunday's games.
