On December 12, 2023, the LA Dodgers announced a 10-year, $700 million contract with Shohei Ohtani.

This amount surpasses Lionel Messi's '674 million dollars' contract with FC Barcelona in 2017, making it the largest contract in professional sports history. Even considering the application of a 'deferred' clause*, which applies a discount rate, the evaluated amount itself is $460 million over 10 years, surpassing the largest MLB contract held by Mike Trout (12 years, $426.5 million).

* Deferred Clause: The postponement of payment for part of the salary. In MLB, where there is a luxury tax based on the total salary, the deferred clause is used to reduce the total salary and increase the club's cash flow.

"A baseball manga protagonist"

This nickname was given to Shohei Ohtani even before he joined Major League Baseball. He was a two-way player*—a rarity since Babe Ruth in the 1910s. Ohtani made his debut in Japanese professional baseball with Nippon-Ham Fighters, under the assurance of being allowed to pitch and hit, thanks to the active courting** by then-manager Masao Yamada. He marked a historic milestone in 2014 as the first player in Japanese baseball history to record 10 wins and 10 home runs in a single season. In 2015, he achieved the pitching Triple Crown (most wins, best win-loss percentage, lowest ERA) and in 2016, he led his team to a championship and was named league MVP, announcing the unprecedented emergence of a 'two-way ace.'

* Two-way player: A player who takes on both pitching and hitting roles in the same season.
** At the time, Ohtani had declared his intention to go straight to MLB after high school, but Nippon-Ham persuaded him with a 30-page document titled 'A Milestone for Shohei Ohtani's Dream.' The document detailed cases of players who failed after jumping directly to MLB and compared them to those who succeeded after adjusting in their home league (notably Ryu Hyun-jin).

After dominating Japanese baseball, Ohtani moved to the LA Angels in 2018, debuting in MLB as a two-way player. In his debut season, he recorded 4 wins as a pitcher and hit 22 home runs as a batter, winning Rookie of the Year and proving himself as an unprecedented 'pitcher-hitter' player. In 2021, despite the team's failure to reach the postseason, he delivered an outstanding performance with 9 wins and 46 home runs, earning him the MVP award unanimously. Ohtani won a total of 11 awards, including the MVP, Silver Slugger*, and Edgar Martinez Award**.

* Silver Slugger: An award given to the best offensive players at each position in the league.
** Edgar Martinez Award: Awarded to the best designated hitter since the introduction of the designated hitter rule in 1973.

Following his historic 2021 season, Ohtani continued to amaze fans with even more impressive performances. In 2022, he achieved 15 wins and 34 home runs, becoming a 15-win pitcher. In 2023, he recorded 10 wins and 44 home runs, surpassing his 2021 stats in both pitching and hitting. As a pitcher, he excelled as the team's ace, and as a batter, he led nearly all statistical categories*, essentially performing as two ace-level players in one. Ohtani won the MVP award unanimously again in 2023, becoming the first player in MLB history to win unanimous MVP twice.

* He led the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (on-base plus slugging), and home runs, while also topping advanced metrics like wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) and wOBA (weighted on-base average).

"We can't just admire American players if we want to surpass them. Today, we are here to surpass them and become the best. Just for today, let's forget about admiring them and focus solely on winning."
- Shohei Ohtani to his national teammates just before the 2023 WBC final 

In 2023, Shohei Ohtani participated in the WBC as a member of the national team, showcasing his powerful leadership. Particularly memorable was his speech in the locker room just before the final against the United States, a highlight of the 2023 WBC. In the 9th inning of the final, Ohtani, who had started as a batter, also took the mound as the closing pitcher. He struck out Mike Trout*, the ace of the American team and his teammate, with a swinging strikeout, sealing Japan's 3-2 victory.

* Mike Trout is a standout hitter and three-time American League MVP with the LA Angels, representing the United States.

"Ohtani is a person who possesses both skill and character. While it may be possible to become a 'good player' through effort and practice, becoming a 'great person' is not easy."
- Chan Ho Park, former Major League Baseball player, current commentator

Along with Shohei Ohtani's remarkable performances, the 'Mandarat*' he created before debuting as a baseball player was revealed by American and Japanese media. This helped people understand why Ohtani is praised not only for his skills but also for his character. To become a 'great baseball player,' Ohtani set goals not only for his baseball skills but also for 'character,' 'mental strength,' and even 'luck**.'

* Mandarat: A creative thinking technique developed by Japanese designer Hiroaki Imaizumi, used to set plans to achieve a specific goal.
** Ohtani has been seen picking up trash in the stadium even after entering Major League Baseball, which has become a topic of interest.

Although Ohtani has achieved most of his goals as a baseball player, one goal remains: winning the World Series. The world is watching to see if he can secure the '2024 World Series Championship', especially as he has even chosen to defer his salary to help the team's chances. You can see the belt he actually wore during his first MVP season in 2021 at the Eland Museum.