MLB star Shohei Ohtani’s record contract rumours and Elon approval

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Very few people in the history of Major League Baseball have had the ability to throw at over 100mph, fewer still can hit a home run for 470 yards. Incredibly, Shohei Ohtani can do both. He possesses a freakish gift that is sure to inspire a new generation of two-way players who will influence the game on the mound and in the batter’s box. And, if rumours are to be believed, will be rewarded with a monster £410million ($500m) salary.

Ohtani’s prodigious talent was well known in his native Japan, beginning his career with NPB side Hokkaido-Nippon Ham Fighters, where he holds the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown by a Japanese pitcher and was named league MVP in 2016. American baseball fans at large were introduced to the phenom when he signed for the Los Angeles Angels in 2017 and recorded 22 home runs and 61 RBIs in his rookie season, while striking out 62 batters over 51 innings pitched.

In 2021, thanks to his remarkable feat of being the first player in MLB history to hit 100 RBIs and throw 100 strikeouts, Ohtani was named American League MVP. The rarity of his achievements have garnered widespread acclaim across the league and could land the superstar a historic contract in free agency at the end of the 2023 campaign.

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Ohtani re-upped in the final 12 months of the two-year £6.97m ($8.5m) deal he originally signed with the Angels in 2021 to give him a salary of £24.6m ($30m) in the 2023 season. But with free agency looming various outlets and bookmakers are anticipating the Japanese star will seek a major payday which could see him become the first MLB player to score a £409.8m ($500m) deal. The current record stands with Ohtani’s teammate Mike Trout, who secured a then-record 12-year (£350m ($426.5m) contract in 2019 and the Angels will likely have to break the bank once more to keep their fearsome duo intact.

Owing to his current contract and sponsorship deals with the Oakley, Topps, New Balance and ASICS, Sportskeeda estimate Ohtani’s net worth to be in the region of $15m and he has seemingly refrained from investing in some of the more lavish tastes of his sporting peers.

Last year the outlet reported that the MLB star has received the approval of Elon Musk after he had opted for a Tesla as his first car.

A Tesla Model X, which retails for £82,000 in the UK, was first seen being driven by Ohtani by the Japanese news outlet Hiro Mizuno last May. The news attracted tons of attention from fans including Musk, who tweeted a heart emoji, along with a small Japanese flag upon seeing the clip on the social media website.

The 28-year-old was also seen cruising in a Porsche 911 Carrera T during the winter off-season, though it’s unclear whether he was impressed enough by his test drive to fork out £98,500 on the vehicle.

Ohtani and his Japanese teammates are currently in the midst of a thrilling World Baseball Classic run which has seen them claim a final berth against the defending champions Team USA. In a final that every baseball fan craved, Japan will be seeking their third crown after securing a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory against Mexico in the semi-final.

The superstar’s attention will then quickly turn to the new MLB season which begins on March 30, where he will not only be looking to improve on his .273 batting average, 95 RBIs and 34 home runs – not to mention a 2.33 ERA from 28 games with a 15-9 record. But he’ll also be desperate to spur the Angels onto their first play-off appearance since 2014.

Failure to do so will all but guarantee his departure from Angel Stadium at the end of this campaign.

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