Shohei Ohtani vs Naomi Osaka: Which Japanese Superstar is Richer?

After Naomi Osaka, another Japanese player has emerged as a big star in the sporting world in recent years. Shohei Ohtani, the MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been taking the baseball world by storm for several years.

Ohtani came to prominence when he signed a deal worth a whopping Rs. 700 crores with the LA Dodgers for a total of 10 years. The record contract demonstrated how important Shohei is to their team.

Also known as ‘Shotime’, the Japanese baseballer etched his name in the history books on Thursday during the Dodgers’ game against the Miami Marlins. He became the first player ever to score 50 home runs and register 50 stolen bases in a single season. In the same game, he even managed to get past the 50 mark in both categories as well, making him the talk of the town.

With this new achievement unlocked, it’s not hard to understand why the Dodgers agreed to pay him such a hefty amount. However, various reports have stated that Shohei will only be given $20 million for the next 10 years while the remaining $680 million will be paid to him after 2033.

Net worth of Shohei Ohtani and Naomi Osaka

As per Forbes, Shohei’s net worth is estimated to be $85.3 million and is ranked 13 on the list of highest-paid athletes in the world. These account for the money he has earned in the six years of his MLB career as well as the brand endorsements he has bagged. $60 million of his earnings come from the associations he has built with brands like Seiko Watch, Fanatics, Salesforce, and New Balance, among others.

Ohtani has managed to surpass Osaka in terms of earnings as the latter’s net worth in 2024 was estimated to be around $14.6 million. However, it is important to note that she did not play the entire previous season and still managed to make this money with her brand endorsements and businesses. In 2021, she had entered record books when she made $60 million in just 12 months by May.

Osaka’s earnings come from the prize money earned so far in her tennis career, collaborations with highly reputed brands and her own businesses. She co-founded a skincare brand Kinlo, a talent agency Evolve and a production company Hana Kuma while having deals with brands like Nike and Yonex, among others.

While the baseball player has been able to overtake Osaka in earnings and popularity recently, it is important to account for the latter’s inactivity in the sport. Osaka, who was dealing with her mental health and physical setbacks, had been able to make good earnings without playing a lot of tennis in the recent past.

At the same time, it appears that Shohei is here to stay and can threaten Osaka’s stardom in Japan by emerging as a bigger star worldwide.