Shohei Ohtani Rankings: No. 1 in Income, No. 3 in Home Runs, No. 2 in MVPs… Salary Is $2 Million
Forbes' estimated income ranks Ohtani first in MLB, but his cash salary is $2 million. He ranked third in home runs in 2025, and his MVP total ranks second all-time. Ohtani's ranking depends on the metric.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
November 14, 2025, MLB.com reported Shohei Ohtani's National League MVP award. It is his fourth career MVP. Yet on that year's home run leaderboard, Ohtani's name was in the third row. That is also why Ohtani's rankings carry separate ranks of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th depending on the metric. In the end, the answer depends on which metric is used and as of when the ranking is taken.
Ohtani Income Ranking: No. 1 in MLB at $127 million
Forbes published its MLB player income estimates on March 24, 2026, placing Ohtani first with an estimated $127 million, ranking first. Second-place Cody Bellinger ($56.5 million) trails him by $70.5 million. Dividing $127 million by $56.5 million gives about 2.25 times. This contrasts with the gap between second- and third-place Kyle Tucker, which is only $0.5 million.
| Rank | Player | Team | Estimated total income (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shohei Ohtani | LA Dodgers | $127 million |
| 2 | Cody Bellinger | New York Yankees | $56.5 million |
| 3 | Kyle Tucker | LA Dodgers | $56 million |
| 4 | Juan Soto | New York Mets | $51.9 million |
| 5 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees | $46.1 million |
This table is not a salary ranking. Forbes estimated pre-tax totals by adding in-game income to off-field income such as endorsements and business ventures, without deducting taxes or agent fees. Ohtani's estimated off-field income is $125 million. Dividing $125 million by $127 million, roughly 98% of his total income comes from outside the game.
Shohei Ohtani's $2 million salary vs. $700 million total contract
According to MLB.com, Ohtani's contract with the Dodgers, signed in December 2023, covers 10 years from 2024 through 2033, with a nominal total of $700 million; however, his cash salary for the 2026 season is only $2 million. NBC Sports and multiple other outlets report that $680 million of this total is deferred payment, paid interest-free in installments each year on July 1 from 2034 to 2043. The money he actually receives during the contract term is $20 million, which is $700 million minus the deferred portion, or $2 million per year.
Ranking by nominal total changes the order again. MLB.com compiled on February 11, 2026, an all-time list of free-agent contracts (excluding extensions) on which Ohtani ranks second. First place belongs to Juan Soto, whose 15-year contract is worth $765 million. Soto's total is $65 million more. But by annual average over each contract's length, Ohtani's $70 million beats Soto's $51 million, reversing the order.
No. 5 in World Athlete Income, Between LeBron and Curry
Expanding to all sports, Ohtani ranks fifth. In Forbes' world athlete income ranking announced on May 22, 2026, he recorded $127.6 million. The tally period runs from May 1, 2025, to May 1, 2026. The $0.6 million difference from the MLB ranking's $127 million exists because the tally periods and categories differ; the two figures do not contradict each other.
| Rank | Player | Total income estimate (USD) | Difference from Ohtani (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | LeBron James | $137.8 million | +$10.2 million |
| 5 | Shohei Ohtani | $127.6 million | — |
| 6 | Stephen Curry | $124.7 million | −$2.9 million |
Ohtani Home Run Ranking: 55 in 2025, Third in MLB
Performance rankings are completely different from money rankings. Based on official MLB records, the 2025 regular-season home run leader is Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29), with 60, a single-season record for a catcher. Second is Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber (33) with 56. Ohtani had 55, placing third overall and second in the National League. Raleigh's 2026 salary is reported at $11 million, which is 5.5 times Ohtani's cash salary.
| 2025 Home Run Rankings | Player | Team | Home Runs | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Raleigh | Seattle Mariners | 60 | 6 years, $105 million |
| 2 | Kyle Schwarber | Philadelphia Phillies | 56 | 5 years, $150 million |
| 3 | Shohei Ohtani | LA Dodgers | 55 | 10 years, $700 million |
Ohtani's 4 MVPs put him second all-time, behind Barry Bonds' 7
AP reports that with his 2025 award, Shohei Ohtani has won the regular-season MVP four times overall. He won in the American League in 2021 and 2023, and in the National League in 2024 and 2025. Bonds' 7 awards are first, so Ohtani stands alone in second; Aaron Judge is in the group with three awards. In the 2025 NL MVP voting, runner-up Kyle Schwarber was one home run ahead of Ohtani. Ohtani lost the home run race, but took the MVP.
Ohtani was born July 5, 1994, is 32 years old this year, and is a Japanese two-way player. He debuted in 2013 with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, moved to MLB with the LA Angels in 2018, and won the AL Rookie of the Year that year. After moving to the Dodgers in 2024, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases, and he won back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and 2025. His MLB.com career stats: .281 batting average, 1,194 hits, 310 home runs, and 750 RBIs.
He ranks first in income as of March 24, 2026, but his 2025 home run total ranked third. Even so, with four MVP awards, only Bonds stands ahead of him. The final 2026 home run ranking is not covered in this article because the tally times differ.
These rankings also change at different times. Season stats update after every game, income updates with Forbes' annual release, contract rankings update when major deals are signed, and MVP rankings update when awards are finalized. Forbes figures are pre-tax estimates, not net worth. Ohtani's cash salary for the 2026 season is $2 million, but from 2034 for ten years, $68 million per year arrives as deferred payments. That total is $680 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is Ohtani's salary?
His cash salary for the 2026 season is $2 million. The Dodgers contract has a nominal total of $700 million over 10 years, but $680 million of that is deferred payments received in installments from 2034 to 2043.
Q. How old is Ohtani?
Born July 5, 1994, he is 32 as of October 2026. He is Japanese, and his team is the LA Dodgers.
Q. How many MVP awards has Ohtani won?
Through his 2025 award, he has won four regular-season MVP awards. He stands alone in second all-time behind Barry Bonds (7).
Q. What was Ohtani's home run ranking?
In the 2025 regular season, he hit 55 home runs, ranking third in MLB overall and second in the National League. Cal Raleigh (60) and Kyle Schwarber (56) were ahead of him.
Related Official Sites
- MLB Shohei Ohtani Official Player Stats — check season and career stats with the latest data
- MLB 2025 Regular Season Home Run Records — view the full 2025 final home run leaderboard
- MLB Season Home Run Leaders — check home run rankings for the current season
Representative image · Archive photo · Not a photo from the game currently described in the article · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Mogami Kariya), CC BY-SA 2.0
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