The Los Angeles Angels and Shohei Ohtani agreed to a one-year $30 million deal Saturday.
The Los Angeles Angels are in agreement with Shohei Ohtani on a 1-year, $30M contract to avoid arbitration. pic.twitter.com/270nSGLRgF
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 1, 2022
Ohtani’s deal is the largest one-year extension in the history of Major League Baseball, ESPN reports.
Since entering the MLB four years ago, Ohtani has arguably been the best player in the league. Ohtani was named the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year, according to Baseball Reference. He was the starting pitcher for the American League in back-to-back All-Star games, and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 2021.
Ohtani’s game is often compared to the legendary Babe Ruth because of his abilities as a pitcher and designated hitter. During the early days of baseball, it was a lot more common for there to be two-way players than it is now. Ohtani’s ability to do both at an elite level makes him an anomaly. The Japan native ranks sixth amongst pitchers in the MLB with a 2.35 ERA, according to ESPN. He also has hit 34 home runs and has batted in 94 RBI’s in 2022. (RELATED: Horse Jockey Suspended For Dangerous Cheap Shot Against Opponent)
After next season, Ohtani is slated to enter free agency. If he continues to play at an All-Star level next year, he may be in for a historic long-term deal worth a ton of money from Los Angeles. Over the summer, Juan Soto was offered a 15-year, $440 million contract from the Washington Nationals that he turned down. If Soto was offered that much, Ohtani should be in the market for that kind of money too.
Based off of Ohtani’s overall game, he should be the highest paid player in baseball.