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Money in Major League Baseball keeps going up, but in 2026, one player has completely separated himself from the rest. Shohei Ohtani isn’t just the highest-paid player in the game. He’s in his own tier.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star is projected to make around $127 million this year, and the number alone is eye-opening. But the real story is how he’s getting there. This isn’t just about a massive contract. It’s about influence, global reach, and a player who has become bigger than the sport itself. When you stack his earnings next to everyone else in baseball, the gap isn’t small. It’s massive.
Shohei Ohtani’s earnings don’t look like anyone else’s
Most players make their money from their contracts. Ohtani is the opposite.
He’s set to earn about $2 million on the field this season because of how his deal is structured. The rest, roughly $125 million, comes from everything happening off the field. Endorsements, sponsorships, licensing deals, appearances. It all adds up fast.
And it’s not just a bunch of random deals. Ohtani has built a global presence, especially between the U.S. and Japan, where his popularity is on another level. Brands want to be attached to him because he brings attention in a way almost no one else in baseball can.
There have been high-earning athletes before, but it’s rare to see someone doing this while still performing at an MVP level. Ohtani isn’t just marketable. He’s dominant. That combination is what makes this feel different.
The rest of MLB’s stars are still getting paid
Shohei Ohtani is expected to make $127M this year when you add up his salary from the Dodgers along with endorsements and other business ventures according to @Forbes
Here are the ten highest-paid players in 2026 when adding up their salary with off-field endorsements and more. pic.twitter.com/92480a12j0
Even with Ohtani far out in front, the rest of the league’s top players are still making serious money.
Cody Bellinger is near the top after his deal with the New York Yankees, bringing in more than $56 million this year. Kyle Tucker isn’t far behind after landing his big contract, while Juan Soto and Aaron Judge continue to sit comfortably in that $40–50 million range.
More: Kevin McGonigle makes Tigers’ Opening Day roster in stunning leap from Double-A
Altogether, the top 10 highest-paid players in MLB are expected to make about $537 million in 2026. That’s still a huge number.
But here’s where things really shift. Off-field money is becoming a bigger piece of the puzzle, and Ohtani is the clearest example of that. What he earns away from the game is more than what the rest of the top players bring in combined in that space.
What this says about where baseball is heading
This isn’t just about one player making a lot of money. It says something about the sport as a whole.
The biggest teams are still driving a lot of this. The Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets continue to dominate when it comes to spending, and that’s not going unnoticed. Conversations about competitive balance aren’t going away anytime soon.
At the same time, the role of players is changing. They’re not just athletes anymore. They’re brands, businesses, and global figures.
And right now, Ohtani is the best example of what that looks like when everything comes together.
There are plenty of stars making big money in baseball.
But at this moment, no one is even close to what Shohei Ohtani is doing.
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