Exclusive: Shohei Ohtani on the Dodgers’ $700 million contract and World Series victory. “What more is there to ask for?”

One of the most well-known and renowned of all of them is sitting in the green room of a Los Angeles production studio on a Wednesday afternoon, taking a break from a commercial shoot and thinking back on his historic decision that shocked the sports world. The city is full of Hollywood stars, celebrities, and wealth.

Shohei Ohtani signed a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers one year ago this week. It was the biggest contract in sports history and 64% more than the richest agreement ever made for a baseball player.

It was the gold standard for free agency outfielder Juan Soto and his generation of followers, and it was one of the most lucrative and franchise-changing contracts in baseball history.

For the next ten years, the Dodgers maintained a World Series championship-caliber club while simultaneously generating a cash stream that made them the most profitable franchise in baseball.

In Ohtani’s debut season, the Dodgers not only won their first World Series in a complete season since 1988, but he also led the team to one of the greatest seasons ever, hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases while capturing the National League MVP award without a tie. With an average of a major-league-high 49,067 per game, including 37 games with at least 50,000 fans, the Dodgers attracted 3.94 million fans, the second-highest number in the team’s history.

Reflecting on his rookie season with the Dodgers, Ohtani told USA TODAY Sports, via translator Matt Hidaka, “This exceeded my expectations.” “I obviously made the playoffs for the first time. The World Series was won by us. What more is there to ask for?

Although industry estimates have remained around $120 million, the Dodgers have declined to disclose the amount they increased in corporate sponsorships, merchandising, and ticket sales after signing Ohtani. The Dodgers have signed lucrative endorsement deals with Japanese corporations.