Even though Shohei Ohtani is spending a lot of money with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team is already recovering some of that cost thanks to him.

Ohtani broke the record for jersey sales in a single day when he inked a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers this week.

On Thursday, fans revealed that the Japanese celebrity had outsold Lionel Messi in sales since the soccer player joined Inter Miami earlier this year.

Ohtani also easily surpassed Bryce Harper, Justin Fields, and Cristiano Ronaldo on the outstanding list.

Ohtani’s march toward shattering the record was aided by several factors.

First of all, he is a true global megastar and the most well-liked baseball player in the world. A Japanese media contingent is following him because he has won two of the last three AL MVP awards.

Even though he is relocating only an hour north of Anaheim, California, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a significantly stronger brand than the Angels.

The Dodgers, who have qualified for the postseason each year since 2012 and won the 2020 pennant, have been consistent competitors in the World Series. But while Ohtani was with the Angels, they didn’t even go to the postseason.

Second, a lot of sports fans are searching for holiday presents as Christmas approaches.

And that was all before Ohtani ever put on a Dodgers uniform. They had an announcement later on Thursday afternoon regarding their newest celebrity.