Shohei Ohtani's MLB All-Star jersey draws $111,000 bid – a six-figure edge over next player
If money talks, then the message is loud and clear: Shohei Ohtani’s marketing appeal is undeniable.
Ohtani made history at Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Denver, pitching a scoreless inning to earn the victory for the American League while grounding out twice as designated hitter – the first player to earn election to the Midsummer Classic as a pitcher and batter.
Major League Baseball is auctioning the game-worn jerseys of 65 All-Stars, the proceeds going to MLB Charities, and Ohtani is lapping the field there, too.
As of Friday morning, the top bid on his No. 17 jersey was $111,050, a six-figure edge over the second-highest bid – $3,600 for NL MVP frontrunner Fernando Tatis Jr.’s jersey.
It's also the largest bid for a game-used jersey sold via auction, according to MLB.
Game MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is third at $3,010, and those three are the only players with bids higher than $2,000. The auction expires July 21.
Ohtani has dazzled the masses all season with his hitting prowess (33 homers at the All-Star break) and dominant pitching (63 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings). Yet as he was by far the most in-demand player during an All-Star week in which he also slugged 28 home runs in the Home Run Derby, his stardom was questioned by ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, who wondered if baseball was ill-served to have its most prominent star not use English as their primary language.
Smith came under heavy criticism and eventually apologized, and the top jersey bids seem to significantly refute his point. Ohtani conducts interviews via interpreter (and Derby catcher) Ippei Mizuhara, while English was also the second language for Tatis and Guerrero, natives of the Dominican Republic and perhaps the biggest stars in their respective leagues this side of Ohtani.
Tatis conducts interviews in English and Spanish while Guerrero usually uses an interpreter.
Not that it particularly matters. Talent, production and charisma remain louder than words.