MLB New Year Bets: Can Shohei Ohtani Secure the Biggest Millionaire Contract in American Sports in 2023?

January 13, 2023

21 3 minutes read

The 2023 MLB season is still months away from getting going, but you can already find some MLB odds on unique betting markets. One of the things that bettors have their eye on is the Shohei Ohtani contract prediction. The numbers are staggering, to say the least.

Shohei Ohtani has been better than advertised since signing with the Los Angeles Angels from Japan, and he was projected to be the next Babe Ruth. Ohtani is putting up numbers that Ruth would be jealous of. He has been dominant both on the mound and at the plate.

Every start for Ohtani on the MLB schedule is one to watch. There is a chance that you will witness history. He has also become one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball. But he is playing for an Angels team that continues to struggle.

Ohtani isn’t likely going to be in Los Angeles past 2023, at least not wearing the Angels uniform. Some are making a Shohei Ohtani contract prediction of over $500 million in 2023. That is a number that has never been seen before in any professional sport.

Ohtani is certainly good enough to be the highest-paid player in MLB history. But getting to $500 million would be pretty impressive. The MLB player stats for Ohtani have been ridiculous since coming to the United States, but $500 million is still a ton of money.

A Look at the Odds

Just like when betting on other MLB matchups, you first want to look at the odds before trying to make a bet of this magnitude. You might think that giving a player a $500 million contract seems like a crazy idea. But the odds would suggest otherwise.

This bet asks whether or not Shohei Ohtani will receive the first-ever $500 million contract in professional sports, and the odds say:

Yes (-400)
No (+250)

These odds suggest that it would be a pretty massive upset if Ohtani did not receive a $500 million contract in 2023. If you bet $100 on the “no” then you would receive $250 with that bet. But on the other side, it would take a $400 bet just to win $100.

Of course, these odds simply project the probability that something is going to occur, and upsets could happen in this type of market just as they could with betting on MLB games during the regular season.

Other Massive Deals

When trying to make a Shohei Ohtani contract prediction. Will want to look at other huge deals, and you have to look at other professional sports. Baseball teams have been handing out massive deals of late, but there are other leagues that have done the same.

Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is currently the leader when it comes to the largest contract in American sports. He is actually over $500 million, but there were other bonuses and things included. Mahomes is signed by the Kansas City Chiefs through 2031, and he is making over $41 million per year.

Mike Trout

Ohtani’s teammate in Los Angeles, Mike Trout, signed a massive contract worth $426.5 million. Which is the record in Major League Baseball. This does show that the Angels are willing to fork out some money, but eventually, they are going to run out of cash to spend.

There are five other MLB players that are signed to deals worth at least $340 million. But that’s still a long way away from $500 million.

Ohtani Set to Get Paid

Making a betting pick for this market can be harder than looking at MLB picks and parlays. It’s hard to know what teams are willing to spend that kind of money. It seems highly unlikely that the Angels are going to go anywhere close to $500 million. It would make sense for them to trade him to another team at the Trade Deadline.

A team that wants to improve their MLB team stats should make a deal for Ohtani and then lock him up right away. It doesn’t feel right saying that one player is worth $500 million. But you have to feel like you are getting two players for that kind of money.

If there was ever a player that would receive this type of contract, then it’s Ohtani, and he will pick up a deal worth more than a half billion dollars at some point in 2023.

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