Shohei Ohtani Is The Greatest Baseball Player In History – But Thanks To A Contract Quirk, He's Getting Paid Like A Benchwarmer

Late last night (or early this morning, depending on where you are located), Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run in the bottom 18th inning of Game 3 of the World Series, propelling the Dodgers to a 2-1 lead over the Blue Jays.

In the heart-pounding game and morning-ruining game (it started at 8:00 pm EST and ended around 2:40 am), Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani performed at a level that's hard to describe in words. Here are some basics, though: He went 5-for-5 with four hits, two home runs, three runs scored, three RBIs, and five walks. Four of his walks were intentional, which ties an overall MLB record (Barry Bonds was walked intentionally four times in a regular season game in May 1998). Prior to last night, the record for most bases reached in a World Series game belonged to Kenny Lofton, who reached base six times in Game 3 of the 1995 World Series. Shohei reached base NINE times. The last player to reach base nine times in a regular-season game was Stan Hack, who pulled it off in an 18-inning game in 1942.

I could go on, and I haven't even mentioned his postseason accomplishments prior to last night.

Shohei is the greatest baseball player in history. It's not even a debate. He's not a human being. He's the best evidence that aliens exist and are living among us. He's the only MLB player ever to win three MVP awards unanimously, accomplishing that feat between 2021 and 2024. He'll almost certainly add 2025 to that record, and, in a few years, he'll almost certainly top Barry Bonds' record of seven MVP awards. And within just a few more years after that, he'll almost certainly break Barry Bonds' all-time home run record. Barry's record is 762. Shohei already has 280. He hits around 55 home runs a year. At that pace, he'll surpass Barry in eight seasons with several seasons left in the tank.

And guess what. Shohei is the Dodgers' STARTING PITCHER TONIGHT at Game 4.

With all of this in mind, you might assume Shohei – the greatest player in history and easily the most famous and beloved player in the world today – is the highest-paid player at the World Series. Probably by a long shot, right? Well, as it turns out, he's actually getting paid like a benchwarmer…

(via Getty)

Benchwarmer Salary

There are 52 active players on the rosters of the Dodgers and the Blue Jays. This morning, we did the painstaking research to compile the 2025 base salary of every single one. When it's all said and done, Shohei isn't in the top five. Not the top ten. Not the top twenty.

He ranks #29.

The player who ranks directly above Shohei is Eric Lauer.

Lauer's path to the World Series wasn't exactly glamorous. After a few decent years with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was released following a rough 2023 season that saw him post a 6.56 ERA and lose his spot on the 40-man roster. In 2024, he bounced between multiple organizations and continents — signing minor league deals with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros, then heading to South Korea to pitch for the Kia Tigers in the KBO League. He helped Kia win the Korean Series, returned to the U.S. that winter, and signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

He began 2025 in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons, where he went 1–3 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts before being called up by the Blue Jays in late April.

And yet, Eric Lauer — a 29-year-old journeyman who spent last season pitching in Korea — makes $200,000 more than Shohei Ohtani.

The Catch

Shohei's salary is $2 million per year. That makes him the 29th-highest-paid player playing in the 2025 World Series. It's roughly the same amount being earned by a middle reliever or backup catcher. But, there's a curveball.

Shohei became a Dodger in December 2023 when he signed a $700 million, 10-year contract. At the time, it was the largest contract in sports history. Today, it is the second-largest contract in sports history behind Juan Soto's 10-year, $765 million contract with the Mets that was signed in late 2024. But Shohei's contract is highly unusual in a key aspect. Roughly 97% of the value is deferred, Bobby Bonilla-style, into years when Shohei will likely be long retired.

Under the deal's structure, Shohei only receives $2 million per year during the contract's 10 seasons. The remaining $68 million per year will be paid out between 2034 and 2043. On the day he signed the deal, Ohtani was 29. When he receives the last $68 million installment in 2043, he will be 49. That is why, technically speaking, he's the 29th highest-paid player at the World Series.

Now, of course, it should be noted that Shohei also happens to make around $50 million per year from endorsements, so don't go worrying about him too much 🙂

Below is a ranking of the salaries being paid to the 52 active roster players from the Dodgers and Blue Jays at the World Series:

1. Tyler Glasnow – Dodgers – $32,500,000
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Blue Jays – $28,500,000
3. Freddie Freeman – Dodgers – $27,000,000
4. Blake Snell – Dodgers – $26,000,000
5. Mookie Betts – Dodgers – $25,000,000
6. George Springer – Blue Jays – $24,160,000
7. Teoscar Hernández – Dodgers – $23,500,000
8. Kevin Gausman – Blue Jays – $23,000,000
9. Chris Bassitt – Blue Jays – $22,000,000
10. Bo Bichette – Blue Jays – $16,500,000
11. Will Smith – Dodgers – $16,000,000
12. Max Scherzer – Blue Jays – $15,500,000
13. Max Muncy – Dodgers – $14,500,000
14. Andrés Giménez – Blue Jays – $10,500,000
15. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Dodgers – $10,000,000
16. Shane Bieber – Blue Jays – $10,000,000
17. Daulton Varsho – Blue Jays – $8,200,000
18. Seranthony Domínguez – Blue Jays – $8,000,000
19. Tommy Edman – Dodgers – $8,000,000
20. Jeff Hoffman – Blue Jays – $7,600,000
21. Myles Straw – Blue Jays – $6,000,000
22. Isiah Kiner-Falefa – Blue Jays – $6,000,000
23. Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers – $5,000,000
24. Miguel Rojas – Dodgers – $5,000,000
25. Alejandro Kirk – Blue Jays – $4,300,000
26. Enrique "Kiké" Hernández – Dodgers – $4,000,000
27. Hyeseong Kim – Dodgers – $2,500,000
28. Eric Lauer – Blue Jays – $2,200,000
29. Shohei Ohtani – Dodgers – $2,000,000
30. Blake Treinen – Dodgers – $1,000,000
31. Ty France – Blue Jays – $1,000,000
32. Addison Barger – Blue Jays – $710,000
33. Ernie Clement – Blue Jays – $720,000
34. Davis Schneider – Blue Jays – $680,000
35. Tyler Heineman – Blue Jays – $700,000
36. Brendon Little – Blue Jays – $740,000
37. Anthony Banda – Dodgers – $760,000
38. Alex Call – Dodgers – $760,000
39. Justin Dean – Dodgers – $760,000
40. Jack Dreyer – Dodgers – $760,000
41. Edgardo Henriquez – Dodgers – $760,000
42. Nathan Lukes – Blue Jays – $760,000
43. Will Klein – Dodgers – $760,000
44. Andy Pages – Dodgers – $760,000
45. Justin Wrobleski – Dodgers – $760,000
46. Ben Rortvedt – Dodgers – $750,000
47. Emmet Sheehan – Dodgers – $760,000
48. Roki Sasaki – Dodgers – $760,000
49. Louie Varland – Blue Jays – $760,000
50. Trey Yesavage – Blue Jays – $760,000
51. Mason Fluharty – Blue Jays – $560,000
52. Braydon Fisher – Blue Jays – $560,000