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On July 09, 2021 in Seattle, Washington, Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners in the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Getty Images/Abbie Parr Getty Images/Sport Major League Baseball anticipated the rise of Shohei Ohtani, a two-way wonder, and began to prepare. This season, the Los Angeles Angels All-Star has dominated sports news for both positive and controversial reasons, especially in the last few days. Ohtani is a beginning pitcher who also hits hard and has been compared to Babe Ruth. Ohtani, 27, leads the league with 33 home runs, 70 RBI (third), a.698 slugging percentage, a 4-1 record, and a 3.49 ERA at the All-Star break. Ohtani, who was the hero of Monday’s Home Run Derby at Coors Field, has been selected the American League starting pitcher for Tuesday’s game and will bat first when batting. He seems to have the mentality, charisma, and even financial discipline to succeed in Major League Baseball. And Ohtani is a wonderful fit for the league’s “Make it Major” theme for 2021. It honors significant moments for athletes on the field as well as brand activations off of it. Ohtani is currently baseball’s most popular player. And MLB wants to turn him into a superstar, joining the ranks of some of the league’s newcomers, such as Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, who has been dubbed “the next Derek Jeter.” MLB executive Barbara McHugh told CNBC on Monday, “We’ve had our eye on Shohei for a while now.” “A lot of preparation and building on his momentum has gone into it.” On Monday, July 12, 2021 in Denver, Colorado, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is seen during the 2021 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Coors Field. Getty Images/Daniel Shirey | Major League Baseball Ohtani’s Instagram page MLB’s senior vice president of marketing, Kevin McHugh, said the organization is working on “a lot of different elements” to promote Ohtani, but didn’t elaborate. One of the recent campaigns, titled “It’s Sho-time!” praises Ohtani’s early entry into the MLB record books. Ohtani is “doing things on the field that many of us have never seen,” according to McHugh. “In the first half of the 2021 season, Ohtani has hit more home runs and struck out more batters than Babe Ruth did in the first half of his two-way seasons of 1918 and 1919,” MLB writes after only four seasons. He was also the first player to be named to the All-Star team as both a pitcher and a position player. The marketing “plays off his name and what he’s doing – he’s putting on a show,” McHugh explained. “We want to make sure we take advantage of it and make it as big as possible. He was a one-of-a-kind and game-changing athlete in baseball’s history.” Increased visibility is part of Ohtani’s marketing approach. Increasing his visibility among sports fans, particularly in the Northeast. MLB put a giant image of the Angels prodigy on the side of its New York City headquarters, for example, in the hopes of attracting attention for the re-opening in the nation’s media hub. “The tourists passing through that section of town will help highlight and promote Ohtani to not only the local market, but to all the different people (from other countries) passing through,” McHugh stated. Outside of MLB headquarters in New York, there is a sign displaying Shohei Ohtani. MLB Photos | Mary DeCicco In today’s sports consumption market, social media accounts are critical. To launch Ohtani’s Instagram account last year, the MLB collaborated with the Angels and Ohtani’s representatives. MLB gives Ohtani with content, which he posts and uses to increase fan engagement. Ohtani’s account has gained over 50,000 followers, according to McHugh. The account currently has 910,000 followers, which isn’t nearly as high as some of the best athletes, but if Ohtani continues to play well, that number should rise to one million by the end of the season. A large social media following aids athletes in disseminating league-related content and expanding their online presence. Being active on the accounts might also lead to more significant intellectual property leverage. According to Forbes, Ohtani is expected to earn around $6 million in sponsorships, which places him first in MLB. Scott Rosner, director of Columbia University’s sports management school, said, “They (MLB) need to put him out there in every possible channel because he’s an attention-grabbing, show-stopping kind of athlete.” “You don’t want him to be the athlete with the best hidden secret. However, the gamer must also cooperate in all of this.” Networks will take a greater interest. Ohtani is the first player born in Japan to compete in the Home Run Derby. He started slowly, but eventually put on a show for the audience. In the first round, Ohtani tied Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals with 22 home runs. He needed two swing-offs until he was eliminated due to tiredness. The tournament was eventually won by Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, but Ohtani’s engagement helped MLB win the night. ESPN’s viewership data were unavailable as of Tuesday afternoon. The significant figure for the Disney-owned network is 6.2 million people, which is the overall audience for the most recent Derby, which aired in 2019. It will be a positive if ESPN surpasses that figure in a pandemic, especially if sports viewership is currently low. Any gain can be attributed to Ohtani’s developing stardom. “We don’t hold back when it comes to promoting Shohei across all of our channels and (social media) profiles,” McHugh added. “This is a historic, pivotal time,” she continued. “He’s incredible,” Rosner added. “The fact that he’s doing it at a time when people are returning to stadiums and beginning to pay attention to baseball after the shortened 2020 season is fantastic for the game.” Expect MLB media partners to increase Ohtani’s visibility if he comes close to breaking Barry Bonds’ single-season home run record of 73. On Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in Anaheim, California, Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Getty Images/Daniel Shirey | Major League Baseball Ohtani is unique, which is a good thing. Other Japanese-born players have done well in MLB and have contributed to the league’s international expansion. Former players such as Ichiro Suzuki, Hideo Nomo, and Hideki Matsui of the Yankees are examples. Suzuki had a successful off-the-field career as well, but MLB players, such as fellow Angels star Mike Trout, often place a low value on off-the-field branding. Brands will want to capitalize on Ohtani’s unique talent if he embraces it. Ohtani’s “point of distinction,” according to longtime sports marketing consultant Tony Ponturo, is his two-way status, which he has shown no desire to give up. “It offers you something to talk about that’s distinct than the other guys,” said Ponturo, who was vice president of global media sports marketing at Anheuser-Busch for 17 years. “With so many different stars, finding a unique player with a distinct background offers you something different to (promote), which I think is exciting.” “You also need appealing, engaging dynamic guys, and Ohtani fulfills all those boxes,” Rosner continued, describing him as a “once in a century sort of player.” Ponturo praised MLB’s handling of Ohtani, claiming that his “international flair” will boost corporate partners in expanding their brand beyond the United States. He also mentioned that the MLB needs newer characters for fans to relate to, such as Ohtani, because iconic stars like Ruth are becoming antiquated for casual viewers. “Baseball’s tradition was incredibly essential,” Ponturo added. “Their challenge, which I believe they are successfully reacting to, is that you must move with the times or you will dry up. They must move forward, thus international players generating interest outside of the United States is critical, and it can only be beneficial.” When asked if Ohtani could help improve MLB’s product, Ponturo agreed, comparing it to how Steph Curry propelled pro basketball forward with his 3-point shooting ability. Curry’s crossover appeal, he continued. “What Steph Curry accomplished was he bridged over not only with his ability but also with his race,” Ponturo remarked. “He crossed over to small children in the suburbs, who were colorblind. Steph Curry was spotted. When Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were playing, they bridged over to minority sports fans in the same way that they did when they were younger. ” The Angels’ failure to win big is the only thing standing in their way. The team has only made the playoffs once in the last decade, in 2014, and is on the verge of doing so again this decade. The Angels are in fourth place, nine games behind the Houston Astros for first place and five games out of the wild card. Ohtani, on the other hand, is under the team’s control until at least 2024. In 2022, if baseball avoids a labor dispute, he will earn only $5.5 million. “He can give the league what it needs to say, ‘We’re not a dead sport, and we’re going to build on the shoulders of these new young players, especially a talent like this,” Ponturo said. If the Angels form a winning team and Ohtani’s two-way status remains unchanged in his career, “he can give the league what it needs to say, ‘We’re not a dead sport, and we’re going to build on the shoulders of these new young “I think it’s wise of baseball to sell Ohtani and have a diverse mix of athletes from various ethnic backgrounds,” Ponturo added. “Their on-field performances will speak for themselves.”/nRead More

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