LA Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has most popular jersey in MLB

LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani jerseys continue to fly off the shelves after the Japanese star helped the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series title in 2024, with his global popularity showing no sign of cooling.

Last season he became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, and he has turned Dodger Stadium into a tourist destination for Japanese fans making the transpacific voyage to see their national hero.

The reigning National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) has led sales in the United States, Japan and globally for 18 consecutive months and continues to do so, as the 2025 season gets under way with the Dodgers having had a perfect 6-0 start.

Hitting-pitcher Ohtani has two home runs and is batting .286 across those six games. He is expected to return to the pitcher’s mound some time later this season after right elbow surgery forced him to be solely a hitter in 2024.

Following the Japanese on the most popular player jersey list are two of his Los Angeles teammates – World Series MVP Freddie Freeman in second and three-time champion Mookie Betts in fourth.

Juan Soto, who signed with the New York Mets in a blockbuster deal last off-season, ranked third, while Yankees slugger and reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge was fifth. It is the first time in the 26-year-old Soto’s career that his jersey is in the top three league-wide, Major League Baseball said.

Meanwhile, matches across South Korea were cancelled on April 1 after a fan died when a piece of metal at a stadium fell off and struck her.

Baseball in the country was plunged into mourning when police said that the woman in her 20s had died of head injuries.

The incident happened on March 29 during a KBO League game between hosts NC Dinos and the LG Twins at Changwon NC Park.

A piece of aluminium installed outside the windows of a club office fell from about 18 metres, fatally injuring the fan and breaking the collarbone of her sister, reports and officials said.

“KBO has designated April 1 to April 3 as a mourning period,” the Korea Baseball Organisation said.

Matches on April 2 will be preceded by a moment’s silence, players will wear black ribbons and fans will be told not to cheer.

“Furthermore, KBO and its 10 clubs will conduct thorough safety checks on stadium facilities and structures before games,” the statement added.

South Korean football clubs in the top two tiers have also been ordered to conduct safety inspections of their stadiums. REUTERS, AFP