It's Shohei's world, and we're just living in it!
Shohei Ohtani led all Major League Baseball players in jersey sales for the third consecutive season in 2025.
The Dodgers superstar joins Mookie Betts (2020-22), Aaron Judge (2017-19) and Derek Jeter (2010-12) as the only players to lead the league in sales for three years in a row since the league began tracking data on its most popular sales in 2010.
But Ohtani wasn't always as dominant in jersey sales as he now is.
In fact, in both 2019 and 2020, he didn't make the top 20 at all. Much of that likely had to do with his injuries, as he missed 72 games across the two seasons.
Since then, he has finished No. 1 overall in three of five seasons.
Ironically, should Ohtani win NL MVP this season, he will have more MVP awards (four) than years leading the league in jersey sales, which is quite the statement, as he has become the de facto clubhouse leader in the latter category.
Ohtani has truly become a generational figure in the hobby. In addition to sitting on the jersey-sale throne, he is one of just three active players with a $1 million card (joining Mike Trout and Paul Skenes), and the ball from his 50th home run last season — which made him the first player in MLB history with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a single season — is now the most expensive baseball in history, selling for $4.392 million at Goldin in October.
Aaron Judge ranked No. 2 on the list, to no surprise. Judge and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (No. 20 on the list) are the two favorites to win AL MVP. Should Judge win, it would mark his third MVP award in the last four seasons.
Coming in right behind Judge are Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, two stalwarts in jersey sales. Betts formerly led the league in sales from 2020-22 and Freeman has been a mainstay on the list since joining the Dodgers.
Longtime Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw was the fourth Dodger on the list, making the top 20 for the 12th and final time in his 18-year career. Kershaw announced last week he would be retiring at the end of the 2025 season.
Kershaw and Pirates phenom Paul Skenes were the only primary pitchers to make the list. Ironically, the two reigning Cy Young winners, Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal failed to crack the top 20, though Skubal was on the list at the All-Star break.
Making their way into the rankings for the first time were Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran (13), Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (16), Skenes (18) and Raleigh (20).
Here's the full top 20:
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
- Juan Soto, New York Mets
- Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants
- Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
- Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
- Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
- Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
- Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
- Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
- Pete Alonso, New York Mets
- Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
- Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners