Dodgers President: Ohtani's impact boosted store revenue tenfold, underestimated his influence

Los Angeles Dodgers President Stan Kasten revealed that the team's official store revenue has surged approximately tenfold since the acquisition of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani.

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Even I severely underestimated his influence.

In an interview with the "Sports Business Radio" podcast, Kasten admitted that he, along with the organization, "severely underestimated" the influence of the two-way phenom. Before Ohtani joined, the Dodgers' official store generated about $3,000 per day during the offseason month of January. Following Ohtani's signing, that daily revenue jumped to approximately $30,000.

Kasten lauded Ohtani as one of the rare athletes capable of fundamentally changing a franchise. He observed Ohtani's immense popularity firsthand during a visit to Japan, noting the prevalence of advertisements and billboards featuring the player. This experience underscored Ohtani's significant impact, not just on the Dodgers but also on tourism, with Kasten estimating that about 30% of Japanese tourists in Los Angeles are visiting specifically because of Ohtani.

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Shohei Ohtani is the kind of player who can truly change everything, very rarely.

"Shohei Ohtani is the kind of player who can truly change everything, very rarely," Kasten stated. He believes the combination of the Dodgers' brand value and Ohtani's superstar charisma perfectly showcases the excitement of baseball. Kasten concluded by endorsing the "Unicorn" moniker often applied to Ohtani, finding it highly fitting for a player of his unique caliber.

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I believe this nickname 'Unicorn' is truly very fitting.