Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani has signed a record 10-year contract worth $700 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal catapults the Japanese athlete to the top of the list of highest-paid athletes in the world.
According to CBS Sports, Ohtani’s contract is the richest in baseball history, surpassing Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani will earn $70 million annually over the course of his 10-year contract.
Still, players in other sports outperform Ohtani on an annual basis, even though the overall contract value is not as large.
Here are the top 10 highest-paid athletes in sports today. Six of them are MLB players.
Biggest sports contract ever signed
- Shohei Otani, Baseball, $700 million over 10 years. The Los Angeles Dodgers will pay Ohtani $70 million a year.
- Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer, $536 million in two and a half years. The Portuguese soccer player earns $214.5 million a year as captain of Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr team.
- patrick mahomes, football, $450 million over 10 years. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback makes $45 million a year.
- karim benzema, Soccer, two-year total of $436 million. The French striker earns $214.5 million a year as captain of Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad team.
- mike trout, Baseball, $426 million over 12 years. MLB center fielders earn $30.4 million per year playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
- Canelo Alvarez, boxing, five-year total of $365 million. The Mexican boxer earns $73 million a year from his contract with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
- mookie betts, Baseball, $365 million, 12 years. The American outfielder and second baseman earns $30.4 million annually playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- aaron judge, Baseball, $360 million, 9 years. Judge earns $40 million a year as an outfielder for the New York Yankees.
- Manny Machado, Baseball, $350 million, 11 years. Machado earns $31.8 million annually playing for the San Diego Padres.
- Fancisco Lindor, Baseball, $341 million, 10 years. The New York Mets shortstop earns an annual salary of $34.1 million.
MLB’s biggest contract
- Shohei Otani, 10 years, $700 million.
NBA’s biggest contract
- Jaylen Brown, $304 million over five years.
NFL’s biggest contract
- Patrick Mahomes, $450 million over 10 years.
Biggest contract in soccer history
- Cristiano Ronaldo, $536 million over two and a half years.
Who is the highest paid athlete in the world?
According to CBS Sports, Ohtani’s lucrative contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers makes him the highest-paid athlete in the world.