ＷＢＣのヒーロー大谷が８５億円でＭＬＢ総収入１位、フォーブス誌

【ニューヨークＡＦＰ＝時事】米経済誌フォーブスは米大リーグ（ＭＬＢ）選手の今年の総収入ランキングを発表し、ロサンゼルス・エンゼルスの大谷翔平がＭＬＢの１シーズンでは過去最高となる６５００万ドル（約８５億円）で１位に輝いた。（写真は日本代表として第５回ワールド・ベースボール・クラシックを制覇した大谷翔平）
　大谷は日本代表の一員として臨んだ第５回ワールド・ベースボール・クラシック（ＷＢＣ）で、決勝で米国を破って優勝を果たし、３０日に行われるオークランド・アスレチックスとの新シーズン初戦ではエンゼルスの開幕投手を務める。フォーブスによれば、エンゼルスとは年俸３０００万ドル（約３９億円）の１年契約で、他にスポンサー収入等が３５００万ドル（約４６億円）に上った。
　米スポーツ用品大手のニューバランスでチーフマーケティングオフィサーを務めるクリス・デービス氏は、フォーブスに対して「ショウヘイが年間で日本市場に与える商業的インパクトは、数千万ドルの額にまで達するだろう。日本での彼は野球選手という以上に、文化的な象徴だ」と述べた。
　「ブランドにとって、このレベルの商業的インパクトを持つ野球選手は、おそらく今の世代では彼が最初で最後だろう」
　ＭＬＢの総収入トップ１０選手の合計額は過去最高の４億３６００万ドル（約５７０億円）で、昨年の３億７７００万ドル（約４９３億円）から１５パーセント増加した。主な理由は、新シーズンに向けてフリーエージェント選手の契約に各球団が要した費用が、３８億ドル（約５０００億円）に達したことだった。
　総収入ランキング２位はマックス・シャーザーで５９３０万ドル（約７７億６０００万円）。スポンサー収入等で４５０万ドル（約５億９０００万円）を稼ぎ出したアーロン・ジャッジが計４４５０万ドル（約５８億２３００万円）の３位に入り、これに４４３０万ドル（約５７億９０００万円）のジャスティン・バーランダー、３９５０万ドル（約５１億７０００万円）の大谷の同僚マイク・トラウトが続いた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/03/29-16:39）

Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani will make a one-season Major League Baseball record $65 million this year in salary and endorsements, Forbes magazine reported on Tuesday.
Ohtani, set to be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels in their MLB season opener Thursday against Oakland, helped spark Japan to the World Baseball Classic title a week ago with a victory over the United States in the final.
The 28-year-old who serves as an outfielder and designated hitter when not on the mound, signed a one-year contract extension worth $30 million last year and will make $35 million in endorsements in 2023, Forbes reported.
That's a huge jump from only $6 million in 2021 sponsorship deals and $20 million last year.
While the numbers already make Ohtani the highest-paid played in the sport, the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player is set to become a free agent after the upcoming campaign and expected to receive one of the richest contracts in MLB history for 2024 and beyond.
Shohei's commercial impact annually for the Japanese market will be to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, because he is a cultural icon in Japan first and a baseball player second, Chris Davis, New Balance's chief marketing officer, told Forbes.
He'll probably be the first and only baseball player of this generation that has the ability to have that level of commercial impact for a brand.
In 2022, Ohtani went 15-9 with a 2.33 earned-run average and 219 strikeouts over 166 innings. He had a .273 batting average with 34 home runs, 30 doubles and 95 runs batted in over 157 games.
MLB's 10 highest-paid players are set to make a record $436 million this year, up 15% from last year's record mark of $377 million, Forbes reported.
A major reason for the leap was the $3.8 billion MLB clubs spent on free agent contracts for the 2023 season.
Among these deals was a nine-year contract worth $360 million for 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge to stay with the New York Yankees and pitcher Justin Verlander's $86.7 million two-year deal with the New York Mets.
Verlander and teammate Max Scherzer have the top on-field contract totals for 2023 at $43.3 million.
Scherzer ranked second on the 2023 highest-paid players list at $59.3 million, bolstered by $15 million in deferred salary payments from the Washington Nationals, whom he helped win the 2019 World Series.
Judge was third at $44.5 million, including $4.5 million in endorsements, with Verlander fourth on $44.3 million and Mike Trout of the Angels fifth on $39.5 million.
Trout, who just announced a deal with golf star Tiger Woods to build a course in his home state of New Jersey, was struck out by Ohtani for the last out in the Classic final to clinch Japan's third crown in five tries in the global baseball event.