Shohei Ohtani Becomes First MLB Player With Over 4M Instagram Followers
Los Angeles Angels’ phenom Shohei Ohtani has officially become the most followed MLB player on Instagram.
Since the beginning of the World Baseball Classic, Ohtani has doubled his Instagram following. He’s added 2.1 million followers on Instagram and now has more than double the number of followers as the next-highest active player, Angels’ teammate Mike Trout.
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Shohei Ohtani Becomes Most Followed MLB Player On Instagram With 4M Followers
The World Baseball Classic has been good for the game of baseball and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said on Tuesday that the tournament will “100%” return in 2026.
The tournament has drawn competitive crowds, excellent TV ratings, and some memorable moments. Perhaps none of those moments have been more memorable than Ohtani’s earth-shattering home run versus Australia.
Since then, Ohtani’s stardom has taken off to new heights. The Angels star has more than doubled his Instagram following since the beginning of the WBC, adding 2 million followers to become the first ever active MLB player with more than 4 million followers.
Ohtani Doubles IG Followers During World Baseball Classic
Ohtani began the 2023 World Baseball Classic with around 1.7 million Instagram followers, but that number has sky-rocketed to 4.1 million followers head of Japan’s WBC Finals match versus the USA. That number represents an increase of 141%.
MLB stars have struggled to gain the same type of notoriety on social media as other athletes. However, the WBC has helped change that by bringing the intensity and excitement of playoff baseball to the world stage.
Ohtani signed a 1 year, $30 million deal to stay with the Angels in Los Angeles. But after his performance in the WBC, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ohtani’s next contract top $500 million.
from Max Barlow
Data Analyst
Finixio.com