Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels pitches against the National League during the 91st MLB All-Star Game. Photo: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Bids for the jersey Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani wore during the All-Star Game this week have significantly outpaced those of other players in an online auction to benefit MLB Charities.
Driving the news: The top offer for Ohtani's signed jersey was $111,120 on Saturday afternoon. The next closest player's bid sat at $5,010.
- He has more than double the number of bids on his uniform than the next closest player belonging to San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Ohtani has 100 bids as of Saturday afternoon while Tatis has 40.
The big picture: The bidding comes days after ESPN commentator Stephen Smith claimed Ohtani, who is from Japan, shouldn't be the face of Major League Baseball because he uses an interpreter.
- Smith doubled down on his comments before apologizing.
- Ohtani is the first player to be named an All-Star as both a pitcher and designated hitter.
Go deeper: Shohei Ohtani is breaking baseball