To the surprise of nobody, the Dodgers are the most popular team on earth. In a recent article, MLB listed the top players’ jersey sales since the World Series. This is based on Nike jersey sales from Fanatics network of sites. Six Dodgers made it into the top twenty of individual jersey sales, which is insane. The rest of the list includes names like Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Elly De La Cruz, to name a few.
A trio of MVPs in the Top-5
Shohei Ohtani ranked as the highest selling jersey in all of MLB. Not surprising as the modern day Babe Ruth is not only an international icon but also the best player in the sport. After sticking to offense this past season, Ohtani invented the 50/50 Club, won the Silver Slugger Award, won MVP, and won the World Series. Its easy to see why so many millions of people have bought his jersey; he is a generational talent in the prime of his career.
Freddie Freeman ranks second on the list. Freeman has been a fan favorite for millions of baseball fans. His departure from Atlanta to the Dodgers may have diswayed some, but the happy-go-lucky Freeman is hard not to root for. Between the beautiful story about his father and the love he showcases for his son, it’s hard not to get choked up during many of his media availability sessions. The former MVP earned plenty of notoriety after hitting a walk-off homer in Game One of the World Series akin to the Kurt Gibson homer from 1988.
Mookie Betts ranks fourth. Similar to Freeman, Betts has been one of this generation’s best players and is an easy player to root for. His versatility and dependability are elite, and he is a highlight machine. It also doesn’t hurt that he is a three-time world series champ.
More popular pitchers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto ranks 10th on the list. According to the article, ” With Ohtani’s jersey at No. 1 and Yamamoto’s at No. 10, this is just the second time ever that two Japanese-born players rank in the top 10 most popular player jerseys (Ichiro Suzuki & Yu Darvish in 2012).” This is a perfect example of how the Dodgers have become an international brand by acquiring talent from all over the world.
Clayton Kershaw ranks 11th. Despite no longer being in the prime of his career, Kershaw is still one of this generation’s best pitchers and a Dodgers legend for life. His contributions to the most recent World Series team were limited, but his legacy as a Dodger will include his three CY Young awards and 10 all-star appearances. He is a lock first-ballot Hall of Famer when he decides to hang up his cleats.
Kiké Hernandez ranks sixteenth on the list. Perhaps the most surprising inclusion on this list is Kiké Hernandez, who is the only non-All-Star to make the top 20. The two-time world series champion has earned his infamy as a fantastic playoff performer. His .808 postseason OPS last season helped the Dodgers defeat the Padres, Mets, and Yankees en route to winning the World Series. While he is not one of the game’s biggest superstars, he is a fan favorite on the best team in baseball.
As the Dodgers continue to dominate on the field, they have built an empire off of it as well.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Dodgers Dominate MLB jersey sales appeared first on Heavy Sports.