(Reuters) -Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani topped Major League Baseball’s jersey sales for a third straight season, the MLB said on Friday, confirming that the Japanese sensation remains the game’s biggest draw.
Ohtani has played a pivotal part in the Dodgers’ success, hitting his 54th home run of the season on Thursday to help the team clinch their fourth straight National League West title with an 8-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The reigning National League MVP has led jersey sales since 2023, becoming just the fourth player to top the charts three years in a row alongside teammate Mookie Betts, American League MVP Aaron Judge and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.
Yankees slugger Judge ranked second, marking his ninth straight year in the top 10, while Dodgers teammates Freddie Freeman and Betts placed third and fourth.
Retiring pitcher Clayton Kershaw finished 12th, closing his 18-year career with a 12th appearance in the top 20.
More than half of the 20 most popular jerseys belong to players headed to the postseason, which begins on Tuesday with the Wild Card Series.
The list accounts for sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network of sites, including MLBShop.com, since the Opening Day.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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