MLB two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been ranked No. 1 among male Japanese athletes for both his 2023 performance and for how much is expected of him in 2024, a survey by Hakuhodo DY Media Partners showed Thursday.
The study's purpose was to measure "overall athlete image." The internet survey, conducted from Dec. 1 to 5 by the unit of ad giant Hakuhodo, rated table tennis star Hina Hayata as this year's top-performing female Japanese athlete.
Ohtani, who will be entering his seventh MLB season next year, recently signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700 million over 10 years, an amount that shattered records across the sports world.
Kaoru Mitoma, of English Premier League side Brighton, and fellow soccer player Takefusa Kubo, of Spanish side Real Sociedad, finished second and third, respectively, in the 2023 rankings.
Swimmer Rikako Ikee, who has come back from leukemia to compete in the Olympics and world championships, trailed Hayata in the 2023 women's rankings, but is No. 1 among those for whom hopes are highest in 2024, when the Olympics will be held in Paris.
Kubo moved up to second in the survey of expectations for male athletes in 2024, followed by Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is currently a prized MLB free agent.