Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani gets his own logo with New Balance

MLB standout Shohei Ohtani made his Dodgers debut today in Spring training, marking another milestone in his ever-changing life. Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023, agreeing to a record-breaking 10-year contract worth up to $700 million. Off the baseball diamond, Ohtani recently announced his marriage to fellow pro athlete Mamiko Tanaka, and the official logo of his partnership with New Balance was made public. The MLB megastar signed a long-term deal with the Boston-based sportswear and athletic brand back in January 2023.

The logo for Ohtani is unique in itself as it features the superstar player running the bases of the diamond, rather than a generic bat-swinging animation or pitching motion. This gives Ohtani the chance to really take the ball and run with it in this New Balance partnership as it shows the brand has much trust in how large the connection is and future potential if it is barely recognizable from a selling standpoint with little to no brand recognition in connection to the actual logo.

When asked about the significance of the logo, Ohtani said it was a "visual representation of my journey in baseball..." How will the logo directly impact Shohei and his connection to things outside of the sport of baseball? "I also look forward to using this logo with future projects that we will reveal throughout the 2024 season," Ohtani expanded.

Ohtani continues to stand out as a marquee name in the MLB and through his sponsorship with New Balance.

There are no official announcements regarding footwear or official gear just yet. However, fans and athletes can expect the brand-new logo to be unveiled on casual sneakers and playable cleats for the diamond in the future. While you wait in anticipation, you can check out the official sketch video detailing the process of how the new logo came to be on the New Balance YouTube channel.