Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers jersey breaks Fanatics record for highest sales within first 48 hours of release

Shohei Ohtani has yet to be introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers, let alone play a game, but he's already breaking records ... or, at least, his jersey is.

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced that Ohtani's new No. 17 jersey with the Dodgers broke Fanatics' record for the highest sales within the first 48 hours of its release. Previous top sellers included the jerseys of soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, among others.

Fanatics officially released the jersey for preorder Monday, starting at $134.99 for the men's home replica jersey. A limited player jersey will cost a customer $174.99.

Ohtani will sport the number he wore as a member of the Los Angeles Angels thanks to fellow pitcher Joe Kelly conceding No. 17 and switching to No. 99.

On Saturday, Ohtani announced on Instagram that he would sign with the Dodgers. In the days that followed, it was revealed that the two-way superstar had agreed to the largest deal in North American sports history, inking a 10-year, $700 million contract.

Thanks to the deferrals in his deal, however, Ohtani will make $2 million annually during the life of his contract. The deferrals will kick in starting in 2034, when the Dodgers will begin to pay him $68 million per year.

The two-time American League MVP is expected to spend his first season with the Dodgers as the team's designated hitter and not pitch again until 2025 as he recovers from the elbow procedure he underwent to repair his torn UCL.

Ohtani finished the 2023 season hitting .304 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI. On the mound, he had a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched. By signing Ohtani, the Dodgers became the new favorites to win the 2024 World Series, ahead of the Atlanta Braves.