Ohtani’s crazy $700 million contract World Series stat is not true technically

The Toronto Blue Jays destroyed the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1 of the 2025 World Series.

Taking the mound for Blue Jays at Rogers Stadium on Friday, pitcher Trey Yesavage. And the first batter the 22-year-old rookie faced in his Fall Classic debut, none of than Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani.

Yesavage, in just seventh career start, struck Ohtani out, which also marked his first World Series strikeout. Cameras captured Yesavage's parents and girlfriend's priceless reaction at Rogers Stadium.

Trey Yesavage's family reacting to his first #WorldSeries strikeout 🥹 pic.twitter.com/NvyE7BEG8E
— MLB (@MLB) October 25, 2025

"It's my goal to go out there and strike out everybody I face,” Yesavage told reporters of striking out the three-time MLB MVP during his first at-bat. "So, being able to start off the game on a hot note was definitely a boost in my confidence. It was cool. It was really cool.”

After the game, "the craziest stat" comparing Ohtani's record-breaking $700 million contract and the rookie pitcher's went viral on social media.

A Canadian journalist posted on X, "This is the craziest stat of the World Series: Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays starting pitcher who makes $57K a year, started the game by striking out Shohei Ohtani, who makes $47M - that's 824x his salary."

While the disparity between Yesavage and Ohtani's income is significant, that's a gross exaggeration with cherry-picked numbers.

This is the craziest stat of the World Series:

Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays starting pitcher who makes $57K a year, started the game by striking out Shohei Ohtani, who makes $47M - that's 824x his salary. pic.twitter.com/6tXj4usaKr
— Muhammad Lila (@MuhammadLila) October 25, 2025

Yesavage signed a two-year,$4.23 million rookie contract after the Blue Jays drafted him as the 20th overall pick in 2024. While his cash salary total for the 2025 season is $57,000, he's due much more money.

Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, the largest contract in sports history, ahead of the 2024 season. However, he also has a record-setting $680 million in deferred salary.

If we're comparing salary totals for the season and not including deferred payments, as the viral post suggests, Ohtani's salary for the 2025 MLB season is $2 million, not $47 million.

Oct 24, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani during batting practice prior to Game 1 of the 2025 MLB World Series. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

If Yesavage keeps pitching the way he does, however, he can expect a few more zeroes in his next contract. As for Ohtani, 31, he'll start raking in those deferred payments in 2034.

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