Shohei Ohtani, one of the biggest free agents in baseball history, has chosen the Los Angeles Dodgers as his next destination.
The pitcher/designated hitter has a dedicated fanbase in his native Japan, and the Dodgers are one of the storied franchises in the MLB.
As a result of this high-profile move, Ohtani's No. 17 jersey has shattered records, becoming the best-selling jersey within 48 hours of its release, as reported by Fanatics, one of the largest sports merchandise retailers in the United States.
Let's look at the remaining names in the list of Fanatics' best-selling jerseys within 48 hours.
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Fanatics' highest jersey sales within 48 hours:
1.0 Shohei Ohtani - Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
Ohtani's Dodgers jerseys flew off the shelves after he confirmed his move, even with the initial uncertainty of which jersey number he would use.
Fortunately, he decided to stick with No. 17, and he wore the complete uniform for the first time on Thursday, December 14, during his introductory appearance at Dodger Stadium.
1. Lionel Messi - Inter Miami (MLS)
The Argentine icon made shockwaves this past summer after choosing to leave Europe for MLS club Inter Miami.
Messi's iconic no. 10 pink shirt sold like hotcakes, becoming the best-selling jersey in MLS history by a wide margin. The former FC Barcelona forward also has a profit-sharing agreement with Adidas and Fanatics, allowing him to take a share of the pie from the windfall.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United (Premier League)
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo made a remarkable comeback to Manchester United in the summer of 2021, rejoining the club where he had previously played during the earlier stages of his career.
The two entities' combined influence became unstoppable, with Ronaldo standing as one of the world's most famous athletes and the Red Devils ranking among the most prominent football clubs in the world.
Ronaldo's iconic No. 7 Manchester United shirt achieved record-breaking sales, becoming the best-selling jersey ever.
This feat surpassed the sales of Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain shirt.
3. Justin Fields - Chicago Bears (NFL)
In a surprising turn of events, Bears quarterback Justin Fields surpassed the title of the best-selling jersey within 48 hours after being selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, he did not even hold the top spot on draft night.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the first overall pick, claimed the leading position during the draft day. Nonetheless, Chicago fans rallied in the subsequent two days, propelling Fields to achieve the sales record.
4. Bryce Harper - Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)
Following his widely publicized move to the Philadelphia Phillies in March 2019, star Bryce Harper established a record for the highest number of jerseys sold by Fanatics within 48 hours.
The seven-time MLB All-Star surpassed the record set by LeBron James when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. However, it has since fallen out of the top five in the retailer's jersey sales records.
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