A New Yorker Icon: Shohei Ohtani Takes Center Stage on Prestigious Magazine Cover

Shohei Ohtani is a cover star. Again.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter has already taken over baseball, and now he’s taking over the cover of one of the most iconic magazines in American culture. Now, Ohtani has been depicted on the New Yorker magazine cover by artist Mark Ulriksen for its May 13 edition.

The cover of the May 13, 2024, issue of The New Yorker, by Mark Ulriksen.

This week’s cover, “Shotime,” by Mark Ulriksen. #NewYorkerCovers https://t.co/EMmb4c2ePg pic.twitter.com/ICy4pWfeek

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) May 6, 2024

The cover pictures Ohtani wearing his Dodger uniform while holding his baseball bat. The cover also depicts plenty of cash in Ohtani’s back pocket and is titled “Shotime.”

Ohtani taking over the cover of one of the most famous magazines in the U.S. offers another glimpse at the stardom and fame he has achieved. Ohtani has become one of the biggest, if not the biggest name in the sport. He’s also made some of the top headlines since last December, after earning the largest contract in the history of the sport with a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers.

In March, Ohtani was embroiled in a huge scandal in which his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, stole more than $16 million from Ohtani to fund his sports gambling addiction. This could also be the inspiration for the artist’s depiction of cash in Ohtani’s back pocket.

On the field, Ohtani’s play has certainly been cover-worthy. He is currently slashing .370/.434/.705 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs. He’s leading MLB in home runs and batting average, and setting team records left and right. Sunday, he went 4-for-4 with two home runs, breaking manager Dave Roberts’ record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player in Dodger history.

This is far from the first cover Ohtani has graced. Ohtani was recently the Sports Illustrated cover feature, and has also been on the cover of magazines like GQ, Time, and Baseball America.