Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani inks endorsement deal with sports tech company Rapsodo as brand ambassador
Shohei Ohtani has gotten another sponsorship under his belt as the Japanese superstar recently inked a deal with Rapsodo, a technology company with a sports slant that was founded in 2010. The company primarily makes tracking devices that use both camera and radar to help gather hitting and pitching data.
Coaches in both the NPB, Ohtani's former league, and MLB, his current one, use this technology.
The two-way phenom is associated with several companies, and he's just added Rapsodo to the mix. The company recently developed a device that could track both pitching and hitting in one, something perfect for a player who does both. That's what spurred the interest in getting the Japanese star on board.
Now, the company joins the growing list who have joined arms with the two-way phenom. Perhaps the world's most famous baseball player, getting the former Angels DH onto a roster can pay massive dividends for the brand.
Shohei Ohtani talks about the value of Rapsodo
Shohei Ohtani is the first technology ambassador for Rapsodo, though they reportedly have 200 MLB players as professional staff. It's a widely used technology, and he will likely only make it more mainstream.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar reflected on what Rapsodo did for him and lamented the fact that he hadn't had it sooner via Japanese Times:
“I had been using Rapsodo for a few seasons and thought it was such a great tool; I only wished I had started using it earlier. I think to myself, ‘If I had something like this during my Little League years, how much better could I have been now?’”
Rapsodo has quickly become rather mainstream. In 2021, Baseball American reported that as high as 85% of its Top 500 MLB prospects use Rapsodo in their own data evaluation.
He continued via the Rapsodo press release:
“Mainly to quantify my growth as a player. For example, to check if I am making the correct hits on my swing, or to help me design a pitch that is difficult to hit. Having the ability to see the data and confirm it connects to my growth as a player.”
Ohtani also said he was using the data this season. He revealed that he's been comparing the data on batted balls to how they feel coming off the bat, and if that data matches, it goes a long way.
Even though he's not pitching, he is using it in his rehabilitation. The pitching data should match the intention the Dodgers star is throwing with, and being able to check immediately is a big part of the process of recovery. He will pitch again in 2024, and this data will help his return go smoothly.