Shohei Ohtani maintained his position as the top-selling jersey in the first half of the season, followed by Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge.
Last year, Ohtani made history as the first Japanese player to lead jersey sales while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. He then signed a record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.
This season, Ohtani has been limited to designated hitter duties due to elbow surgery. He was joined on the list by his Dodgers teammates Mookie Betts, ranked fourth, and Freddie Freeman, who ranked twentieth, according to Major League Baseball and the players’ association.
Harper did not rank in the top 20 last year due to a delayed start with the Phillies following Tommy John surgery. He transitioned to first base this season. Phillies shortstop Trea Turner ranked thirteenth.
Aaron Judge maintained his third-place ranking with a strong performance in the first half of the season. Juan Soto, who joined the Yankees from San Diego, ranked sixth.
Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves dropped to fifth place after suffering an ACL tear on May 26.
Other notable rankings include Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor at seventh, Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. at eighth, Texas shortstop Corey Seager at ninth, and Houston second baseman Jose Altuve at tenth.
Younger players Elly De La Cruz, a Cincinnati shortstop, and Adley Rutschman, a Baltimore catcher, ranked fifteenth and sixteenth respectively.
These rankings are based on sales of Nike jerseys from MLBShop.com since the opening day on March 20. Players who dropped out of the top 20 from last season include Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley of the Braves, Alex Bregman of the Astros, Julio Rodríguez of the Mariners, Mike Trout of the Angels, and Joey Votto, who signed a minor league contract with Toronto and was sidelined due to injury for over two months.
