Before the 2023 World Baseball Classic, some people were still unconvinced about the tournament’s punch, popularity, and staying power.
Those concerns were very much alleviated.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic has been a huge hit, for many reasons.
Games were scheduled in the right venues with the right communities and crowds, social media has been full of interactions, videos, and WBC-related content, and excitement has reached all-time high levels.
The WBC boom has resulted in the Los Angeles Angels‘ Shohei Ohtani reaching an incredibly high number.
No, it’s not money; and, it isn’t stats either.
It’s Instagram followers.
Yes!
It might sound frivolous to some, but it’s actually very important for each player’s personal brand and business ventures.
“Shohei Ohtani just became the first player in MLB history to cross 4 million followers on Instagram. He has added 2 million followers since the WBC began and now has 2x more followers than any other MLB player (Mike Tout is #2 with 2 million). The WBC has been GREAT for MLB,” Joe Pompliano tweeted.
Shohei Ohtani just became the first player in MLB history to cross 4 million followers on Instagram.
He has added 2 million followers since the WBC began and now has 2x more followers than any other MLB player (Mike Tout is #2 with 2 million).
The WBC has been GREAT for MLB. pic.twitter.com/ZCjON3CsHL
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 21, 2023
We all thought Ohtani would help the WBC increase its popularity.
Little did we know that it would actually be the other way around.
Yes, the WBC has made Ohtani more popular.
Players and people from other countries got to know him and now follow him on social media.
This is actually huge for MLB and makes Ohtani the unquestioned face of the league.
Four million followers is actually very impressive for an athlete, and any growth that has to do with MLB should be celebrated by fans.
NEXT: Angels Manager Details Shohei Ohtani's Tuesday Availability
