Shohei Ohtani Deserves $600M 😱💰

We are Witnessing GREATNESS

Don’t take it for granted

On Tuesday, Ohtani hit two homers and struck out 10 Chicago batters in the Los Angeles Angels' 4-2 victory over the White Sox, adding another extraordinary performance to his already staggering résumé.

This was his first-ever career game with multiple home runs as a starting pitcher.

Just take a look at how crazy his stats are already this season:

Shohei as a hitter: HR 28 (1st), RBI 64 (1st)*, SLG .654 (1st), OPS 1.040 (1st), XBH 47 (1st), TB 200 (1st), R 55 (3rd), H 93 (3rd), OBP .386 (4th), AVG. .304 (7th)

Shohei as a pitcher: BAA 180 (1st), SO 127 (2nd), WHIP 1.04 (7th), IP 95.1 (8th), WINS 7 (9th), ERA 3.02 (9th), WAR (as hitter/as pitcher) 5.7 (1st)

Hopefully, you took my Ohtani American League MVP earlier in the year when the odds weren’t insane, but right now they are at -1450, so it’s not even worth it to take. 🤣

On top of AL MVP, I kind of like for him to win the regular season home run leader. He has been on a tear lately, clearly playing for the biggest contract in baseball history. Adding a regular season home run leader on top of MVP would definitely help in negotiations 👀.

Mike Trout predicts Ohtani's next contract will be between $500M-$600M. To compare, Trout has a 12-year, $426.5 million deal, which is the biggest in MLB history, but he thinks Ohtani will get more.

Just continuing to watch Ohtani's greatness shows how much he deserves to be the highest-paid athlete in baseball, maybe even in the world. Although, it could be a while before someone comes close to touching Lionel Messi's $674 million contract with Barcelona.

When it comes to acquiring superstar players with price tags as high as Shohei Ohtani's, only a select few teams can realistically afford him. The New York Mets, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the San Francisco Giants are among those teams.

Ari Meirov’s Top 10 Quarterbacks RANKED

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Before we continue, watch this 👆 video and reply to this email letting me know if you agree or disagree with Ari’s list.

I think the most arguable answer here is obviously Jalen Hurts at the No. 3 spot ahead of Josh Allen.

Why I disagree

In a strange way, Allen feels like the quarterback capable of challenging Mahomes for the top spot. And, at the beginning of last season, fans thought he was.

He also threw 14 interceptions, had some really weird moments, and suffered from lapses we didn’t see in prior years, which makes sense with a brand new offensive coordinator after Brian Daboll — who obviously made a larger impact on the Bills than people originally thought — left for the Giants. He also had no offensive line, one receiver, and the only running game was him running for his life.

On the other hand, Hurts was working with the best offensive line in the league, one of the best running games in the league, two great receivers, a great tight end, and an offensive coordinator that has been with the team for three years.

Allen is the better quarterback, Hurts is just in a better system. I still think Allen and the Bills bounce back this season and Allen brings home the MVP for Buffalo.

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The 2023 NHL Draft

Never forget this kiss during the 2022 draft😭

The 2023 NHL Draft may also be referred to as the Connor Bedard show.

The race to the bottom to land the superstar-caliber Regina Pats center was as much a focal point as the quest for the Stanley Cup in 2023. The Chicago Blackhawks won the right to choose Bedard at the Draft Lottery on May 8.

Bedard may be the grand prize, but he won’t be the only high-quality player available at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28 and 29.

Here’s a look at my mock draft ahead of the first round. Keep in mind that trades are likely, but aren’t accounted for in this, and most teams will draft the best player available since many won’t contribute to their teams until at least 2024.

1. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard, C, Regina (WHL)

When the Blackhawks landed the No. 1 pick, they received more than $2 million in season-ticket deposits in less than two hours.

That’s the type of prospect Bedard is: a landscape-shifting talent that alters a team’s trajectory overnight. Bedard had 122 goals and 243 points in 119 games in his past two seasons in the Western Hockey League and dominated the World Junior Championship with 23 points in just seven games for Canada.

We all saw what Connor McDavid did in Edmonton and what Auston Matthews has meant to Toronto. That’s what Bedard will do for Chicago.

He has the swag, confidence, and skills to be the next star in the NHL.

2. Anaheim Ducks: Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan (NCAA)

In any other year, Fantilli would be considered an option at No. 1. Instead, he’ll serve as the Jack Eichel to Bedard’s McDavid.

Still, the Ducks are going to land a smart, big, and highly skilled center at No. 2. The Nobleton, Ontario native won the Hobey Baker Award in 2023, becoming just the third freshman to win college hockey’s award for best player (Eichel in 2015 and Paul Kariya of Maine in 1993).

Fantilli led the nation in points (65) and shared the NCAA lead in goals with 30 while helping the Wolverines reach the Frozen Four. He also was a contributor, with Bedard, to Canada’s World Junior Championship gold this season.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro (Sweden)

Things get a little bit less certain after the top two, but Carlsson has emerged as the consensus No. 3 pick. Like Fantilli, he’s a big and highly skilled center who earned the top ranking from NHL Central Scouting’s list of European skaters.

Despite the fact he won’t turn 19 until December, Carlsson has proven capable of playing against men. He spent the past two seasons competing in Sweden’s top league and posted 10 goals and 35 points in 44 games this season as a 17-turned-18-year-old.

4. San Jose Sharks: Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA-St. Petersburg (KHL)

Some prospect analysts have Michkov as the second-best player in the draft, talent-wise. The 5-10, 172-pound wing had 25 points in 43 games in the KHL, widely considered the second-best hockey league in the world.

But his contract in Russia, which locks him in with SKA through 2026, is a problem. He’s not the first player whose stock will drop due to a contract in Russia, but just the most recent — you might remember Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was drafted in 2010 but didn’t make his Washington Capitals debut until 2014.

San Jose has two first-round picks, and 12 picks in this draft, and could bring in another first in a potential trade for defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Sharks are in full-on rebuild mode and can afford to take a flier on a highly skilled forward who will be NHL ready when the Sharks are ready to compete again in a few years.

5. Montreal Canadiens: Will Smith, C, USA-National Team Development Program

There’s a case for the Habs choosing defenseman David Reinbacher with this selection, but Montreal management couldn’t pass up the opportunity to choose Smith if he fell to them. The Massachusetts-born prospect is coming off a 42-goal, 104-point season for the NTDP.

Smith is headed for Boston College in the fall but would likely join Montreal after the Eagles season ended in 2024. Whenever he joins Montreal, Smith will make a dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle with top-line center Nick Suzuki for the next decade.