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MLB

MLB

Despite no post season action, LA Angels win big on social media

The LA franchise fell short in their quest to make the play-offs but thanks to the Shohei Ohtani impact, the team enjoyed the biggest increase in new social media followers.

Paul Reidy
Paul Reidypaulreidy67
Sep 30, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a double against the Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome MironUSA TODAY Sports

The MLB play-offs are in full swing with the 'City of Angels' represented by current champions LA Dodgers. The city's other franchise LA Angels can take some slight comfort knowing that over the course of the regular season, the Angels acquired more new followers across their multiple social media platforms more than any other team in the league with many new fans coming from Japan after the 2021 boom of Oshu (Japan) born Shohei (Sho-time) Ohtani.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants is taken out of the game by manager Gabe Kapler #19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Oracle Park
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants is taken out of the game by manager Gabe Kapler #19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Oracle ParkEZRA SHAWAFP

The Angels Ohtani effect

Shohei Ohtani has proved this year that the hype ahead of his MLB debut in 2018 was not overblown but, while the Japanese two-way standout has arrived as a must-see player.

The 27-year-old Ohtani, because of his ability to pitch and hit at an elite level, has long been compared to Babe Ruth, who died in 1948 aged 53 and is still considered by many to be the best baseball player of all time.

The thing with Ohtani right now is he is a performance brand, he is not a personal brand," Ken Wong, marketing professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, claimed earlier in the year adding, "No-one has established what he's about yet and that's really where his greatest opportunity lies if he can take his performance on the field and extend that into personal characteristics."

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 03: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on before the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on October 03, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. Steph Chambers/Getty Images/AFP
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 03: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on before the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on October 03, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. Steph Chambers/Getty Images/AFPSteph ChambersAFP

MLB growth

In data provided earlier this week by Conviva, the 30 MLB franchises now top more than 124 million social followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube as of the beginning of October. Facebook had the biggest share of MLB audience with 45 per cent, followed by Twitter (30 per cent) and then Instagram (23 per cent).