The name "Shohei Ohtani" and the word "record" have been linked so many times over the past few years that they've almost become synonymous.
Time to add another record to Ohtani's lengthy list.
On the eve of a scheduled introductory press conference with the Dodgers to present history's first $700 million athlete, Ohtani set yet another mark -- according to Fanatics, his No. 17 Dodgers jersey set a record for sales within 48 hours of a jersey release.
Ohtani jerseys flew off the shelves -- both physical and digital -- at a rate that more than doubled the previous record holder's, soccer megastar Lionel Messi. In third place is another soccer jersey, that of Cristiano Ronaldo. NFL quarterback Justin Fields' Bears jersey ranks fourth, and Phillies superstar Bryce Harper's No. 3 is fifth.
When Ohtani dons a Dodgers jersey for the first time during his introductory press conference Thursday, there will be countless fans already wearing the No. 17 in Dodger blue as they watch a new chapter of the superstar's legend begin.