Ronald Acuña, Shohei Ohtani Lead MLB in Jersey Sales at Midseason

Shohei Ohtani is well on his way to his second AL MVP award. But the Los Angeles Angels superstar isn't tops in the league in jersey sales, a designation that belongs to Braves outfielder and current NL MVP frontrunner Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves.

Per MLB and the MLBPA, data from MLBShop.com shows Acuña has ranked first in the league in worldwide jersey sales since Opening Day. Ohtani is in second. San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve round out the top five.

Acuña, a native of Venezuela, has been one of the most entertaining players in the sport since his debut in 2018. He has also added to his tool belt as his career has progressed with Braves manager Brian Snitker telling Sports Illustrated in May that “this is the best he’s ever been, when you consider his total game.”

With Judge still out due to a toe injury, the Acuña-Ohtani duo make a case for being the top two players in baseball.

Acuña is batting .331 on the season (first in the NL), with 21 homers (eighth), 55 RBIs (11th) and 41 stolen bases (first, by a wide margin). Atlanta (60-29) is 8.5 games ahead of Miami for the best record in the NL.

The Angels, meanwhile, sit a game below .500 at 45-46, five games back of the third AL wild-card spot. Yet Ohtani continues to display his two-way excellence.

The 29-year-old native of Japan is hitting .302 (ninth in the AL), with 32 homers (first), 71 RBIs (second) and 11 steals. On the mound, he sports a 3.32 ERA and 132 strikeouts, ranking 13th and third in the AL, respectively.

Ohtani also leads the majors in wins above replacement (6.5), while Acuña is second (5.0). They were named as the AL and NL players of the month for June, and will suit up for the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle on Tuesday night.

Barring an unforeseen slump, the Braves are likely to have home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs, and are positioned nicely for a run at their second World Series title in three years.

The Angels, still reeling with injuries including star outfielder Mike Trout, are in danger of missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season despite their star power. Last week, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history with three seasons of at least 100 hits and 100 strikeouts, according to ESPN Stats & Information.