Joe Kelly’s wife Ashley relives Shohei Ohtani’s $100K Porsche gift after MLB brings back the moment

Shohei Ohtani surprised many people when he gifted a silver Porsche worth over $100,000 to Ashley Kelly, the wife of former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly. The gift was given in late 2023, when Shohei Ohtani was still a free agent and had not yet signed with the Dodgers. This week, the story came back into the spotlight after MLB shared the old clip again on Instagram.

Ashley Kelly responded by posting a fresh photo of the same Porsche on her own Instagram. She shared how the gift still makes her smile every time she opens the car door. Her post quickly caught attention from baseball fans, especially with Shohei Ohtani now being one of the biggest stars in Los Angeles.

Shohei Ohtani surprises Ashley Kelly with a Porsche during his free agency

The gift goes back to December 2023, when Shohei Ohtani was deciding his future after leaving the Los Angeles Angels. Around that time, Ashley Kelly openly supported the Dodgers’ push to sign him.

She even started a fun online campaign and later helped make room for him by giving up her husband’s old jersey number, No. 17.

Soon after, Shohei Ohtani gifted Ashley Kelly a silver Porsche, a moment that stunned fans. The car is valued at more than $100,000.

On Wednesday, after MLB reposted the old video, Ashley shared a new photo of the car on Instagram and wrote a heartfelt message.

“If you were wondering, I still chuckle or smile every time I open this car’s door to drive it. What a life. Thank you God. Thank you Sho & thank you to JK for throwing a baseball really well over all these years,” Ashley Kelly wrote.

She also joked about her long support for her husband, adding, “This clear chase of a wife stuck with your vet status for this very moment. So strategic. Obviously.”

Ashley Kelly also thanked MLB for bringing the memory back, writing, “Thanks for the trip down Winter 2023 memory lane.”

Just days after that gift, Shohei Ohtani signed his historic 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, officially joining the team in December 2023.

Joe Kelly changed his jersey number from 17 to 99 soon after Shohei Ohtani arrived. In December 2023, he told ESPN why the moment mattered to him.

“I wasn’t going to give it up to just anybody,” Joe Kelly said. “If Shohei keeps performing, he’ll be a future Hall of Famer, and I’ll be able to have my number retired. That’s the closest I’ll get to the Hall of Fame.”



Life has changed quickly for the Kelly family since then. On Sunday, Ashley Kelly shared photos from a family shoot at Wailea Beach in Maui, Hawaii.

The pictures showed Joe Kelly, Ashley Kelly, and their children Knox, Kai, and twins Crue and Blake, all dressed in relaxed beach outfits.

“To the next chapter & new beginnings. Happy New Year! Love, The Kelly Family,” she wrote.

In October 2024, when the Dodgers won the World Series, Ashley Kelly also posted praise for her husband. “3X WORLD SERIES CHAMPION, JOE KELLY. In complete awe of what my husband continues to do in baseball,” she wrote.

Joe Kelly officially announced his retirement on December 31 after 13 MLB seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago White Sox.

Even as that chapter closes, one silver Porsche still carries a smile-filled reminder of a special baseball moment.

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