Why Vladdy Jr. and Juan Soto moved Shohei Ohtani’s tea bottles at WBC press conference

A routine postgame press conference at the World Baseball Classic has suddenly become a viral moment in the entire baseball world. Moments after the Dominican Republic beat the Netherlands, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Juan Soto both walked into the post-game media interaction and casually moved aside bottles of green tea linked to Shohei Ohtani. This gesture caught the fans' attention, who compared the moment to the time when Cristiano Ronaldo removed Coca-Cola bottles during the Euro 2020 football match (now called the European Union Football Association, or 'Euro'), bringing up a familiar debate of sponsorships, athlete influence, and subtle rivalries in global sports.

Why were Ohtani's tea bottles on the table in the first place

The bottles moved by Guerrero and Soto were part of a promotional display for ITO EN's Oi Ocha, an unsweetened beverage brand, in which Ohtani is a partner and brand ambassador. The tea company has grown aggressively in recent years and signed deals with baseball properties in Japan and the United States. Ohtani, now one of the most recognizable global stars in the sport with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been one of the most visible ambassadors of the sport. Dominican NBA reporter, Joseph Alejo, shared the incident on his X and wrote, “Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero aren't hanging with the right crowd…”
International tournaments such as the World Baseball Classic also frequently have sponsor placements in the press conferences. Brands usually place drinks or products on the tables in front of the players to get the most camera exposure. By slipping the bottles out of sight before the questions began, Guerrero and Soto inadvertently produced a moment that overshadowed the actual postgame discussion. Neither player made any public comment on the move afterward, leaving fans and analysts to wonder whether the move was playful, strategic, or just an attempt to avoid advertising for a rival star's brand.

Echoes of Ronaldo’s famous sponsorship snub

The comparison with Ronaldo was inevitable. At UEFA Euro 2020, the Portuguese superstar proceeded to remove Coca-Cola bottles from the table and hold up a water bottle instead. The gesture became instantly one of the most discussed moments of the tournament, and even saw a dip in the company's market value. Baseball has had its moments when it comes to sponsorship, but rarely has them included stars as influential as Ohtani, Guerrero, and Soto. All three are among the most marketable players in the sport and are enormous draw cards for global brands.

That is why this brief press conference exchange became a more extensive discussion about branding, athlete endorsements, and competitive tension. With Japan and the Dominican Republic possibly awaiting in the future of the tournament, the viral clip has added another interesting subplot to an already star-studded World Baseball Classic.