Highest Paid MLB Players! Let’s have a look at the top 13 highest salaries of MLB players of 2024.
Have you ever wondered how baseball earns so much money? They make significant earnings through TV rights as local stations spend millions on broadcasting rights.
After the start of new season, new contracts have been signed and there have been rise in the MLB players’ salary and hence the payrolls.
Los Angeles Dodgers had the highest opening day payroll of the year, 2022, i.e., $277,108,333, which is a rise by 4.17%.
Dodgers is followed by the New York Mets in the second place and New York Yankees in the third with opening day payroll of $253,119,999 and $240,290,714 respectively.
Though, Dodgers had the highest opening day payroll, New York Mets experienced the most percentage of year over year rise of 25.81%.
Among all the MLB teams, Baltimore Orioles had the least opening day payroll of $30,221,116 and a decrease of 28.76% from last year’s payroll.
Moreover, there are advertisements, promotions, and collaborations, which also bring enough dollars. In 2021, MLB league accumulated a revenue of $9.56 billion which is almost 3 times than that of 2020.
Baseball, being an independent sport, there is comparatively less risk in baseball. The contracts of other sports like the NFL can get without prior notice, but this never takes place in MLB.
Top 13 Highest Paid MLB Players
Before we dive deeper into each player’s salary and information, first, let’s have a look at an overview of the list. All the information mentioned in this article has been derived from the official website of MLB.
Name of the Player | Salary |
1. Max Scherzer | $43.33 Million |
2. Gerrit Cole | $36.00 Million |
3. Anthony Rendon | $36.00 Million |
4. Mike Trout | $35.45 Million |
5. Carlos Correa | $35.10 Million |
6. Stephen Strasburg | $35.00 Million |
7. Nolan Arenado | $32.50 Million |
8. Corey Seager | $32.50 Million |
9. Trevor Bauer | $32.00 Million |
10. Francisco Lindor | $32.00 Million |
11. Miguel Cabrera | $32.00 Million |
12. David Price | $31.00 Million |
13. Mookie Betts | $30.41 Million |
13. Mookie Betts
- Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Position: Right fielder
- Salary: $30,416,667
Mookie Betts is an American national who plays baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He signed a 12-year contract extension with the Dodgers worth $365 million in 2020, which includes a $65 million signing bonus.
His contract with the Dodgers was then the second-largest baseball contract in MLB history.
In 2017, Betts initially signed a one-year contract worth $750k with the Boston Red Sox. A one-year $10.5 million contract was offered to him in 2018 and a year later offered a $20 million deal to stay with the Sox, but he signed a two-year $60 million contract with the Dodgers.
In his 9 seasons, he was reported to have stacked around $89.6 million from his salary. Alongside his earnings from the MLB, he also endorses some top-tier brands and adds fortune to his net worth.
Dodgers’ right-fielder is estimated to have a net worth of $50 million.
12. David Price
- Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Position: Pitcher
- Salary: $31,000,000
David is an American professional baseball pitcher currently playing for Los Angeles Dodgers. He was traded to the Dodgers by the Sox in the year 2020 for 3 years contract worth $48 million.
He signed a seven-year, $217 million contract in December 2015 with the Boston Red Sox. This was the most expensive deal for a pitcher until 2019.
Price was earning around $31 million at the Boston Red Sox and was offered an extra $1 million by the Dodgers, hiking his base salary to $32 million.
As his contract ends by the end of the 2022 season, many reports suggest that he will be retiring from the sports after a 15-freaking-seasons earning around $248 million throughout his career.
This American professional has a net worth of $85 million.
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11. Miguel Cabrera
- Team: Detroit Tigers
- Position: First Baseman
- Salary: $32,000,000
We have Miguel in the MLB players list with the highest salary, a Venezuelan MLB player who plays for the Detroit Tigers.
He made his debut in 2003 with the Florida Marlins. In 2008, he signed with the Detroit Tigers and currently plays as their baseball first baseman.
Cabrera signed with the Detroit Tigers a contract extension worth $153 million approximately in 2008, which ran for eight years. Then, in 2014, they signed another contract extension for eight years worth $248 million.
The Detroit Tigers had extended the contract of Cabrera through the 2023 season, committing a 10-year contract worth $292 million, vesting options provided. Therefore, making his salary a total of $32 million per year.
Furthermore, Miguel makes a minimum of $500,000 per year through endorsements. Some of his sponsors include Adidas, Topps, and Franklin Sports, to make a few.
Throughout his career with Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers, he bagged around $353 million until the 2022 season.
Cabrera’s net worth is estimated to be $125 million.
10. Francisco Lindor
- Team: New York Mets
- Position: Shortstop
- Salary: $32,000,000
Francisco Lindor is a Puerto Rico born, currently playing for the MLB team, the New York Mets. The Cleveland Indians drafted him in the first round, the 8th pick of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft.
In his last season with the Cleveland Indians, he collected around $6.5 million. In 2021, Francisco signed a 10-year worth $341 million contract with the Mets, including a $21 million signing bonus.
In the Mets team, he earns a base salary of around $32 million.
Lindor is estimated to have a net worth of $4 million.
9. Trevor Bauer
- Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Position: Pitcher
- Salary: $32,000,000
Trevor Andrew Bauer is an American professional baseball pitcher for the MLB team, Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bauer signed a contract of 3 years worth $102 million with the Dodgers, including a $10 million signing bonus.
He earns a base salary of $32 million, and with some add-ons, his total salary may be around $35.33 million.
Due to an off-field incident, Bauer has been suspended for the entire 2021-22 season.
Trevor has a net worth of $35 million.
8. Corey Seager
- Team: Texas Rangers
- Position: Shortstop
- Salary: $32,500,000
An American native, Corey Drew Seager, is a professional baseball shortstop for the MLB team, Texas Rangers.
He was drafted by Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.
Seager signed a 10-year contract with the Rangers worth $325 million, with a signing bonus of $5 million in 2022.
Corey will earn $35 million as his total annual salary based on his performance.
Seager is reported to have a net worth of $50 million.
7. Nolan Arenado
- Team: St. Louis Cardinals
- Position: Third baseman
- Salary: $35,025,000
Nolan James Arenado is a professional third baseman who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals. Arenado made his MLB debut in 2013 with the Colorado Rockies.
Nolan had a contract amendment when the Colorado Rockies traded him to the Cardinals.
In 2019, Nolan and the Rockies agreed to an eight-year contract worth $260 million with an extension. Hence, making his salary $35 million yearly from 2021 to 2024.
In 2020, Nolan felt unhappy with the Rockies team and requested to be traded. He was traded with the Cardinals in 2021.
Furthermore, $15 million will be added to Nolan’s salary in 2027 when he turns 36 years old.
This baseball player has a net worth of $40 million.
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6. Stephen Strasburg
- Team: Washington Nationals
- Position: Pitcher
- Salary: $35,000,000
Stephen Strasburg is a San-Diego based professional baseball player who plays for the Washington Nationals as their pitcher. Strasburg made his MLB debut in 2010 with the Nationals.
In 2009, Strasburg signed a four-year contract with the Nationals worth $15 million. Furthermore, in 2016 signed a contract extension worth $175 million with them.
Moreover, in 2019 re-signed with the Nationals a seven-year contract worth $245 million with a base salary of $35 million.
His net worth is estimated to be $100 million.
5. Carlos Correa
- Team: Minnesota Twins
- Position: Shortstop
- Salary: $35,100,000
Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop currently playing for the Minnesota Twins.
He recently signed a contract of 3 years with the Twins worth $105.3 million providing him an average salary of around $35 million.
Correa was initially drafted by Minnesota Twins in the 2012 MLB draft. However, he debuted with the Houston Astros in 2015.
Carlos’ net worth is estimated to be $7 million.
4. Mike Trout
- Team: Los Angeles Angels
- Position: Center-fielder
- Salary: $35,450,000
Michael Nelson Trout is an American baseball player who plays for the Los Angeles Angels. Currently, he holds the largest contract in North American history, with a 12-year contract worth $427 million approximately, with a signing bonus of $20 million.
Trout has seen a significant rise in position and salary since 2019. He was offered a base salary of around $36 million in 2020.
However, Mike was paid around $15 million in 2020, much less than the contract price of $36 million due to the pandemic.
Moreover, by the time his contract ends in 2030, he will have earned a total of $480 million.
Furthermore, he also earns millions from endorsements with high-end brands like Nike, BodyArmor, and Topps.
His net worth is reported to be around $140 million.
3. Anthony Rendon
- Team: Los Angeles Angels
- Position: Third Baseman
- Salary: $36,000,000
Anthony Michael Rendon is an American-born who is currently playing for the Los Angeles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Washington Nations from 2013-2019.
Rendon signed a 7-year contract worth $245 million with the Los Angeles Angels, which includes a $4 million signing bonus.
For the year 2022, his base salary was $36 million according to his contract. Also, in 2023, Rendon will earn a base salary of $38 million.
His net worth is estimated to be $40 million.
2. Gerrit Cole
- Team: New York Yankees
- Position: Pitcher
- Salary: $36,000,000
The following player on our list of the top 13 highest MLB salaries is Gerrit Alan Cole. Gerrit is an American baseball pitcher who plays for the New York Yankees. He is one of the best starting pitchers in baseball history.
In 2019, New York Yankees signed a nine-year deal worth $324 million with Gerrit. Therefore, making his average salary $36 million per year and the highest-paid baseball player at the time.
Like other players, Cole received $13.3 million approximately in 2020 due to the pandemic. Cole has earned roughly $75 million from salaries alone throughout his career.
Regardless, he still drives a 16-year-old Toyota Tacoma because he believes the car is highly reliable and works in good condition. Unlike his cars, Cole owns a $5.6 million mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut.
His net worth is reported to be around $50 million.
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1. Max Scherzer
- Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Position: Pitcher
- Salary: $43,333,333
Moving forward to number 7 on our list of top MLB players with the highest salaries is Max Scherzer, with $34.6 million. He plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers as their pitcher.
In 2014, Max signed a seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals worth $210 million. His salary was $15 million, which was increased to $35 million from 2019 until 2022.
Recently, Max signed a 3-year contract with the New York Mets worth $130 million and a base salary of around $43 million.
He is the highest-earning MLB player in the year 2022.
Max also earns through sponsorships from high-end brands like Nike and Rawlings. Through endorsements alone, he earns approximately $150,000. As of 2024, his net worth amounts to $120 million.
Conclusion
We have now come to the end of our list of the top 13 highest MLB salaries in the year 2022.
In conclusion, baseball pitchers cover most of the spots in the top list.
The highest-paid MLB player in 2024 is Max Scherzer, with a salary of $43,333,333, making it the all-time highest salary ever paid to baseball players in the history of Baseball.
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