How Much Do Baseball Players Get Paid?

It is no secret that professional baseball players get paid a lot of money. But just how much do they get paid? We break down the salaries of MLB players by position.

Salaries by League

Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in the sport of baseball in North America. There are 30 teams in the MLB, 29 in the United States and one in Canada. The MLB is made up of two leagues, the National League and the American League. Each league has three divisions. There are 15 teams in the National League and 15 in the American League.

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States. Major League Baseball teams are divided into two leagues, the American League and the National League. Each league is made up of three divisions: East, Central, and West. Major League Baseball players are typically paid according to their experience and performance. The minimum salary for a Major League Baseball player is $500,000 per year. The average salary for a Major League Baseball player is $4 million per year. The highest-paid player in Major League Baseball is Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who makes $35 million per year.

Minor League Baseball

Players in the Minor Leagues are paid according to the level of their league and position, with the lowest-paid players earning close to $5,000 per season and the highest-paid players earning over $100,000.

The pay scale for Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is based on a player’s year of service, with players who have more experience being paid at a higher rate than those with less experience. Players also receive benefits such as housing, food, and transportation allowances.

The MiLB salary scale is as follows:
– Players in their first year of service earn a minimum of $5,500 per season.
– Players in their second year of service earn a minimum of $6,500 per season.
-Players in their third year of service earn a minimum of $7,500 per season.
-Players in their fourth year of service earn a minimum of $8,500 per season.
-Players in their fifth year of service earn a minimum of $9,500 per season.
-Players in their sixth year of service earn a minimum of $10,500 per season.
-Players in their seventh year of service earn a minimum of $11,500 per season.
-Players in their eighth year of service earn a minimum of $12,000 per season.
-Players in their ninth year or more years of service can earn up to $25,000 per season.

Salaries by Position

The catcher is the field general of the pitching staff. He is responsible for handling the pitchers and coordinating the defense. A catcher’s importance to his team can be measured by his pitchers’ earned run average. The average salary of a catcher is $1,078,498.

Pitchers

Pitchers are the highest-paid position in baseball, with an average annual salary of $4.37 million in 2015. That figure includes all players who spent time pitching during the season, including starters and relievers. Of the 498 pitchers who were on active rosters or disabled lists at some point during the season, the median salary was $1.15 million.

The highest-paid pitcher in baseball is Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed a seven-year, $215 million extension in 2014 that included an annual salary of $33 million. The next highest-paid pitcher is Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers, who is set to earn $28 million in 2016 as part of a seven-year, $180 million contract extension he signed in 2013.

Catchers

Catchers are one of the most important and therefore, well-paid positions in baseball.

The average salary for a catcher is $2.5 million, but the highest-paid catcher in baseball, Joe Mauer, makes $23 million a year.

The salaries of catchers vary depending on their experience, playing time, and statistics. For example, a catcher who is new to the Major Leagues or who doesn’t play very often will make less money than an older catcher who is a starter or who plays nearly every game.

Catchers also get paid more if they hit well or throw out runners trying to steal bases. Some of the best-paid catchers are known for both their hitting and their defense.

Infielders

Infielders are the players who play on the infield, which is the dirt area around home plate. They include the first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman and catcher. The average salary for an infielder is $4.1 million. The top-earning infielder is Miguel Cabrera, who makes $30 million per year.

Outfielders

Outfielders are the players who play in the three positions farthest from home plate: left field, center field, and right field. The left and right fielder are often called the corner outfielders, while the center fielder is referred to as the center fielder or simply as the “center.” Outfielders must have good speed and arm strength, as they are responsible for stopping balls hit over their head and for throwing out runners who try to take an extra base.

The average salary for an outfielder is $3.2 million per year. The highest-paid outfielders in Major League Baseball make $20 million or more per year, while the lowest-paid make close to the minimum salary of $500,000.

Salaries by Team

The Yankees have always been known to spend the most money on their team, and that is reflected in the salaries of their players. The Yankees have the highest average salary in baseball, at $7.1 million per player. The next highest is the Dodgers, who have an average salary of $6.9 million per player.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are one of the most iconic baseball teams in history. They have won 27 World Series titles and 40 American League pennants. The team is also known for having some of the highest-paid players in the league. In 2019, the Yankees had a payroll of $241 million, the highest in MLB. The following is a list of the Yankees’ player salaries for 2019 (source: Spotrac).

Player | Salary
——-|——--
Gerrit Cole | $36 million
Masahiro Tanaka | $22 million
CC Sabathia | $8 million
Aroldis Chapman | $17.2 million
Brett Gardner | $7.5 million
Didi Gregorius | $11 million
Giancarlo Stanton | $26 million

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the team relocated to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. They played four seasons at Dodger Stadium before moving to their current home of Chavez Ravine in 1962.

Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox
2018 Salary: $127,839,643
2019 Salary: $130,058,409
2020 Salary: $144,531,661
2021 Salary: $157,733,333
2022 Salary: $162,433,333

Salaries by Age

The average salary for a baseball player varies depending on their age. In general, younger players make less than veteran players. The minimum salary for a player with 0-3 years of experience is $555,000, while the minimum salary for a player with 7-9 years of experience is $1,100,000.

25 and Under

The average salary for a baseball player is $4 million, but the range varies greatly depending on a player’s experience. Players 25 and under earn an average of $565,000, while players over the age of 40 earn an average of $2.8 million.

Players 25 and under are the lowest-paid group, with an average salary of $565,000. However, there is a wide range in salaries for this group, from the major league minimum of $500,000 to the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement of $850,000.

There are also a number of players who are not yet eligible for arbitration who make close to the major league minimum. Once a player becomes eligible for arbitration (after three years of service time), his salary usually jumps significantly.

26-30

26-30: $558,256

The average salary for a 26- to 30-year-old baseball player is $558,256, according to MLB.com. This is the second highest salary bracket for baseball players, behind 31- to 35-year-olds, who make an average of $592,409.

31-35

The average MLB salary for players aged 31-35 is $4.47 million. This is a decrease from the previous age group (26-30), which averaged $4.78 million. However, it is still an increase from the next age group (36-40), which averages $3.95 million. The highest paid player in this age group is 34-year-old Giancarlo Stanton, who makes $325 million over 13 years.

36 and Over

Players 36 and over generally make the least amount of money in baseball, with the exception of a few superstar players who are able to command high salaries even into their later years. The average salary for a 36-year-old player is just over $2 million, with the median salary being slightly lower at just under $2 million. However, there are a number of players who are able to command salaries well above the average, with the highest-paid 36-year-old player making more than $23 million per year.

Salaries by Experience

1-3 Years

Players with 1-3 years of experience in the MLB typically earn between $500,000 and $1 million per year. Salaries at this level are usually determined by a combination of factors, including the player’s performance, the team’s needs, and the player’s role on the team. Players who are considered “superstars” or “future stars” can often command salaries at the higher end of this range, while players who are considered “role players” or “utility players” will typically earn salaries at the lower end of this range.

4-6 Years

As players enter their arbitration years, they become more expensive. Teams have to decide whether they want to keep these players around long-term, or let them go in free agency. Players with 4-6 years of experience tend to make around $5 million per year.

7-9 Years

The average salary for a baseball player with 7-9 years of experience is $2,258,000. The median salary is $1,800,000. The highest paid baseball player with 7-9 years of experience is Albert Pujols, who makes $28,000,000 per year.

10+ Years

In Major League Baseball, players with ten or more years of experience are typically paid the most. These are the players who have “proven themselves” over time, and teams are willing to pay them a premium for their services. The following chart shows the average salaries for players with ten or more years of experience:

Avg. Salary by Experience
10+ years: $4,839,326

As you can see, players with ten or more years of experience earn significantly more than those with less experience. This is to be expected, as teams are willing to pay more for proven commodities. However, there is a wide range in salaries even among players with ten or more years of experience. The highest-paid player in this group (Zack Greinke) earns nearly $30 million per year, while the lowest-paid player (Clayton Kershaw) earns just over $13 million per year.