MLB · 2,957 CAREERS
MLB career earnings
$43,268,293,635 of MLB contracts, 1996 to 2044, led by Manny Machado on $490,560,896.
Every career the league has paid, ranked by what the contracts are worth. The figure is contract money and nothing else: basic salary, signing bonus, incentives and a trade bonus where a deal carried one. It is not a net worth and it does not include a single endorsement.
CONTRACT VALUE $43.27bn
PAID THROUGH 2024 $34.63bn
CAREERS 2,957
SEASONS 14
TOP TEN HOLD 9.4%
The fifteen richest baseball careers
Contract money earned, 1996 to 2044
Ten careers out of 2,957 hold 9.4% of the money. A league with a salary cap spreads the total more evenly than a prize-money sport does, and it still comes out this steep: the maximum contract is a ceiling on one man's season, not on how many of them he gets to sign.
The hundred richest MLB careers
Ranked by total contract money
| # | Player | Club | Position | Seasons | Span | Career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Manny Machado | San Diego Padres | 3rd Base | 23 | 2010 to 2033 | $490,560,896$490.6m |
| 02 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | Center Field | 21 | 2009 to 2030 | $480,440,125$480.4m |
| 03 | Mookie Betts | Los Angeles Dodgers | Shortstop | 32 | 2011 to 2044 | $425,634,598$425.6m |
| 04 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees | Center Field | 17 | 2013 to 2031 | $396,115,671$396.1m |
| 05 | Justin Verlander | New York Mets | Starting Pitcher | 20 | 2005 to 2024 | $394,254,888$394.3m |
| 06 | Miguel Cabrera | Detroit Tigers | Designated Hitter | 23 | 1999 to 2024 | $393,188,684$393.2m |
| 07 | Francisco Lindor | New York Mets | Shortstop | 28 | 2011 to 2041 | $385,290,428$385.3m |
| 08 | Max Scherzer | New York Mets | Starting Pitcher | 23 | 2006 to 2028 | $374,575,000$374.6m |
| 09 | Bryce Harper | Philadelphia Phillies | Right Field | 21 | 2011 to 2031 | $366,529,629$366.5m |
| 10 | Xander Bogaerts | San Diego Padres | Shortstop | 22 | 2009 to 2033 | $353,190,366$353.2m |
| 11 | Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | Starting Pitcher | 21 | 2009 to 2029 | $351,233,700$351.2m |
| 12 | Rafael Devers | Boston Red Sox | 3rd Base | 28 | 2013 to 2043 | $350,245,481$350.2m |
| 13 | Corey Seager | Texas Rangers | Shortstop | 18 | 2012 to 2031 | $349,690,784$349.7m |
| 14 | Trea Turner | Philadelphia Phillies | Shortstop | 20 | 2014 to 2033 | $344,887,950$344.9m |
| 15 | Albert Pujols | St. Louis Cardinals | Designated Hitter | 23 | 1999 to 2022 | $341,710,741$341.7m |
| 16 | Fernando Tatis Jr. | San Diego Padres | Right Field | 16 | 2019 to 2034 | $338,580,480$338.6m |
| 17 | Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | Starting Pitcher | 17 | 2011 to 2028 | $336,222,046$336.2m |
| 18 | Zack Greinke | Kansas City Royals | Starting Pitcher | 24 | 2002 to 2026 | $336,174,948$336.2m |
| 19 | Giancarlo Stanton | Miami Marlins | Right Field | 20 | 2007 to 2028 | $317,345,578$317.3m |
| 20 | Jacob deGrom | Texas Rangers | Starting Pitcher | 19 | 2010 to 2038 | $310,159,998$310.2m |
| 21 | Clayton Kershaw | Los Angeles Dodgers | Starting Pitcher | 17 | 2006 to 2023 | $291,176,411$291.2m |
| 22 | Nolan Arenado | Colorado Rockies | 3rd Base | 30 | 2009 to 2041 | $289,238,340$289.2m |
| 23 | Freddie Freeman | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1st Base | 32 | 2007 to 2040 | $285,739,279$285.7m |
| 24 | Anthony Rendon | Los Angeles Angels | 3rd Base | 16 | 2011 to 2026 | $278,427,240$278.4m |
| 25 | Yu Darvish | San Diego Padres | Starting Pitcher | 17 | 2012 to 2028 | $266,355,991$266.4m |
| 26 | Joey Votto | Cincinnati Reds | 1st Base | 19 | 2002 to 2024 | $262,542,838$262.5m |
| 27 | Carlos Correa | Minnesota Twins | Shortstop | 15 | 2012 to 2028 | $261,944,676$261.9m |
| 28 | Robinson Cano | Atlanta Braves | Designated Hitter | 19 | 2001 to 2023 | $252,050,096$252.1m |
| 29 | David Price | Boston Red Sox | Starting Pitcher | 15 | 2007 to 2022 | $248,042,498$248.0m |
| 30 | Kris Bryant | Colorado Rockies | Right Field | 15 | 2013 to 2028 | $241,020,737$241.0m |
| 31 | Christian Yelich | Milwaukee Brewers | Left Field | 30 | 2010 to 2042 | $231,335,613$231.3m |
| 32 | Felix Hernandez | Baltimore Orioles | 15 | 2002 to 2019 | $221,334,994$221.3m | |
| 33 | Austin Riley | Atlanta Braves | 3rd Base | 15 | 2015 to 2032 | $218,762,848$218.8m |
| 34 | Julio Rodriguez | Seattle Mariners | Center Field | 14 | 2017 to 2034 | $212,500,000$212.5m |
| 35 | Marcus Semien | Texas Rangers | 2nd Base | 17 | 2011 to 2028 | $208,863,653$208.9m |
| 36 | Cole Hamels | Los Angeles Dodgers | 17 | 2002 to 2021 | $204,443,666$204.4m | |
| 37 | Chris Sale | Boston Red Sox | Starting Pitcher | 20 | 2010 to 2039 | $204,195,275$204.2m |
| 38 | Carlos Rodon | New York Yankees | Starting Pitcher | 15 | 2014 to 2028 | $202,811,276$202.8m |
| 39 | Dansby Swanson | Chicago Cubs | Shortstop | 15 | 2015 to 2029 | $202,445,717$202.4m |
| 40 | Jon Lester | Washington Nationals | Starting Pitcher | 18 | 2002 to 2023 | $195,457,959$195.5m |
| 41 | Chris Davis | Baltimore Orioles | 1st Base | 30 | 2008 to 2037 | $194,931,522$194.9m |
| 42 | Adam Wainwright | St. Louis Cardinals | Starting Pitcher | 30 | 2000 to 2033 | $191,996,592$192.0m |
| 43 | Jason Heyward | Los Angeles Dodgers | Right Field | 19 | 2007 to 2027 | $191,609,278$191.6m |
| 44 | George Springer | Toronto Blue Jays | Right Field | 14 | 2011 to 2026 | $189,688,897$189.7m |
| 45 | Wander Franco | Tampa Bay Rays | Shortstop | 14 | 2017 to 2033 | $186,140,901$186.1m |
| 46 | Justin Upton | Los Angeles Angels | Left Field | 16 | 2006 to 2022 | $181,062,778$181.1m |
| 47 | Brandon Nimmo | New York Mets | Center Field | 16 | 2011 to 2030 | $178,376,276$178.4m |
| 48 | Matt Olson | Atlanta Braves | 1st Base | 15 | 2012 to 2029 | $175,720,715$175.7m |
| 49 | Jose Abreu | Houston Astros | 1st Base | 13 | 2014 to 2026 | $175,544,074$175.5m |
| 50 | Eric Hosmer | Chicago Cubs | 1st Base | 16 | 2008 to 2025 | $169,472,156$169.5m |
| 51 | Johnny Cueto | Miami Marlins | Starting Pitcher | 18 | 2004 to 2024 | $165,997,229$166.0m |
| 52 | Javier Baez | Detroit Tigers | Shortstop | 15 | 2011 to 2027 | $165,207,493$165.2m |
| 53 | Trevor Story | Boston Red Sox | Shortstop | 13 | 2011 to 2027 | $164,980,463$165.0m |
| 54 | Matt Holliday | Colorado Rockies | Outfielders | 28 | 1998 to 2029 | $164,647,770$164.6m |
| 55 | Yadier Molina | St. Louis Cardinals | Catcher | 19 | 2000 to 2022 | $163,373,380$163.4m |
| 56 | Paul Goldschmidt | St. Louis Cardinals | 1st Base | 15 | 2009 to 2024 | $163,158,606$163.2m |
| 57 | Jose Ramirez | Cleveland Guardians | 3rd Base | 17 | 2009 to 2028 | $163,093,362$163.1m |
| 58 | Jose Altuve | Houston Astros | 2nd Base | 15 | 2008 to 2024 | $160,945,289$160.9m |
| 59 | Ryan Braun | Milwaukee Brewers | 1st Base | 26 | 2005 to 2031 | $160,673,055$160.7m |
| 60 | Madison Bumgarner | Arizona Diamondbacks | Starting Pitcher | 20 | 2007 to 2027 | $158,182,222$158.2m |
| 61 | Kevin Gausman | Toronto Blue Jays | Starting Pitcher | 14 | 2013 to 2026 | $154,094,346$154.1m |
| 62 | Buster Posey | San Francisco Giants | Catcher | 13 | 2008 to 2022 | $153,840,000$153.8m |
| 63 | Aroldis Chapman | Kansas City Royals | Relief Pitcher | 14 | 2010 to 2023 | $152,816,491$152.8m |
| 64 | Josh Donaldson | Minnesota Twins | 3rd Base | 14 | 2007 to 2023 | $152,667,798$152.7m |
| 65 | Evan Longoria | Arizona Diamondbacks | 3rd Base | 17 | 2006 to 2023 | $144,852,890$144.9m |
| 66 | Patrick Corbin | Washington Nationals | Starting Pitcher | 15 | 2009 to 2025 | $144,270,452$144.3m |
| 67 | Nick Castellanos | Philadelphia Phillies | Designated Hitter | 15 | 2010 to 2026 | $143,942,249$143.9m |
| 68 | Jose Berrios | Toronto Blue Jays | Starting Pitcher | 14 | 2012 to 2028 | $142,070,943$142.1m |
| 69 | Ryan Zimmerman | Washington Nationals | 16 | 2005 to 2021 | $140,892,000$140.9m | |
| 70 | Charlie Morton | Atlanta Braves | Starting Pitcher | 18 | 2002 to 2024 | $140,653,564$140.7m |
| 71 | Kenley Jansen | Boston Red Sox | Relief Pitcher | 15 | 2010 to 2024 | $140,615,505$140.6m |
| 72 | Robbie Ray | Seattle Mariners | Starting Pitcher | 14 | 2010 to 2026 | $138,458,723$138.5m |
| 73 | Corbin Carroll | Arizona Diamondbacks | Left Field | 11 | 2019 to 2031 | $137,887,802$137.9m |
| 74 | Anthony Rizzo | New York Yankees | 1st Base | 16 | 2007 to 2025 | $135,065,422$135.1m |
| 75 | Nelson Cruz | San Diego Padres | Designated Hitter | 20 | 1998 to 2023 | $134,257,784$134.3m |
| 76 | Salvador Perez | Kansas City Royals | Catcher | 17 | 2006 to 2026 | $133,742,929$133.7m |
| 77 | Elvis Andrus | Chicago White Sox | Shortstop | 16 | 2005 to 2023 | $130,810,764$130.8m |
| 78 | J.T. Realmuto | Philadelphia Phillies | Catcher | 15 | 2010 to 2027 | $130,276,864$130.3m |
| 79 | Jordan Zimmermann | Milwaukee Brewers | 14 | 2007 to 2021 | $128,620,259$128.6m | |
| 80 | J.D. Martinez | Los Angeles Dodgers | Designated Hitter | 14 | 2009 to 2023 | $128,421,096$128.4m |
| 81 | Charlie Blackmon | Colorado Rockies | Right Field | 14 | 2008 to 2023 | $126,545,937$126.5m |
| 82 | D.J. LeMahieu | New York Yankees | 2nd Base | 17 | 2009 to 2026 | $125,237,660$125.2m |
| 83 | Edwin Diaz | New York Mets | Relief Pitcher | 24 | 2012 to 2042 | $124,447,647$124.4m |
| 84 | Starling Marte | New York Mets | Right Field | 15 | 2007 to 2025 | $122,342,076$122.3m |
| 85 | Andrew McCutchen | Pittsburgh Pirates | Right Field | 16 | 2005 to 2023 | $121,465,170$121.5m |
| 86 | Hyun-Jin Ryu | Toronto Blue Jays | Starting Pitcher | 11 | 2013 to 2023 | $121,382,407$121.4m |
| 87 | Luis Castillo | Seattle Mariners | Starting Pitcher | 11 | 2017 to 2027 | $121,203,464$121.2m |
| 88 | Yordan Alvarez | Houston Astros | Left Field | 11 | 2016 to 2028 | $118,935,607$118.9m |
| 89 | Zack Wheeler | Philadelphia Phillies | Starting Pitcher | 13 | 2009 to 2024 | $118,305,242$118.3m |
| 90 | Anibal Sanchez | Washington Nationals | Starting Pitcher | 18 | 2005 to 2022 | $117,315,374$117.3m |
| 91 | Pablo Sandoval | Atlanta Braves | 13 | 2009 to 2021 | $116,635,700$116.6m | |
| 92 | Joe Musgrove | San Diego Padres | Starting Pitcher | 13 | 2011 to 2027 | $116,450,904$116.5m |
| 93 | Scott Kazmir | San Francisco Giants | 17 | 2002 to 2021 | $116,447,000$116.4m | |
| 94 | Bryan Reynolds | Pittsburgh Pirates | Center Field | 14 | 2016 to 2031 | $116,155,725$116.2m |
| 95 | Byron Buxton | Minnesota Twins | Center Field | 15 | 2012 to 2028 | $115,314,417$115.3m |
| 96 | Craig Kimbrel | Philadelphia Phillies | Relief Pitcher | 15 | 2008 to 2023 | $114,275,188$114.3m |
| 97 | Miles Mikolas | St. Louis Cardinals | Starting Pitcher | 12 | 2009 to 2025 | $114,257,656$114.3m |
| 98 | Trevor Bauer | Los Angeles Dodgers | Starting Pitcher | 13 | 2011 to 2023 | $114,178,389$114.2m |
| 99 | Marcus Stroman | Chicago Cubs | Starting Pitcher | 12 | 2012 to 2024 | $111,463,544$111.5m |
| 100 | Ervin Santana | Kansas City Royals | 17 | 2000 to 2021 | $109,651,027$109.7m |
The hundred above are the top of a list 2,957 long. The full ranking carries every career we hold, down to the men who were paid for one season and never signed another.
What the MLB paid out each season
Every contract on this list, added up by year
$428m 11
$544m 12
$751m 13
$1.06bn 14
$1.49bn 15
$1.91bn 16
$2.46bn 17
$3.05bn 18
$3.67bn 19
$1.81bn 20
$4.25bn 21
$4.52bn 22
$4.98bn 23
$2.85bn 24
2023 is the biggest season on the chart at $4,978,848,175 across 1,211 men. Each column is a link to that season's payroll, ranked.
Career money by club
What the men on each roster have earned across their whole careers
This is career money carried by a current roster rather than a historical payroll: a man who earned nine figures elsewhere brings all of it with him when he signs. Every club has a page of its own.
Career money by position
What each job on the roster has been paid
| # | Position | Careers | Average career | Top earner | Total earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Starting Pitcher | 373 | $29,607,662 | Justin Verlander | $11,043,657,852$11.04bn |
| 02 | Relief Pitcher | 609 | $7,730,783 | Aroldis Chapman | $4,708,046,951$4.71bn |
| 03 | Shortstop | 258 | $15,746,095 | Mookie Betts | $4,062,492,481$4.06bn |
| 04 | 3rd Base | 124 | $27,897,432 | Manny Machado | $3,459,281,548$3.46bn |
| 05 | Right Field | 71 | $40,397,271 | Bryce Harper | $2,868,206,207$2.87bn |
| 06 | 1st Base | 90 | $30,808,515 | Freddie Freeman | $2,772,766,374$2.77bn |
| 07 | Center Field | 102 | $23,539,884 | Mike Trout | $2,401,068,205$2.40bn |
| 08 | Left Field | 68 | $28,170,499 | Christian Yelich | $1,915,593,931$1.92bn |
| 09 | Catcher | 203 | $9,191,975 | Yadier Molina | $1,865,970,993$1.87bn |
| 10 | Designated Hitter | 17 | $101,479,640 | Miguel Cabrera | $1,725,153,887$1.73bn |
| 11 | 2nd Base | 131 | $12,426,744 | Marcus Semien | $1,627,903,406$1.63bn |
| 12 | Outfielders | 193 | $3,348,779 | Matt Holliday | $646,314,263$646.3m |
| 13 | Pitchers | 457 | $807,718 | Jackson Jobe | $369,127,157$369.1m |
The average column is the total divided by the number of careers in it, so a position with a long tail of one-season men reads lower than the men at the top of it do.
How an MLB contract pays
The four things a deal is made of
- Basic salary 91.4%
- Signing bonus 8.5%
- Incentives 0.1%
- Trade bonus 0.0%
Basic salary is 91.4% of every dollar in the MLB file. The signing bonus is 8.5%, incentives 0.1% and a trade bonus 0.0%. The signing-bonus list ranks the careers where that second column did the heavy lifting.
Frequently asked questions
Who has earned the most money in MLB?
Manny Machado, $490,560,896 across 23 seasons between 2010 and 2033. He is on the books at the San Diego Padres.
How much have MLB contracts paid in total?
$43,268,293,635 across the 2,957 careers we hold, $34,627,412,924 of it paid through the 2024 season and $8,640,880,711 written into deals that run past it.
How concentrated is MLB money?
The ten richest careers hold 9.4% of everything on this list, out of 2,957 careers.
What counts as career earnings here?
Everything a contract pays: basic salary, signing bonus, incentives and a trade bonus where one was written in. Basic salary is 91.4% of the MLB total and the signing bonus 8.5%. Endorsements are not in it.
How many MLB players are still being paid?
245 of the 2,957 careers on this list have a figure against the 2024 season. 163 are owed money on a deal that runs past it.
Which club has paid out the most?
The San Diego Padres, $2,538,784,734 across 84 careers. That is the money earned by men on its books now, not a historical payroll.
Where to next
The seasons, the clubs and the rest of the league
Every season
Every club
- San Diego Padres career earnings
- Los Angeles Dodgers career earnings
- New York Mets career earnings
- Atlanta Braves career earnings
- Philadelphia Phillies career earnings
- Washington Nationals career earnings
- Colorado Rockies career earnings
- Boston Red Sox career earnings
- St. Louis Cardinals career earnings
- Los Angeles Angels career earnings
- New York Yankees career earnings
- Texas Rangers career earnings
- Toronto Blue Jays career earnings
- Chicago Cubs career earnings
- Milwaukee Brewers career earnings
- Kansas City Royals career earnings
- Chicago White Sox career earnings
- San Francisco Giants career earnings
- Houston Astros career earnings
- Miami Marlins career earnings
- Minnesota Twins career earnings
- Arizona Diamondbacks career earnings
- Detroit Tigers career earnings
- Seattle Mariners career earnings
- Cincinnati Reds career earnings
- Baltimore Orioles career earnings
- Pittsburgh Pirates career earnings
- Cleveland Guardians career earnings
- Tampa Bay Rays career earnings
- Oakland Athletics career earnings