Top 13 MLB Players Paid for This Year

Top 13 Highest Paid MLB Players of This Year

Let’s take a look at the top 13 MLB players’ salaries for 2022. Have you ever wondered how so much money is made in baseball? As local stations spend millions on broadcasting rights, they mostly profit from TV rights.

In terms of the teams, every MLB team has seen their salary decline.

With a $194,839,000 payroll, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the largest payroll.

New York Yankees and New York Mets are next with respective totals of $179,040,714 and $166,904,168.

The Cleveland Indians have the lowest payroll overall, at $23,555,000.

Additionally, there are commercials, promotions, and partnerships that also generate a sizable amount of money.

MLB, meanwhile, has suffered a $1 billion profit swing loss as a result of the 2020 epidemic.

Baseball is a relatively low-risk sport because it is an independent one.

MLB never allows contracts to be changed without prior notice, unlike other sports like the NFL.

The top 13 MLB salaries

Let’s first take a look at the list’s summary before delving further into each player’s salary and details.

The MLB official website served as the source for all the data in this article.

1. Michael Trout

• Team: Los Angeles Angels
• Position: Baseball center-fielder
• Salary: $37,166,667

American baseball player Michael Nelson Trout competes for the Los Angeles Angels.

He currently has the highest contract in North American history, a about $427 million 12-year deal.

Trout’s position and pay have significantly increased since 2019.

With a $33,250,000 salary, he was the third-highest player in terms of pay.

With an estimated salary of $37 million in 2022, Mike will be the baseball player with the greatest income.

He had already made a staggering $81 million before his contract even officially began.

In addition, when his contract expires in 2030, he will have made $508 million in total.

However, Los Angeles Angels reduced his pay from $36 million to $13 million in 2020 as a result of the epidemic.

Additionally, he makes millions of dollars via endorsement deals with premium companies like Nike, BodyArmor, and Topps.

2. Gerrit Cole

• Team: New York Yankees
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $36,000,000

Gerrit Alan Cole is the next player on our list of the top 13 highest MLB salaries.

A baseball pitcher from the United States named Gerrit competes for the New York Yankees.

One of the greatest pitchers to ever start a game of baseball is him.

2019 saw the signing of a $324 million, a nine-year contract between Gerrit and the New York Yankees.

Consequently, he earned an average of $36 million a year, making him the highest-paid baseball player at the time.

Cole received around $13.3 million in 2020 as a result of the epidemic, the same as other players.

Over the course of his career, Cole has made over $75 million in salary alone.

Nevertheless, he continues to drive a 16-year-old Toyota Tacoma because he thinks the vehicle is incredibly dependable and in wonderful shape.

Cole owns a $5.6 million mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, as opposed to his automobiles.

3. Jacob deGrom

• Team: New York Mets
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $36,000,000

One of the top pitchers currently pitching is the ace, Jacob deGrom.

In 2014, Jacob entered the Major League Baseball and played for the New York Mets.

Jacob’s career has advanced significantly since 2019, when he wasn’t even among the top 10 highest-paid baseball players.

He is also the third-highest player in terms of compensation in 2022.

2019 saw Jacob agree to a $138 million, five-year deal with the Mets.

The Mets have also inserted a $52.5 million deferral option.

In 2019, he received a $7 million raise to a $36 million yearly income.

After his contract expires with a $33 million 2024 option, the Mets are eager to sign him.

4. Nolan Arenado

• Team: St. Louis Cardinals
• Position: Baseball third baseman
• Salary: $35,025,000

Professional third baseman Nolan James Arenado for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Arenado joined the Colorado Rockies in 2013 and made his MLB debut.

When Nolan was traded from the Colorado Rockies to the Cardinals, he had a contract adjustment.

Nolan and the Rockies reached an agreement on an eight-year, $260 million contract in 2019.

Consequently, from 2021 to 2024, he will earn $35 million a year in salary.

In 2020, Nolan expressed dissatisfaction with the Rockies’ squad and asked to be traded.

In 2021, he was sent to the Cardinals.

Furthermore, when Nolan turns 36 years old in 2027, his pay will increase by $15 million.

5. Fifth Zack Greinke

• Team: Houston Astros
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $35,000,000

A Major League Baseball player with the Houston Astros, Donald Zackary Greinke.

Zack made his MLB debut in 2004 with the Kansas City Royals.

Zack’s net worth as of 2022 is $120 million, while his yearly salary is $35 million.

Zack agreed to a $206 million, six-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015.

Grienke made $191 million overall and $25 million in compensation in 2018.

The following year, his pay rose to $32 million, and that same year, he was moved to the Houston Astros.

His current total compensation is $35 million, which includes a $3 million bonus.

6. Stephen Strasburg

• Team: Washington Nationals
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $35,000,000

Stephen Strasburg is a pitcher for the Washington Nationals and is a professional baseball player from San Diego.

In 2010, Strasburg joined the Nationals and made his MLB debut.

Strasburg agreed to a $15 million, four-year deal with the Nationals in 2009.

Additionally, in 2016 signed a $175 million contract extension with them.

Additionally, in 2019 re-signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Nationals.

7. Max Scherzer

• Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
• Position: Pitcher
• Salary: $34,603,480

Max Scherzer, who earned $34.6 million, is now ranked number 7 on our ranking of the top MLB players with the highest earnings.

He is the pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Max agreed to a $210 million, seven-year deal with the Washington Nationals in 2014.

From 2019 to the present, his compensation has climbed from $15 million to $35 million.

Additionally, Max receives compensation from high-end sponsors like Nike and Rawlings.

He makes about $150,000 a year just from endorsements. His net worth is $50 million as of 2022.

8. Justin Verlander

• Team: Houston Astros
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $33,000,000

Baseball pitcher Justin Brooks Verlander plays for the Houston Astros.

In 2005, while playing for the Detroit Tigers, he made his MLB debut.

Justin agreed to a $180 million, seven-year deal with the Astros in 2013.

Then, in 2019, he agreed to a $66 million, two-year deal with the Astros.

He currently earns $33 million a year and was listed as the 61st highest-paid athlete in the world by Forbes in 2019.

He earns at least $1 million a year through sponsorships and endorsements.

Verlander has collaborated with a number of companies, including Breitling, Rawlings, and Supercuts.

9. David Price

• Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $32,000,000

On our list of the top 13 MLB players with the highest salary, David Taylor Price is ranked ninth.

2008 saw Taylor’s Major League Baseball debut with the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2015, David agreed to a $217 million, seven-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Consequently, it became the most lucrative contract in baseball pitcher history.

He consequently receives a salary of $32 million every year.

Additionally, Nike, Fanatics, Rawlings, and Topps sponsor and support him, providing him with income.

Additionally, David has created David Price IMAC Rehabilitation medical clinics in collaboration with the IMAC Regeneration.

10. Manny Machado

• Team: San Diego Padres
• Position: Baseball third baseman
• Salary: $32,000,000

Third baseman Manny Arturo Machado represents the San Diego Padres in professional baseball.

2012 saw Machado’s Major League Baseball debut with the Baltimore Orioles.

With a $300 million contract worth of money that extends for ten years and was signed in 2018.

Manny currently owns the record for one of the richest contracts. Additionally, it comes with a $20 million bonus.

With the money from his first legitimate MLB deal, he purchased a $180,000 automobile for himself in 2018.

Additionally, he receives at least $500,000 from sponsorships and endorsements.

Nike and Rawlings are two examples. Manny’s estimated net worth as of 2022 is $50 million.

11. Trevor Bauer

• Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $31,333,333

MLB player Trevor Bauer made his debut in 2012 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 2017, Trevor agreed to a $3.55 million, one-year deal with the Cleveland Indians.

Then, three years later, he agreed to another $17.5 million one-year deal with the Reds.

Trevor’s income has increased significantly each year.

The significant event occurred in 2021 when he signed a three-year, $102 million contract with the Dodgers that included a $10 million bonus.

He earned $38 million in his first year, which also includes a $10 million incentive that will be paid during the MLB season of 2021.

12. Clayton Kershaw

• Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
• Position: Baseball pitcher
• Salary: $31,000,000

Another baseball pitcher on the top 13 MLB players with the highest pay is Clayton Edward Kershaw. 2008 saw Kershaw’s Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2013, Clayton agreed to a $215 million, seven-year contract with the Dodgers.

However, he signed a new three-year, $93 million deal with the Dodgers the next year after becoming a free agent in 2018.

A $23 million bonus and an additional $1 million were inserted in the contract if he made 24, 26, 28, and 30 runs in each MLB season.

In 2019, he earned a staggering $3 million.

Additionally, he earns a minimum of $750,000 for each endorsement, with Skechers USA and Topps among his sponsors.

13. Miguel Cabrera

• Team: Detroit Tigers
• Position: Baseball first baseman
• Salary: $30,000,000

Miguel, a Venezuelan MLB player with the Detroit Tigers, is our last player.

In 2003, he debuted with the Florida Marlins.

He joined the Detroit Tigers in 2008 and is currently the first baseman for the team.

In 2008, Cabrera agreed to an eight-year contract extension with the Detroit Tigers that was estimated to be worth $153 million.

Then, in 2014, they agreed to another eight-year deal extension totaling $248 million.

Consequently, his annual pay would be $30 million.

Miguel also earns at least $500,000 annually from endorsements.

Adidas, Topps, and Franklin Sports are just a handful of his sponsors.

Also read:    Jordan Poole     Desmond Bane     Ilima-lei Macfarlane

Conclusion

Our ranking of the top 13 MLB salaries has officially reached its conclusion.

The majority of the positions are covered by baseball pitchers, to sum up.

Mike Trout, whose pay for the MLB in 2022 is $37,166,667, will be the highest-paid player.

The baseball scene is starting to pick up steam after the pandemic, and players’ salaries are expected to rise over time.

The top 13 players listed above will either maintain their positions or new players will take over.