The current highest paid MLB player is Shohei Ohtani with the annual salary of $70 Million. Baseball has always been America’s pastime, but in today’s era, it’s also one of the most lucrative sports in the world. With billion-dollar TV rights deals, sponsorships, and long-term contracts, Major League Baseball (MLB) players are now among the highest-paid athletes globally. From record-breaking free agent signings to franchise-defining extensions, the salaries of top MLB stars reflect both their talent and the league’s financial strength.
List of Top 10 Highest Paid MLB Players 2025
Below, we break down the highest paid MLB players in 2025, based on salary data from MLB and Spotrac, which tracks official player contracts.
| Rank | Player | Team | Annual Salary (2025) | Contract Value |
| 1 | Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Dodgers | $70 million | $700M / 10 years |
| 2 | Max Scherzer | Texas Rangers | $43.3 million | $130M / 3 years |
| 3 | Justin Verlander | Houston Astros | $43.3 million | $86.6M / 2 years |
| 4 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees | $40 million | $360M / 9 years |
| 5 | Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | $36 million | $324M / 9 years |
| 6 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $35.5 million | $426.5M / 12 years |
| 7 | Bryce Harper | Philadelphia Phillies | $27.5 million | $330M / 13 years |
| 8 | Francisco Lindor | New York Mets | $34.1 million | $341M / 10 years |
| 9 | Mookie Betts | Los Angeles Dodgers | $30.4 million | $365M / 12 years |
| 10 | Manny Machado | San Diego Padres | $31.8 million | $350M / 11 years |
(Data via MLB & Spotrac, 2025 season contracts)
Here is the list of the Highest Paid MLB Players of All Time
While current stars are cashing in, history shows a steady climb in MLB salaries:
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Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers): $700M, the largest contract in baseball history.
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Mike Trout: $426.5M, long-term extension with the Angels.
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Mookie Betts: $365M, Dodgers cornerstone.
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Aaron Judge: $360M, Yankees’ record-breaking deal.
Why MLB Salaries Keep Rising?
Several factors drive up contracts:
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TV rights & streaming deals: Multi-billion-dollar agreements with FOX, ESPN, Apple TV, and Peacock.
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Global star power: Players like Ohtani attract international audiences, boosting sponsorship value.
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No salary cap: Unlike the NFL or NBA, MLB operates with a luxury tax system, allowing big-market teams (Dodgers, Yankees, Mets) to outspend rivals.
MLB Contract Trivia and Interesting Facts About the Highest Paid Players
Let us explore some interesting facts about the contracts and Net worth of the highest-paid MLB Players:
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Baseball player who turned down $400 million: Juan Soto declined a $440M offer from the Washington Nationals before being traded.
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Any baseball player who is a billionaire: Not yet. A-Rod and Derek Jeter are closest through contracts + business ventures.
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The Baseball player who paid for Life: Bobby Bonilla, thanks to his famous deferred payment deal with the Mets, gets $1.19M annually until 2035.
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Baseball player just got a $700 million contract: Shohei Ohtani in 2023 with the Dodgers.
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First baseball player to be paid $100,000: Ty Cobb in 1921.
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How much money did Rickey Henderson make in his career? Henderson earned roughly $44 million over his long career.
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First $100 million baseball player: Kevin Brown signed a $105M deal with the Dodgers in 1998.
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Average MLB player salary in 1965: About $19,000 per year.
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