Baseball is an expensive business, and mega contracts via free agency are becoming more and more common, but just how much are the top players across the league pocketing each season?
Back in 1874, the highest-paid player in MLB was Fergus Malone of the Chicago White Stockings, whose salary of $2,800 would be equivalent to approximately $73,195.44 today. In 2023, New York Mets pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander top the list, each slated to earn $43.3 million this year.'
So from 1874 to now, who are the highest-paid players in MLB, and just how big are their checks?
Highest-Paid MLB Player by Year
| YEAR | PLAYER | TEAM | SALARY |
| 1874 | Fergus Malone | Chicago White Stockings | $2,800 |
| 1875 | Rich Higham | Chicago White Stockings | $2,200 |
| 1876 | Al Spalding | Chicago White Stockings | $4,000 |
| 1877 | Al Spalding | Chicago White Stockings | $2,900 |
| 1878 | Bob Ferguson | Chicago White Stockings | $3,700 |
| 1879 | Frank “Silver” Flint | Chicago White Stockings | $1,800 |
| 1880 | Adrian Anson | Chicago White Stockings | $1,800 |
| 1881 | Jim O'Rourke | Buffalo Bisons | $2,000 |
| 1882 | Monte Ward | Providence Grays | $2,400 |
| 1883 | Buck Ewing | New York Gothams | $3,100 |
| 1884 | Buck Ewing | New York Gothams | $3,100 |
| 1885 | Jim O'Rourke | New York Giants | $4,500 |
| 1886 | Fred Dunlap | St. Louis Maroons/Detroit Wolverines | $4,500 |
| 1887 | Fred Dunlap | Detroit Wolverines | $4,500 |
| 1887 | Charles Radbourn | Boston Beaneaters | $4,500 |
| 1888 | Fred Dunlap | Pittsburgh Alleghenys | $5,000 |
| 1888 | Buck Ewing | New York Giants | $5,000 |
| 1889 | Fred Dunlap | Pittsburgh Alleghenys | $5,000 |
| 1889 | Buck Ewing | New York Giants | $5,000 |
| 1890 | Hardy Richardson | Boston Reds | $4,000 |
| 1891 | Paul Cook | Louisville Colonels/St. Louis Browns | $2,000 |
| 1892 | Joe Gunson | Ba ltimore Orioles | $2,800 |
| 1893 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1894 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1895 | Jack Glasscock | Louisville Colonels/Washington Senators | $2,400 |
| 1896 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1897 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1898 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1899 | Victor Willis | Boston Beaneaters | $1,800 |
| YEAR | PLAYER | TEAM | SALARY |
| 1900 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1901 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1902 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1903 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1904 | Joe McGinnity | New York Giants | $5,000 |
| 1905 | NO DATA | – | – |
| 1906 | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland Naps | $8,500 |
| 1907 | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland Naps | $8,500 |
| 1908 | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland Naps | $8,500 |
| 1909 | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland Naps | $9,000 |
| 1910 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $9,000 |
| 1910 | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland Naps | $9,000 |
| 1911 | Ty Cobb | Detroi t Tigers | $9,000 |
| 1911 | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland Naps | $9,000 |
| 1912 | Roger Bresnahan | St. Louis Cardinals | $10,000 |
| 1912 | Jimmy Callahan | Chicago White Sox | $10,000 |
| 1912 | Hugh Jennings | Detroit Tigers | $10,000 |
| 1912 | Honus Wagner | Pittsburgh Pirates | $10,000 |
| 1913 | Fred Clarke | Pittsburgh Pirates | $15,000 |
| 1914 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $15,000 |
| 1914 | Tris Speaker | Boston Red Sox | $15,000 |
| 1915 | Fred Clarke | Pittsburgh Pirates | $15,050 |
| 1916 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $20,000 |
| 1917 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $20,000 |
| 1918 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $20,000 |
| 1919 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $20,000 |
| 1920 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $20,000 |
| 1920 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $20,000 |
| 1920 | Tris Speaker | Cleveland Indians | $20,000 |
| 1921 | Ty Cobb | Detroit Tigers | $25,000 |
| 1922 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $52,000 |
| 1923 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $52,000 |
| 1924 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $52,000 |
| 1925 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $52,000 |
| 1926 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $52,000 |
| 1927 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $70,000 |
| 1928 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $70,000 |
| 1929 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $70,000 |
| 1930 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $80,000 |
| 1931 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $80,000 |
| 1932 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $75,000 |
| 1933 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $52,000 |
| 1934 | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | $35,000 |
| 1935 | Lou Gehrig | New York Yankees | $31,000 |
| 1936 | Mickey Cochrane | Detroit Tigers | $36,000 |
| 1937 | Mickey Cochrane | Detroit Tigers | $36,000 |
| 1937 | Lou Gehrig | New York Yankees | $36,000 |
| 1938 | Lou Gehrig | New York Yankees | $39,000 |
| 1939 | Lou Gehrig | New York Yankees | $35,000 |
| 1939 | Hank Greenberg | Detroit Tigers | $35,000 |
| 1940 | Hank Greenberg | Detroit Tigers | $35,000 |
| 1941 | Hank Greenberg | Detroit Tigers | $55,000 |
| 1942 | Joe DiMaggio | New York Yankees | $43,750 |
| 1943 | Joe Cronin | Boston Red Sox | $27,000 |
| 1944 | Joe Cronin | Boston Red Sox | $27,000 |
| 1945 | Lou Boudreau | Cleveland Indians | $25,000 |
| 1945 | Joe Cronin | Boston Red Sox | $25,000 |
| 1946 | Hank Greenberg | Detroit Tigers | $55,000 |
| 1947 | Hal Newhouser | Detroit Tigers | $70,000 |
| 1948 | Joe DiMaggio | New York Yankees | $65,000 |
| 1948 | Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | $65,000 |
| 1949 | Joe DiM aggio | New York Yankees | $100,000 |
| YEAR | PLAYER | TEAM | SALARY |
| 1950 | Joe DiMaggio | New York Yankees | $100,000 |
| 1951 | Joe DiMaggio | New York Yankees | $90,000 |
| 1951 | Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | $90,000 |
| 1952 | Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | $85,000 |
| 1953 | Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | $85,000 |
| 1954 | Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | $85,000 |
| 1955 | Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | $67,500 |
| 1956 | Yogi Berra | New York Yankees | $58,000 |
| 1957 | Yogi Berra | New York Yankees | $65,000 |
| 1958 | Mickey Mantle | New York Yankees | $65,000 |
| 1959 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Gian ts | $75,000 |
| 1960 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $80,000 |
| 1961 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $85,000 |
| 1962 | Mickey Mantle | New York Yankees | $90,000 |
| 1962 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $90,000 |
| 1963 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $105,000 |
| 1964 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $105,000 |
| 1965 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $105,000 |
| 1966 | Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles Dodgers | $130,000 |
| 1967 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $125,000 |
| 1968 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $125,000 |
| 1969 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $135,000 |
| 1970 | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | $135,000 |
| 1971 | Carl Yastrzemski | Boston Red Sox | $167,000 |
| 1972 | Carl Yastrzemski | Boston Red Sox | $167,000 |
| 1973 | Dick Allen | Chicago White Sox | $200,000 |
| 1974 | Dick Allen | Chicago White Sox | $250,000 |
| 1975 | Hank Aaron | Milwaukee Brewers | $240,000 |
| 1976 | Hank Aaron | Milwaukee Brewers | $240,000 |
| 1977 | Mike Schmidt | Philadelphia Phillies | $560,000 |
| 1978 | Mike Schmidt | Philadelphia Phillies | $560,000 |
| 1979 | Rod Carew | California Angels | $800,000 |
| 1980 | Nolan Ryan | Houston Astros | $1,000,000 |
| 1981 | Dave Winfield | New York Yankees< /td> | $1,400,000 |
| 1982 | Mike Schmidt | Philadelphia Phillies | $1,500,000 |
| 1983 | Mike Schmidt | Philadelphia Phillies | $1,652,333 |
| 1984 | Mike Schmidt | Philadelphia Phillies | $1,989,875 |
| 1985 | Mike Schmidt | Philadelphia Phillies | $2,096,967 |
| 1986 | Jim Rice | Boston Red Sox | $1,964,423 |
| 1987 | Jim Rice | Boston Red Sox | $2,412,500 |
| 1988 | Ozzie Smith | St. Louis Cardinals | $2,340,000 |
| 1989 | Orel Hershiser | Los Angeles Dodgers | $2,766,667 |
| 1989 | Frank Viola | Minnesota Twins/New York Mets | $2,766,667 |
| 1990 | Robin Yount | Milwaukee Brewers | $3,200,000 |
| 1991 | Darryl Stawberry | Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| 1992 | Bobby Bonilla | New York Mets | $6,100,000 |
| 1993 | Bobby Bonilla | New York Mets | $6,200,000 |
| 1994 | Bobby Bonilla | New York Mets | $6,300,000 |
| 1995 | Cecil Fielder | Detroit Tigers | $9,237,500 |
| 1996 | Cecil Fielder | Detroit Tigers | $9,237,500 |
| 1997 | Albert Belle | Chicago White Sox | $10,000,000 |
| 1998 | Gary Sheffield | Florida Marlins/Los Angeles Dodgers | $14,936,667 |
| 1999 | Albert Belle | Baltimore Orioles | $11,949,794 |
| YEAR | PLAYER | TEAM | SALARY |
| 2000 | Kevin Brown | Los Angeles Dodgers | $15,714,286 |
| 2001 | Alex Rodriguez | Texas Rangers | $22,000,000 |
| 2002 | Alex Rodriguez | Texas Rangers | $22,000,000 |
| 2003 | Alex Rodriguez | Texas Rangers | $22,000,000 |
| 2004 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $21,726,881 |
| 2005 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $26,000,000 |
| 2006 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $21,680,727 |
| 2007 | Jason Giambi | New York Yankees | $23,428,571 |
| 2008 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $28,000,000 |
| 2009 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $33,000,000 |
| 2010 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $33,000,000 |
| 2011 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $32,000,000 |
| 2012 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $30,000,000 |
| 2013 | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees | $29,000,000 |
| 2014 | Zack Greinke | Los Angeles Dodgers | $28,000,000 |
| 2015 | Clayton Kershaw | Los Angeles Dodgers | $31,000,000 |
| 2016 | Clayton Kershaw | Los Angeles Dodgers | $33,000,000 |
| 2017 | Clayton Kershaw | Los Angeles Dodgers | $33,000,000 |
| 2018 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $34,083,333 |
| 2019 | Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | $38,333,333 |
| 2020 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $37,766,6 67 |
| 2021 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $37,166,667 |
| 2022 | Max Scherzer | New York Mets | $43,333,333 |
| 2023 | Max Scherzer | New York Mets | $43,333,333 |
| 2023 | Justin Verlander | New York Mets | $43,333,333 |
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