MLB Power Rankings: Where Philadelphia Phillies and All 30 Team Payrolls Rank
Money makes the world go 'round, even (and especially) in Major League Baseball.
If nothing else, money makes baseball's offseason much more interesting, with teams handing out absurdly large contracts left and right to the likes of Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth and Cliff Lee.
The teams that contend year after year—the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies, among others—are among the biggest spenders, while those that always struggle or only occasionally have good seasons—the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Diego Padres and the Oakland A's, to name a few—spend only a fraction of what the former teams do on their payrolls.
Of course, more money doesn't necessarily result in more wins—just ask the New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
With that in mind, the following list is a ranking of all 30 MLB teams based on how much money each spent per win earned in 2010. Admittedly, there is much more to evaluating the success or failure of a franchise than just dividing its opening day payroll by the number of victories it earns, both in the regular season and the postseason.
That being said, there is still quite an interesting mix across the spectrum, with a remarkably large percentage of 2010's biggest winners coming from baseball's batch of frequently frugal spenders.
30. New York Yankees
1 of 30
$2,063,333 per win
It should come as no surprise that the New York Yankees graded out as the most frivolous spenders in terms of dollars per win.
The Yankees came into the season with a payroll of $206.3 million—easily the most in all of baseball—thanks to the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettite, Jorge Posada and Mark Teixeira, each of whom earned an eight-figure salary in 2010.
To their credit, the Bronx Bombers were rather successful, posting a combined 100 wins between the regular season and the playoffs.
However, such success is tempered by the fact that the Yankees weren't able to bypass the Texas Rangers for a shot at their second consecutive World Series title despite spending more than $2 million per win to do so.
Then again, the Yankees, by virtue of being the Yankees, need not necessarily justify spending so much, considering the depth of the pockets of the ownership.
29. Chicago Cubs
2 of 30
$1,958,120 per win
The Chicago Cubs rank toward the top of the majors in total payroll and dollars spent per win, despite and because of a poor record.
Cubs ownership spent about 60 million dollars less than the Yankees on players ($146.9 million), but spent only $100,000 per win less than the Pinstripers.
Of course, the Lovable Losers were considerably worse than the Bombers in 2010, finishing 75-87 in "Sweet" Lou Piniella's final season in the dugout at Wrigley Field.
Surprisingly enough, the Cubs had nearly as many eight-figure earners (six) as the Yankees (seven), though more of Chicago's best-paid hardly "earned" their keep, with Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome among those who disappointed ownership the most.
28. Boston Red Sox
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$1,828,621 per win
When it comes to bragging rights, at least the Boston Red Sox can claim to be more effective spenders than the New York Yankees.
Even if only slightly.
The Red Sox finished with 89 wins, six games out of the Wild Card and seven out of first place in the AL East.
Surprisingly enough, Boston featured only four eight-figure "fat cats" on its roster—Josh Beckett, John Lackey, J.D. Drew and David Ortiz—though all four had noticeably sub-par seasons.
And though the team's 2011 payroll may actually be lower than the 2010 version, the Sox's win total, and thus dollars spent per win, should improve thanks to the additions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.
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27. New York Mets
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$1,679,756 per win
Meet the Mets, greet the Mets and, if you stick around, beat the Mets!
That seems to be the motto of New York's other baseball team these days, with the fifth-most expensive payroll in the majors but only 79 wins to show for it.
Then again, take away Carlos Beltran's salary of more than $19 million and the negligible production it bought the team, and the Mets' money woes don't look so bad.
If only such a removal were that simple.
26. Seattle Mariners
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$1,612,732 per win
The Seattle Mariners entered the 2010 season with plenty of optimism thanks to the team's glut of quality pitching, led by eventual Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez and eventual Texas Rangers rental Cliff Lee.
Unfortunately, the team's shot at contention was ultimately wiped away by its sheer lack of any offensive firepower whatsoever, resulting in a miserable 61-101 record—the worst in the American League.
As such, Mariners management spent a gaudy $1.6 million per victory in 2010, though it's tough to blame Ichiro, the team's biggest earner at $18 million, for such a poor finish.
Instead, why not point the finger at fellow outfielder Milton Bradley, who commanded a salary of $11 million despite hitting a miserly .205 in only 73 games in 2010.
25. Detroit Tigers
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$1,516,850 per win
Speaking of high-priced disappointments, of which there is no shortage in Major League Baseball these days, the Detroit Tigers were, before the season, projected to win the AL Central, but came up a woeful 13 games shy of the Minnesota Twins.
Miguel Cabrera, the Tiger's best and most highly-paid asset, did plenty to earn his keep, hitting .328 with 38 home runs and 126 RBI.
However, his most financially successful 'mates—Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez and Jeremy Bonderman—struggled to make their money count, due to concerns both on and off the field.
24. Philadelphia Phillies
7 of 30
$1,377,935 per win
The Phillies did plenty to justify their plump paychecks in 2010, piling up 102 wins between the regular season and the playoffs despite falling short of reaching the World Series for a third consecutive October.
Though, to be fairly critical, the team did take on Roy Oswalt's hefty $15 million salary midseason.
Philadelphia's payroll figures to increase only marginally in 2011, with Cliff Lee's big contract filling in Jayson Werth's place on the franchise's balance sheet, though the team's potentially dominant rotation should improve its winning value.
23. Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim
8 of 30
$1,312,670 per win
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim weren't terrible in 2010, but they didn't exactly set the AL West on fire with an 80-82 record.
The Halos were fairly modest spenders, that is, if you ignore the $18.5 million that Torii Hunter made at the ripe old age of 35.
Whether the team's win total, or even win value, would have improved without Hunter manning center field is debatable.
22. Chicago White Sox
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$1,230,377 per win
The Chicago White Sox may play in a rough part of town, but the team's payroll suggests otherwise.
The South Siders, at 88-74, finished second in the AL Central behind the Twins, result that weren't particularly desirable for a team that shelled out more than $108 million to its players.
The mid-season addition of Manny Ramirez did little to help the team's performance or its win value, and neither did the sub-par seasons of fellow eight-figure heads Mark Buehrle and Jake Peavy.
21. Baltimore Orioles
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$1,236,553 per win
Another year, another finish in the basement of the AL East for the Baltimore Orioles, though such placement was far from a bargain.
The O's finished the 2010 season with a miserable 66-96 record, a whopping 30 games out of first place in the division.
Without the bloated salaries of Kevin Millwood ($12 million) and Julio Lugo ($9.25 million) on the books, Baltimore would have paid considerably less per win and might have even come out on top a few times more.
20. Houston Astros
11 of 30
$1,215,203 per win
Like the Orioles, the Houston Astros saw their win value victimized by a bad apple contract and a paucity of wins.
The 'Stros finished third in the NL Central with a record of 76-86 and a payroll of $92.4 million, inflated by the overblown deal of Carlos Lee ($19 million).
Sorry to break it to you, Houston fans, but adding Bill Hall for $3 million doesn't figure to make things much better, if at all.
19. Los Angeles Dodgers
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$1,186,818 per game
Bring up the phrases "Los Angeles Dodgers" and "money" in the same sentence and most people would think of the fiasco known officially as the McCourt divorce.
While Frank and Jamie McCourt squabbled over money and ownership of the franchise off the field, the Dodgers didn't fail to disappoint on the field, finishing fourth in the NL West by virtue of an 80-82 record.
Manny Ramirez's huge salary certainly didn't help any, though letting him walk to the White Sox relieved the burden somewhat in the end.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers were still on the hook for Hiroki Kuroda's salary, which exceeded $15 million, bumping the team's win value further past the $1 million mark.
18. St. Louis Cardinals
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$1,087,683 per win
The St. Louis Cardinals had some terrific performances on the field last season, just not enough as a team to beat out the Cincinnati Reds for the NL Central crown.
The Cards sunk plenty of money into their pitching and it certainly showed on the stat sheet, with the likes of Chris Carpenter ($15.8 million), Jeff Suppan ($12.75 million), Kyle Lohse ($9.2 million) and mid-season addition Jake Westbrook ($11 million) combining with NL Cy Young runner-up Adam Wainwright to form the fifth-most effective staff in all of baseball and a team ERA of 3.57.
Not to mention the fact that Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday cost Cardinals ownership a whopping $30 million combined (though still $3 million less than A-Rod made in 2010).
Despite all that money spent on a non-playoff team, don't expect St. Louis to stop spending to convince Pujols to stick around, as made evident by the team's offseason acquisition of Lance Berkman ($14.5 million).
17. Kansas City Royals
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$1,078,622 per win
Keeping things in the state of Missouri, the Kansas City Royals spent about $9 dollars less per win in 2010, but won far fewer games than their Show-Me State siblings.
To no one's surprise, the Royals finished at the bottom of the AL Central standings with a record of 67-96, boasting a roster of lightly-paid youngsters and moderate-millionaire veterans.
Until you get to Gil Meche, of course, at $12.4 million.
Wait, what? Gil Meche? The same Gil Meche who still pitched for the club despite an ERA of 5.69 and a WHIP of 1.67?
Yes, and that's why it's so important that small market teams spend their money wisely.
16. Milwaukee Brewers
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$1,053,354 per win
The Midwest has taken over the middle of this list, and the domination continues with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brew Crew hovered around .500 in the NL Central early on before dropping to 77-85 for a third-place finish in the division.
With a total player payroll just over $81 million, the Brewers weren't entirely replete with top earners, though Prince Fielder ($11 million), Randy Wolf ($8.8 million) and Trevor Hoffman ($7.5 million) combined for nearly a third of the team's personnel expenses.
Milwaukee looks poised to make a run at the postseason in 2011 now that Zack Greinke is on board. However, if things don't work out early and often, don't be surprised to see the Brewers start rebuilding again, with Fielder and Greinke primed to move.
15. Minnesota Twins
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$1,037,799 per win
Despite constant player turnover due to a restrictive budget, the Minnesota Twins seem to be in contention for a spot in the playoffs every other year or so, and are almost always competitive in the AL Central.
Unfortunately, 94 wins and a division title far from guarantees postseason success, as shown in 2010 when the Twins were once again swept in the first round by the big-budget New York Yankees.
Fortunately for Twins fans, team ownership has finally begun to commit serious money to its best players, starting with all-everything catcher Joe Mauer ($12.5 million) and former MVP Justin Morneau ($15 million).
14. Colorado Rockies
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$1,014,783 per win
There was a period of time during the 2010 MLB season when the Colorado Rockies looked like a serious threat to come out of the NL West.
Jim Tracy's club was in hot pursuit of the Padres and the Giants, thanks to the stellar play of bargain-basement youngsters like Ubaldo Jimenez ($1.25 million), Troy Tulowitzki ($3.5 million) and Carlos Gonzalez ($400,000).
However, the declining performance of big-money guys like Todd Helton ($17.78 million) and Aaron Cook ($9.6 million) kept the Rockies from earning even more bang for their buck in terms of dollars per win.
13. San Francisco Giants
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$949,794 per win
The San Francisco Giants came into the 2010 season with baseball's 10th highest payroll at $97.8 million, but still managed to win enough to come in at just under $1 million per victory.
Oh, and they won the World Series, which certainly helps.
What is most fascinating about the Giants' fantastic run to the franchise's first championship since moving west from New York is that its two highest-paid players—Barry Zito ($18.5 million) and Aaron Rowand ($13.6 million)—contributed little, if anything, to the team's trek to the top, and their third-most expensive player, Jose Guillen ($12 million), came over from Kansas City midseason.
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
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$934,125 per win
The Arizona Diamondbacks spent just a bit less per win than the Giants, but won a whole lot less than their NL West rivals.
It certainly helps that the D-Backs had the sixth-lowest opening day payroll in all of baseball, checking in at just under $61 million overall.
Take away the team's highest-paid player—Brandon Webb ($8.5 million)—who pitched in only game in 2010, and Arizona's win value matches up more closely with its payroll ranking.
11. Atlanta Braves
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$917,648 per win
Count the Atlanta Braves among the bevy of teams in 2010 that succeeded without spending $100 million on personnel.
Bobby Cox's last squad got plenty of solid play from Derek Lowe ($15 million) and Derrek Lee ($13.25 million), though long-time Brave Chipper Jones ($14 million) labored through 95 games in what, at times, looked to be his final season of professional baseball.
Despite the team's success in 2010, Atlanta may be in for a tough season in 2011, especially with the Phillies fielding perhaps their most dominant team in recent memory and without Bobby Cox around to guide a talented but youthful team.
10. Washington Nationals
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$890,217 per win
At $61.43 million, the Washington Nationals' 2010 payroll was among the lowest in the Majors but is sure to grow with the addition of All-Star outfield Jayson Werth and his monstrous seven-year, $126 million contract.
The Nats had something of a trying season, watching pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg electrify fans in D.C. before blowing out his right elbow.
Despite only 69 wins and a dearth of MLB-ready talent, Washington management made a big splash in the free-agent market with the Werth signing and might just be adding more cash to their payroll in anticipation of Strasburg's return and the arrival of 2010 top-pick Bryce Harper.
9. Cleveland Indians
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$887,014 per win
Jacobs Field may not be rockin' like it used to back in the days of Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez, but the Cleveland Indians should find themselves back in the mix in a couple years once the club has been rebuilt.
Like so many small market teams do, the Indians took their lumps this year, relying on a bevy of low-salaried youngsters to post a paltry 69 wins for a team with a payroll just over $61.2 million.
The one big factor working against a revival along Lake Erie is the presence of first basemen/designated hitter Travis Hafner, a veteran and former slugger whose best days are well behind him, though his salary ($11.5 million) would suggest otherwise.
8. Cincinnati Reds
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$795,457 per win
Of course, not all was bad in the world of baseball in the state of Ohio in 2010.
One need look no further than the Cincinnati Reds, the team that surprised everyone by overtaking the likes of the Cardinals and the Brewers to win the NL Central by a fairly comfortable margin.
The team's modest payroll ($72.4 million) combined with its on-field success (91 wins) made the Reds among the best franchises in baseball in 2010 when considering both win value and actual, tangible prosperity.
Give credit to Dusty Baker for leading a team whose most expensive assets were Bronson Arroyo ($11.63 million) and Francisco Cordero ($12.13 million).
7. Toronto Blue Jays
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$737,521 per win
Though not quite as successful overall as the Cincinnati Reds, the Toronto Blue Jays were still one of baseball's biggest surprises in 2010.
The Jays posted 85 wins in Cito Gaston's swan-song season, not nearly enough to keep them in the picture in the AL East, but more than enough to capture the attention of baseball fans across the country.
Much of that attention was diverted toward the team's offense, which led the majors with 257 home runs, thanks in large part to the emergence of Jose Bautista, who had 54 bombs by himself.
With Vernon Wells returning to a level of play in 2010 that more closely reflects his salary ($15.7 million) and a rotation filled with young talent, the Jays look primed to contend in the near future, though general manager Alex Anthopolous has insisted that he will not add veterans at the expense of his prospects and the future potential of the franchise.
6. Tampa Bay Rays
25 of 30
$733,912 per win
If the Blue Jays are going to contend in the AL East, they may want to ask the Tampa Bay Rays for the secret formula for overcoming the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in the division.
So how is it that the Rays were AL East champions in two out of three years while still sporting a payroll just shy of $72 million?
First and foremost, Tampa has some of the best young pitchers at bargain basement prices, led by David Price ($1.8 million), Matt Garza ($3.35 million) and J.P. Howell ($1.8 million).
However, with the departures of Carl Crawford and Rafael Soriano, the Rays may have a bit more trouble hanging on against the heavy hitters in their division.
5. Florida Marlins
26 of 30
$695,518 per win
The Rays may win more often than the Florida Marlins, but their in-state counterparts still manage to win at a cheaper clip.
Interestingly enough, the Marlins are one of few squads in the majors whose payroll ranking ($55.64 million) matches its win value ranking, at fifth-cheapest in all of baseball.
The Marlins hung around in the NL East for a bit before finishing the season at 80-82. The addition of Javier Vazquez should prove to be an upgrade to the team's starting pitching to help the Marlins compete while they can still afford the talents of Hanley Ramirez ($7 million).
4. Oakland A's
27 of 30
$637,714 per win
It's no surprise to find the Oakland A's listed as one of the most value-conscious teams in terms of dollars per win.
After all, Oakland general manager Billy Beane is the man who made the "Moneyball" philosophy famous, focusing on a variety of statistical matrices to determine how best to keep a small market team like the A's competitive.
And though the A's once again failed to make the playoffs in 2010, they did finish 81-81, good enough for a second-place finish in the AL West, despite their most expensive player, Eric Chavez ($12.5 million), playing only 33 games while succumbing to his annual rash of injuries.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
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$613,035 per win
It's almost unfair that the Pittsburgh Pirates should be so high on this list, considering yet another miserable season for the team.
To say that the team gets so much bang for its "Buc" is almost encouraging its stingy ownership to continue its long-held practices, despite finishing at the bottom of the NL Central once again with a major league-worst 57-105 record.
Unfortunately for the rest of the baseball world, the Pirates weren't quite as involved at the trade deadline as they usually are, having already exhausted their supply of valuable but slightly-expensive veterans in exchange for even more cheap prospects.
Perhaps the Pittsburgh fans will one day get his or her due when Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones finally lead the Bucs back to the World Series...
Or not.
2. Texas Rangers
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$563,781 per win
So how is it that baseball's second-most frugal team in terms of dollars per win was also its second-most successful in 2010?
After years of mixing and matching, trying and tribulating, the Texas Rangers and general manager Jon Daniels finally found a way to combine the club's prodigious run-scoring ability with some steady pitching at the Ballpark in Arlington.
The Rangers relied heavily on the tossing talents of C.J. Wilson ($3.1 million), Tommy Hunter ($410,000) and Neftali Feliz ($402,000) to carry them into the AL West lead until the arrival of Cliff Lee, who made his presence felt in Texas' thrilling run to the World Series.
Expect the Rangers to add salary slowly but surely now that legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan is in charge.
1. San Diego Padres
30 of 30
$419,992 per win
The San Diego Padres may be in the running for both best and worst year for a baseball franchise in 2010.
Clearly the Padres played far better than anyone expected them to, going from NL West bottom-feeders in the preseason to holding down first place for most of the schedule, despite a miserly payroll of $37.8 million on opening day.
That being said, things only went downhill from September on, with the Pads getting jumped by the Giants in the division and the Braves in the Wild Card while finishing with a 90-72 record, the best of any team that did not make the postseason in 2010.
Adding insult to injury, San Diego GM Jed Hoyer traded away Adrian Gonzalez, easily the club's best player and a native San Diegoite...errr, San Diegoan...I mean, San Diegan, to the Boston Red Sox.
Thus, the story continues as it always has in baseball, with the rich getting richer and the poor getting inexorably poorer.
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