MLB Average Contract Salaries Hit Record for 2026 Season, Top Team Spenders Revealed in New Report
Major League Baseball players are making more on average than they ever have in the past.
Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported Thursday that the league's average salary is now a record $5.34 million, which represents a 3.4 percent increase from last year. New York Mets slugger Juan Soto is the highest-paid player in the league at $61.9 million.
That's fitting since the Mets top all teams in spending:
| Team | Payroll |
| New York Mets | $352 million |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | $317 million |
| New York Yankees | $297 million |
| Philadelphia Phillies | $282 million |
| Toronto Blue Jays | $269 million |
| Atlanta Braves | $252 million |
| Houston Astros | $244 million |
| Chicago Cubs | $223 million |
| San Diego Padres | $208 million |
| Detroit Tigers | $207 million |
| San Francisco Giants | $196 million |
| Boston Red Sox | $194 million |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | $185 million |
| Texas Rangers | $180 million |
| Los Angeles Angels | $178 million |
| Baltimore Orioles | $161 million |
| Seattle Mariners | $161 million |
| Kansas City Royals | $143 million |
| Milwaukee Brewers | $124 million |
| Cincinnati Reds | $123 million |
| Colorado Rockies | $117 million |
| St. Louis Cardinals | $100 million |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | $100 million |
| Minnesota Twins | $97 million |
| Athletics | $90 million |
| Tampa Bay Rays | $89 million |
| Washington Nationals | $84 million |
| Chicago White Sox | $82 million |
| Miami Marlins | $76 million |
| Cleveland Guardians | $62 million |
Perhaps the first thing that jumps out from that list is the Dodgers not being on top given the discourse surrounding the spending habits of the two-time reigning World Series champions.
However, Blum noted they would be the highest-spending team at $395.2 million "if deals for nine players with deferred money had not been discounted to present-day value."
Given that metric, the Mets would be at $360 million with deferred money for just three players.
The increase continues a recent pattern, as the average salary has risen by 28 percent during the five-year collective bargaining agreement that is set to expire in December.
And that CBA situation is the cloud looming over the sport right now even after a thrilling World Baseball Classic and exciting start to the season.
If the league and Major League Baseball Players Association can't come to terms on a new one, there could be a work stoppage in 2027. That would bring the sport's momentum and rising salaries to a grinding halt, so there is plenty of motivation on both sides to avoid such a scenario.
For now, though, the average salary is on the rise.
