Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the biggest money-making sports around the world. Whilst it may not be watched by as many viewers as say the FIFA World Cup, which averages an audience of 3.2 billion viewers, it is still a financial powerhouse. Teams such as the New York Yankees reached as high as second place in Forbes’ list of the World’s Most Valuable Sports Teams.
But whilst the Yankees may be worth a lot of money, $5.25 billion to be exact, what makes them so expensive? Branding and marketing is one answer. Another could be the history and number of titles teams have won. But one thing all teams get valued on are their players. But who are the most valuable of all those players? Here’s a list of the top paid talents in MLB this year:
5 – Manny Machado – Third Baseman for the San Diego Padres
The Padres’ Machado is the fifth highest-paid player in MLB this season, taking home $34 million per season. This is Machado’s third season in San Diego, and whilst his first may have not gone quite to plan, he had a terrific campaign in 2020, albeit cut short by the COVD-19 pandemic. He was so impressive he managed to finish third in the National League MVP voting.
He’s tipped to be a top 20 player this year, and if he emulates last season’s form, it’s easily possible. So let’s check out how he’s getting on so far:
4 – Max Scherzer – Starting Pitcher for the Washington Nationals
Scherzer is in his 7th season for the Nationals, and bags a tasty $34,503,480 which places him just above Machado in the top paid players list. Part of the reason for his high salary is that for years, he achieved an Earned Run Average in the 2.00s, but last season saw that rocket up to 3.74. Whilst it doesn’t make him the worst pitcher in the league, it was a drop in form. But 2020 was a turbulent time for everyone, so a drop in form can be forgiven.
He has stepped back up to the plate though in 2021, and is currently having his best season so far in terms of ERA of his entire career:
3 – Nolan Arenado – Third Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals
Earning a whopping $35 million per season, the Cardinals’ made Arenado the third highest-paid player in our list when he joined them from the Colorado Rockies in 2021. His last season was probably one to forget for him, as many of his stats hit a career-worst. But again, due to COVID-19, a full season wasn’t played, and on top of that, he was playing the 2020 season with a shoulder injury.
This season he is getting back to his best and is ripping balls with no issues. Just look at his stats so far this season:
2 – Gerrit Cole – Starting Pitcher for the New York Yankees
The second richest team in world sports have the second richest player in MLB, Gerrit Cole. Earning $36 million, Cole is the top paid pitcher in 2021. Due to the season cut short in 2020, Cole didn’t get a chance to prove why the Yankees signed him from the Houston Astros last year, but thanks to the full 162-game season he’s proving it now.
See how he is tearing it up this season with his stats so far:
1 – Mike Trout – Center Fielder for the Los Angeles Angels
One of the main reasons the LA Angels always get tipped to win in Free MLB Picks is because of this man right here. He is the highest paid player in MLB this season, taking home a colossal $37,116,667. A lifelong Angels player, Trout has more seasons with at least a 165 OPS+ than anyone else, including his legendary teammate Albert Pujols. And whilst he may not have managed to play a full season last year due to COVID, he’s certainly enjoying this season. Just check out his stats below:
The question is, will these top five be the same next year? With players like Mookie Betts performing to the highest level, and youngsters such as Ronald Acuna Jr. coming through, it won’t be long before some new faces reach the top 5 paid players list.
