MLB Average Salary Rose 14.8% To Record $4.22M Last Season

NEW YORK MLB – Following the end of the lockout, the average salary in Major League Baseball increased 14.8% to a record $4.22 million, boosted by large contracts for Max Scherzer, Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, and Corey Seager.

According to final calculations by the players’ association, the rate of increase was the highest since a 17.7% increase in 2000 to $1.61 million.

Before 2022, the average had dropped in the previous four seasons, causing player resentment, expressed by the union during a 99-day lockout last March.

The union calculated the average salary last year to be $4,222,193, up from $3,679,335 in 2021. Using a slightly different method, MLB calculated the average at $4,117,472, up 15% from $3,579,341 in 2021.

Payrolls, a more comprehensive reflection of spending, increased 12.6% to $4.56 billion from $4.05 billion.

Salaries have risen during the offseason. The Mets have increased their payroll to a projected $370 million, breaking the previous record of $297.9 million set by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015.

When the current labor contract expires after the 2026 season, some owners are arguing for significant changes to reduce payroll disparities, and MLB formed a new committee to look into economics.

“History would suggest that an economic committee… is hyperfocused on a salary cap — or getting to a salary cap when we next sit down to negotiate,” Tony Clark, the union’s president, said on Saturday.

MLB formed a new committee to look into the economics

“We’ll never agree to a ceiling. Let me begin there. “We don’t have a cap, and we won’t agree to one,” Clark added. “A salary cap is the ultimate limit on player value and salary. We believe in the free market. The market system has benefited our players, teams, and game.”

Clark suggested that some teams keep low payrolls as a strategy rather than due to a lack of revenue.

“When the product on the field performs well, fans flock to the ballpark. As more people visit the ballpark, local revenue increases in all areas. “That model has served our industry admirably,” he stated. “Can or won’t is a valid question when teams in a growing industry still have payrolls that are half what they were 10 or 15 years ago.”

MLB earned $10.8 billion in revenue last year, according to Manfred. Clark praised the free-agent market for being active.

“What’s interesting is that these comments made their way into the headlines against the backdrop of a remarkably exciting offseason, where teams competing and engaging in the free-agent market created a level of excitement that I would consider positive,” Clark said.

The figures are based on the 1,043 players on active rosters and injured lists as of Aug. 31, the last day before active rosters were expanded from 26 to 28 players. MLB does not include prorated shares of option buyouts in its average, whereas the union does.

Neither side included the $50 million bonus pool for pre-arbitration eligible players.

SOURCE – (AP)