Richest MLB players
When Alex Rodriguez signed a contract in 2000, some people could not fathom a professional baseball player making that much money. Twenty years later, contracts entered the $400 million stratosphere, thanks to . Less than five years later, Shohei Ohtani came along and with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023. How many more years will it be before we see the first $1 billion baseball contract?
For now, let's dive into the numbers at hand. To uncover the richest MLB players, Âé¶¹Ô´´ consulted and ranked the world's baseball players by their latest net worth figures, as of Aug. 19, 2024. The net worth figures in this list were calculated using a proprietary formula that factored in all publicly available data about each person, including salaries, real estate holdings, divorces, record sales, royalties, and endorsements—minus estimated taxes, manager's fees, agent fees, and lifestyle expenses. Other information, such as career spans, nationalities, salary data, and stats came from .
We included notable career achievements, sources of wealth, and post-baseball ventures of some of the older players on the list. Some players have gone the common route by investing in restaurants, real estate, or even entering the television booth. Others have sought to invest in tech startups, social media platforms, and hunting and outdoor shows.
Because of the relative newness of some of baseball's current biggest deals, some active stars did not qualify, and older players with more years of accumulated wealth still earn more, according to Celebrity Net Worth's data.
Read on to find out which baseball superstar outearns the rest.
#21. Randy Johnson (tie)
- Net worth: $95 million
- Career span: 1988-2009
- Nationality: United States
How much are worth? In the case of Randy Johnson, over $175 million. The Big Unit, who retired in 2009, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015, and now works as an independent .
#21. Adrián Beltré (tie)
- Net worth: $95 million
- Career span: 1998-2018
- Nationality: Dominican Republic
Adrián Beltré earned over $219 million while collecting over 21 years in the majors. Beltré was a noted during his career, but he does not have an endorsement deal with JCPenney despite having in one of their holiday commercials.
#15. Stephen Strasburg (tie)
- Net worth: $100 million
- Career span: 2010-2022
- Nationality: United States
After winning the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals—and being named series MVP—Stephen Strasburg with the team that drafted him. Before entering the majors, Strasburg signed an endorsement deal with . In April 2024, he officially , but he had not pitched since June 9, 2022, due to injuries.
#15. Prince Fielder (tie)
- Net worth: $100 million
- Career span: 2005-2016
- Nationality: United States
Prince Fielder's career ended prematurely due to injury, but he still received his full payments through 2020 thanks to . If Fielder played football, he could have been out almost $106 million, since NFL contracts are usually not guaranteed for their full duration. But Fielder, who was a six-time All-Star and hit , was well-compensated years after his last game and started a cooking and lifestyle show, ""
#15. Joe Mauer (tie)
- Net worth: $100 million
- Career span: 2004-2018
- Nationality: United States
Joe Mauer could have been a quarterback at Florida State University but instead chose to play pro baseball. The decision paid off handsomely, as Mauer earned endorsements from , . Mauer retired in 2018 with , three Gold Gloves, and over $218 million in salary. In 2024, Mauer was into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
#15. Bryce Harper (tie)
- Net worth: $100 million
- Career span: 2012-present
- Nationality: United States
Bryce Harper's contract with the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2019 season once gave him the highest total value deal in baseball history. Harper also has lucrative deals with . In 2019, he was the cover athlete of the "" video game and remains one of the sport's most-recognized faces.
#15. Barry Bonds (tie)
- Net worth: $100 million
- Career span: 1986-2007
- Nationality: United States
Barry Bonds, baseball's all-time home run king, amassed more than in salary during his career. While Bonds had endorsements with Fila and Franklin, many companies as steroid allegations swirled around his vicinity. He briefly worked as a for the Miami Marlins but was let go from that position in 2016.
#15. Adrián González (tie)
- Net worth: $100 million
- Career span: 2004-2018
- Nationality: Mexico/United States
Nicknamed "A-Gon," Adrian Gonzalez earned in the 15-year major league career that saw him ply his trade for five different ballclubs. Known to hit for both power and average, the San Diego-born, but Mexican-raised player walloped 317 home runs in his career while batting ​​.287. , Gonzalez launched a mobile app in 2020, owns six Jersey Mike franchises, has invested in a Mexican-style beer company called Calidad Beer, and runs his own cigar and athletic apparel lines.
#14. Cole Hamels
- Net worth: $105 million
- Career span: 2006-2020
- Nationality: United States
During his time in the MLB, Cole Hamels earned more than enough to qualify for his early nickname, "." Over the course of his career, he played for the Texas Rangers, the Chicago Cubs, and, briefly, the Atlanta Braves—but he's best known for his time with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team he helped lead to a .
#11. Robinson Canó (tie)
- Net worth: $110 million
- Career span: 2005-2022
- Nationality: Dominican Republic/United States
When Robinson Canó hit free agency after the 2013 season, the big question was if the New York Yankees would retain the star second baseman. After hiring Roc Nation Sports, Canó signed a megadeal worth with the Seattle Mariners. He then moved around to the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and Atlanta Braves before his MLB career ended in July 2022. He's since played professional baseball for Dubai and, as of March 2024, for Mexico, even . Canó has also had with Alaska Airlines, Wilson, and New Era.
#11. Joey Votto (tie)
- Net worth: $110 million
- Career span: 2007-2023
- Nationality: Canada
Joey Votto earned in his Reds career, and he clearly has money to spend. Votto bought a California home in 2019, and he's pulled notorious pranks like buying a teammate a and sending from California Pizza Kitchen to Ichiro Suzuki. He and signed a minor league contract with his hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays.
#11. Clayton Kershaw (tie)
- Net worth: $110 million
- Career span: 2008-2023
- Nationality: United States
Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw is regarded as one of the best pitchers in baseball history, winning the pitching in 2011 and a title in 2020. Kershaw for the Dodgers, but he's also making waves off the field. His philanthropic foundation, , seeks to help at-risk children and families around the world.
#10. Zack Greinke
- Net worth: $120 million
- Career span: 2004-2023
- Nationality: United States
Zack Greinke's 2015 deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks was once the largest average annual contract in baseball history. Greinke netted a cool per year and $206 million total. Greinke, who has on his resume, returned in 2021 to the Kansas City Royals, with whom he spent . He resigned a worth $8.5 million in 2023 but has been a .
#9. Mike Trout
- Net worth: $140 million
- Career span: 2011-present
- Nationality: United States
Mike Trout of having the biggest contract in North American team sports history. In 2019, the Los Angeles Angels signed Trout for 12 years to the tune of a whopping $426.5 million, plus a $20 million signing bonus. He's been of his full seasons thus far, aside from 2024, when a meniscus tear sidelined him.
#8. Miguel Cabrera
- Net worth: $145 million
- Career span: 2003-2023
- Nationality: Venezuela
Miguel Cabrera is one of his generation's greatest hitters but hasn't been an . Cabrera did star in ads for Chrysler but made most of his nest egg through his on-field exploits—including 3,101 hits and 507 homers—by totaling in contracts. Cabrera did have an investment in a , but it went sour. He but didn't leave his beloved Detroit Tigers behind; he's now serving as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations.
#6. Max Scherzer (tie)
- Net worth: $150 million
- Career span: 2008-present
- Nationality: United States
A three-time winner of the Cy Young Award, Max Scherzer has racked up quite the resume, playing for the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Dodgers over the course of his career. He when he signed a $44.33 million per year contract with the Mets in 2021. But the Mets just two years later, resulting in an even bigger deal for Scherzer.
#6. Buster Posey (tie)
- Net worth: $150 million
- Career span: 2009-2021
- Nationality: United States
Seven-time All-Star Buster Posey hails from Georgia, but he made a name for himself as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He led the team to three World Series titles and later landed the National League MVP Trophy. Now retired, Posey has for different charities over the years and runs , an organization seeking to end pediatric cancer.
#5. Albert Pujols
- Net worth: $170 million
- Career span: 2001-2022
- Nationality: Dominican Republic/United States
Albert Pujols was on covers and was one of 's most prominent baseball athletes during his 22-year career. Pujols retired after the 2022 season with . The majority of his $300-plus million career earnings came from a deal with the Los Angeles Angels. As of July 2024, Pujols for MLB Network.
#4. Ichiro Suzuki
- Net worth: $180 million
- Career span: 2001-2019
- Nationality: Japan
In Japan, Ichiro Suzuki remains one of the country's most marketable personas (Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson said Ichiro is like in Japan). Ichiro has been a loyal supporter and did pick up some notable American endorsements like , but throughout his career, it seemed like he on his U.S. earning potential. Still, the Japanese icon made more than playing in the States, where he amassed 3,089 hits in the majors.
#2. Justin Verlander (tie)
- Net worth: $200 million
- Career span: 2005-present
- Nationality: United States
With and three Cy Young Awards, Justin Verlander is one of the richest pitchers in baseball history. Verlander, who is married to Kate Upton, has made , and starred in commercials for and .
#2. Derek Jeter (tie)
- Net worth: $200 million
- Career span: 1995-2014
- Nationality: United States
Derek Jeter has been a busy man in retirement. In 2014, Jeter launched , which was acquired in 2019 by Minute Media for an undisclosed amount. Three years later, Jeter was part of a group that bought the for about $1.2 billion. Aside from making hundreds of millions on the field, Jeter also has endorsement deals with and .
#1. Alex Rodriguez
- Net worth: $350 million
- Career span: 1994-2016
- Nationality: United States
Alex Rodriguez's contract with the Texas Rangers broke sports records, but that was just the beginning for Celebrity Net Worth's richest MLB player. Rodriguez's A-Rod Corp. has big investments in real estate, sports, and media and MasterCard, Pizza Hut, and Ralph Lauren. Rodriguez, who also works as a TV sports analyst, was rumored to be pursuing an ownership bid of the New York Mets, but that deal .
Data reporting by Jared Beilby. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire.