Overview
- An AP opening-day study released Thursday puts the average at $5.34 million, up 3.4% from last year and 28% higher over the current five-year labor deal.
- New York leads team spending at $352.2 million, more than five times Cleveland's $62.3 million, which highlights a wide market gap across the league.
- Mets star Juan Soto is the highest-paid player at $61.9 million, followed by Cody Bellinger at $42.5 million and Zack Wheeler and Bo Bichette at $42 million.
- Accounting choices change the picture because discounting deferred money lowers the Dodgers’ tally to $316.6 million even though their commitments would reach $395.2 million without present-value cuts.
- Pay remains top heavy as the median sits at $1.4 million and the top 50 players collect 30% of all salary, a split that is likely to shape negotiations before the labor agreement expires in December.