Ever wondered who might be the richest MLB players of all time?
Well, ask no more; we’ve got you covered!
Baseball, a bat-and-ball sport, is the national pastime of the United States.
The sport used to be most-watched in America, but football recently replaced it and may soon be surpassed by basketball.
Despite declining viewership and live audience counts, it is still one of the most popular sports in the United States and the world.
Major League Baseball (Source: Wallpaperset)
Did you know baseball is the most popular sport in Japan and nearly 45.3% of Japanese people’s favorite sport?
And talking about Major League Baseball, it is the oldest major professional sport in the world.
We all know ball players in the United States make a fortune with salaries backed up by endorsement deals.
In 2022, Forbes ranked Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout 23rd on their list of the World’s Highest Paid Athletes with earnings of $49.5 million.
Out of the total, Mike made $35.5 million on the field and $14 million off the field.
So let’s get right into it
Quick Overview
S.N.
Player
Net Worth
20.
CC Sabathia
$80 Million
19.
Carlos Beltran
$80 Million
18.
Mariano Rivera
$80 Million
17.
David Price
$85 Million
16.
Ken Griffey Jr.
$90 Million
15.
Gary Sheffield
$90 Million
14.
Felix Hernandez
$90 Million
13.
Barry Bonds
$100 Million
12.
Joe Mauer
$100 Million
11.
Manny Ramirez
$110 Million
10.
Joey Votto
$110 Million
9.
Chipper Jones
$110 Million
8.
Randy Johnson
$115 Million
7.
Ryan Howard
$120 Million
6.
Miguel Cabrera
$125 Million
5.
Justin Varlander
$150 Million
4.
Albert Pujols
$170 Million
3.
Ichiro Suzuki
$180 Million
2.
Derek Jeter
$200 Million
1.
Alex Rodriguez
$350 Million
Richest MLB Players of All Time
#20 CC Sabathia
An American former baseball pitcher CC Sabathia has a net worth of a whopping $80 million as of November 2024.
He played for 19 seasons in MLB, with the New York Yankees primarily.
A Cy Young Award winner, CC earned a total of $260 million during his career in baseball salary.
CC Sabathia Playing Golf (Source: Golf Digest)
He became the highest-paid pitcher in December 2008 when he signed a $161 million seven-year contract with New York Yankees.
Similarly, during 2015 and 2016, he earned $25 million in base salary, CC’s highest paid seasons.
Aside from his regular MLB salaries, CC also earned well from his endorsement deals from brands such as Pepsi, EA Sports, Subway, and Nike’s Jordan.
During his active playing days, he pulled $1 million per year from these deals.
#19 Carlos Beltran
A Puerto-Rican-born retired professional baseball player, Carlos Beltran has a net worth of $80 million.
He was born in Manati, Puerto Rico, in 1977 and attended Fernando Callejo High School, where he excelled in baseball and volleyball.
However, after his father urged him, Carlos gave up volleyball and focused solely on baseball.
Carlos Beltran (Source: MLB Trade Rumors)
Throughout his career, Carlos earned over $160 million in baseball salary.
During the 2009-2010 season with New York Mets, he earned a career-high salary of $19.4 million.
Carlos founded the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Florida, Puerto Rico, in August 2011.
#18 Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera, also known by his fans as “Mo” or “Sandman,” is a retired Panamanian baseball pitcher with a net worth of $80 million.
The 13-time-All-Star Mariano spent his entire baseball career with the New York Yankees.
He made his MLB debut in 1995 and retired in 2013.
The Hall of Famer Mariano earned $170 million in salary during his 19 seasons with the Yankees.
Mariano Rivera (Source: Bleacher Report)
On top of that, he made tens of million in endorsement deals with brands such as Nike and Canali.
During his peak, he earned $15 million per year in salary alone.
However, that was not always the case.
He signed an amateur free agent contract with the Yankees on February 17, 1990, for a mere $2,000.
#17 David Price
An American professional baseball player hailing from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, David Price has a net worth of $85 million.
Price was drafted as the first pick in the 2007 MLB Draft by Tampa Bay Rays and made his debut in 2008.
He signed a deal with the Rays in 2007 worth $11.25 million over six years.
Similarly, he signed a $19.75 million deal with Detroit Tigers in 2015.
David Price (Source: WTSP.com)
Nonetheless, everything changed in 2016 when he signed an enormous deal with The Boston Red Sox for $217 million.
The seven-year deal came with all the bells and whistles, including the total amount guaranteed and an average annual salary of $31 million.
David is making $32 million as of 2022, the final year of his seven-year contract.
#16 Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr., also known as “Junior” or “the Kid,” is an American former baseball player with a net worth of $90 million.
The Hall of Famer ranks seventh in all-time home runs with 630 home runs.
During his professional career, Ken earned $150 million in salary alone.
His highest annual salary was $12.5 million, which he earned for four seasons from 2001 to 2005.
Ken Griffey Jr. (Source: Sports Illustrated)
Similarly, he earned $2.3 million during his final MLB years.
In 2000, Ken signed a nine-year $116.5 million deal with Cincinnati Reds, but the agreement deferred half of the money to a future date.
This means Ken will continue to earn $3.5 million per year until 2025.
A Canadian professional baseball player, Joey Votto’s net worth as of November 2024 is $110 million.
In 2011, Votto signed a three years, $38 million contract with Cincinnati Reds, with a signing bonus of $6 million and an average annual salary of $12.6 million.
Joey Votto (Source: Zimbio)
Similarly, in the following years, he signed ten years $225 million extension with the team with the entire amount guaranteed.
According to the contract, his average annual salary is $22.5 million.
#9 Chipper Jones
A retired American professional baseball player Chipper Jones has a net worth of $110 million as of November 2024.
The primary third baseman played for the Atlanta Braves from 1995 to 2012.
Jones earned $168 million during his MLB career in salary alone.
Chipper Jones (Source: Pinterest)
During his 2005-06 season with the Braves, he earned an annual salary of approximately $16 million.
To provide homage to their ace, Atlanta Braves retired his jersey number #10.
#8 Randy Johnson
With a total net worth of $115 million, the retired baseball player Randy Johnson enters this list at number eight.
Randy Johnson, also referred to as the ‘Big Unit,’ is one of the most prominent pitchers in American baseball history.
Throughout his 22 seasons in Major League, Johnson earned $175 million in salary.
Randy Johnson (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
Similarly, endorsements brought additional tens of millions more to the pitcher.
He signed a $52.4 million deal with Arizona Diamondbacks in the late 90s, which was one of the largest contracts at the time.
#7 Ryan Howard
The retired American professional baseball player Ryan Howard has a net worth of $120 million as of November 2024.
In total, Ryan earned approximately $195 million from his baseball salary.
His career-high salary was $25 million.
Ryan Howard (Source: Bleacher Report)
Likewise, he signed five years $150 million contract with the Phillies in 2010 with an average annual salary of $25 million.
Similarly, Ryan earned a sizable amount from his brand deal, including Adidas and Subway.
#6 Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera, also known by fans as ‘Miggy,” is a Venezuelan professional baseball player with a net worth of $125 million.
The 11-time MLB All-Star earned a staggering $330 million in baseball salary alone.
He signed a $150 million, eight-year deal with the Detroit Tigers in 2008 with an average annual salary of $21 million.
Miguel Cabrera (Source: USA Today)
Similarly, he eventually signed a seven-year $248 million extension with the team.
Cabrera earned $30 million between 2017 and 2018 from salary and endorsement deals.
A Dominican-born professional baseball player Albert Pujols has a net worth of $170 million.
The most consistent player and one of the greatest hitters in the league, Albert has been named National League MVP three times.
During his time with the Cardinals, Albert earned a base salary of $14.5 million. His last contract with the team was a seven years $100 million deal.
Albert Pujols (Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Similarly, he earned $28 million in base salary with the Angels.
In addition to that, he earned $7 million a year from brand deals during his peak.
Albert earned $30 million between 2017 and 2018 from salary and sponsorships.
#3 Ichiro Suzuki
The only Japanese baseball player on the list Ichiro Suzuki has a net worth of $180 million.
He earned $170 million in baseball salary throughout his career.
Ichiro Suzuki (Source: Wikipedia)
Similarly, Suzuki earned $7 million each year from endorsement deals with the brands such as Cutter & Buck, Upper Deck, and Majestic Athletic.
#2 Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter’s net worth as of November 2024 is a staggering $200 million.
Derek spent 20 years with the New York Yankees.
Over the course of his career, he earned $265 million in salary and at least $150 million in endorsement deals for a total of $415 million in career earnings.
Derek Jeter (Source: Simple Wikipedia)
During the peak of his career, he earned $30 to $35 million between salary and brand deals.
Aside from that, savvy businessman Derek also, at one point, owned a minority stake in Miami Marlins and served as its CEO.
#1 Alex Rodriguez
The retired professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez has a net worth of $350 million as of November 2024.
He is the richest MLB player of all time.
Rodriguez earned more than $441 million in baseball salary during his career.
Alex Rodriguez (Source: Men’s Health)
Similarly, he made $40 million in endorsement deals which is significantly less than some of his contemporaries.
In 2000 A-Rod signed ten years $252 million contract with Texas Rangers, which was the largest in sports history at the time.
Similarly, his ten-year $275 million contract with the Yankees in 2007 exceeded his former deal.
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