How Much Do Baseball Players Make Per Game?
With the recent MLB lockout complete and the season well underway, we found that now would be as good a time as ever to step back and take a look at MLB players salaries. And while their salaries aren’t as high as some NBA players, MLB players are definitely paid well, especially as compared to their NFL counterparts.
With the MLB being the only major league sporting association in North America without a salary cap or floor, and player salaries not being tied to revenue growth or loss, the players are paid their guaranteed contracts no matter how much revenue the sport or team generates.
This distinction helps to ensure that an MLB players contract will always be honored, no matter the individual or league-wide circumstances.
And while the overall packages and salary compensation for individual MLB players is well-documented, finding out how much baseball players make per game requires a bit more digging.
So, without further ado, below we are going to discuss just how much do baseball players make per game and whether or not the amount is more or less than their counterparts in the NBA, NFL, and NHL.
Digging Into the Data
Before jumping into the numbers and determining just how much an individual MLB player makes per game, it’s important to step back and determine the time units that we will need to use to determine the salary amount per game.
Firstly, for the dataset below, we will be basing all numbers on the MLB regular season. And, in the MLB, the regular season consists of a total of 162 games, played from April through the end of October.
Similarly, digging a bit deeper, we will need to determine the average amount of time an MLB game lasts. And, as compared to the NBA, NHL, and NFL, an MLB game could theoretically go on for an infinite amount of time.
However, recent data suggests that the average MLB game lasts for 3 hours, 10 minutes, 7 seconds. This equates to a total of 190-minutes played per game. And while an individual player will not play the full 190-minutes, we will be basing total compensation per minute against that 190-minute length.
And lastly, in terms of total number of seconds played, an MLB player can expect to play a full-length game in the major leagues for a total of 11,407 seconds.
- 162 games played
- 190-minutes played per game, multiplied by 162 games equals 30,780
- 11,407 seconds played per game, multiplied by 162 games played equals 1,847,934
When Do MLB Players Get Paid?
Contrary to popular belief, MLB players are not paid after each game. Rather, MLB players are paid according to the league’s standard paydays, which are on the 1st and 15th of each month.
However, and contrary to the NBA, MLB players are only paid during the regular season. This means that an MLB player can expect to be paid for a total of 7-months, or 14 individual paychecks.
And while the individual paychecks will be significantly higher, an MLB player will need to ensure they manage their finances and pay appropriately as they will not be paid once the regular season ends.
However, playoff runs do include bonuses and during spring training players are given weekly allowances to help offset certain costs and expenses associated with both the playoffs and spring training.
What is the Average MLB Salary?
And lastly, before we jump into how much do MLB players make per game, it is important to understand just what the average MLB salary is. And for the 2022 MLB season, the average MLB player salary increased 5.9% from $4,167,164 to $4,414,184.
While below the 2017 season high of $4,451,508, MLB players, on average, are well-compensated for their time and skills and that compensation is evidenced through the average player salary.
MLB Players Pay Per Game
| Player | Current Team | Yearly Salary | Pay Per Game (162) |
| Average MLB Player | – | $4,414,184 | $27,248.05 |
| Max Scherzer | New York Mets | $43,333,333 | $267,489.71 |
| Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $37,116,666 | $229,115.22 |
| Anthony Rendon | Los Angeles Angels | $36,571,428 | $225,749.56 |
| Jacob deGrom | New York Mets | $36,000,000 | $222,222.22 |
| Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | $36,000,000 | $222,222.22 |
| Trevor Bauer | Los Angeles Dodgers | $35,333,333 | $218,106.99 |
| Carlos Correa | Minnesota Twins | $35,100,000 | $216,666.67 |
| Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | $35,000,000 | $216,049.38 |
| Nolan Arenado | St. Louis Cardinals | $35,000,000 | $216,049.38 |
| Francisco Lindor | New York Mets | $34,100,000 | $210,493.83 |
| Corey Seager | Texas Rangers | $33,000,000 | $203,703.70 |
| Miguel Cabrera | Detroit Tigers | $32,000,000 | $197,530.86 |
| Manny Machado | San Diego Padres | $32,000,000 | $197,530.86 |
| David Price | Los Angeles Dodgers | $32,000,000 | $197,530.86 |
| Chris Sale | Boston Red Sox | $30,000,000 | $185,185.19 |
MLB Players Pay Per Minute
| Player | Current Team | Yearly Salary | Pay Per Minute (30,780) |
| Average MLB Player | – | $4,414,184 | $143.41 |
| Max Scherzer | New York Mets | $43,333,333 | $1,407.84 |
| Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $37,116,666 | $1,205.87 |
| Anthony Rendon | Los Angeles Angels | $36,571,428 | $1,188.16 |
| Jacob deGrom | New York Mets | $36,000,000 | $1,169.59 |
| Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | $36,000,000 | $1,169.59 |
| Trevor Bauer | Los Angeles Dodgers | $35,333,333 | $1,147.93 |
| Carlos Correa | Minnesota Twins | $35,100,000 | $1,140.35 |
| Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | $35,000,000 | $1,137.10 |
| Nolan Arenado | St. Louis Cardinals | $35,000,000 | $1,137.10 |
| Francisco Lindor | New York Mets | $34,100,000 | $1,107.86 |
| Corey Seager | Texas Rangers | $33,000,000 | $1,072.12 |
| Miguel Cabrera | Detroit Tigers | $32,000,000 | $1,039.64 |
| Manny Machado | San Diego Padres | $32,000,000 | $1,039.64 |
| David Price | Los Angeles Dodgers | $32,000,000 | $1,039.64 |
| Chris Sale | Boston Red Sox | $30,000,000 | $974.66 |
MLB Players Pay Per Second
| Player | Current Team | Yearly Salary | Pay Per Second (1,847,934) |
| Average MLB Player | – | $4,414,184 | $2.39 |
| Max Scherzer | New York Mets | $43,333,333 | $23.45 |
| Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $37,116,666 | $20.09 |
| Anthony Rendon | Los Angeles Angels | $36,571,428 | $19.79 |
| Jacob deGrom | New York Mets | $36,000,000 | $19.48 |
| Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | $36,000,000 | $19.48 |
| Trevor Bauer | Los Angeles Dodgers | $35,333,333 | $19.12 |
| Carlos Correa | Minnesota Twins | $35,100,000 | $18.99 |
| Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | $35,000,000 | $18.94 |
| Nolan Arenado | St. Louis Cardinals | $35,000,000 | $18.94 |
| Francisco Lindor | New York Mets | $34,100,000 | $18.45 |
| Corey Seager | Texas Rangers | $33,000,000 | $17.86 |
| Miguel Cabrera | Detroit Tigers | $32,000,000 | $17.32 |
| Manny Machado | San Diego Padres | $32,000,000 | $17.32 |
| David Price | Los Angeles Dodgers | $32,000,000 | $17.32 |
| Chris Sale | Boston Red Sox | $30,000,000 | $16.23 |