MLB payrolls rankings 2026: Full list of every baseball team from highest to lowest spendings.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, the defending World Series champions, have become the Evil Empire on the West Coast.
The Dodgers, thanks to heavily deferred contracts to Shohei Ohtani and most of their biggest stars, while entering in the playoffs $321.3 million Payrolls, second to the Mets’ payroll of $346.
Major League Baseball's 2026 season is down to the final four teams with the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians facing off in the American League and the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers doing battle in the NL for a spot in the World Series.
With a star-studded cast, the Dodgers' payroll has been the subject of much consternation around baseball in recent years, particularly with this winter's lockout looming and MLB demanding a salary cap in negotiations.
While the Dodgers have MLB's second-highest payroll, the contrast even more stark in this year's League Championship Series with the Brewers (18th), Rays (25th) and Guardians (30th) making the semifinals.
In fact, the Dodgers' current payroll ($338 million) is more than Milwaukee ($143.5M), Tampa Bay ($98.3M) and Cleveland ($74.2M combined)...
There are 30 club teams by state of MLB . They have different avg. payrolls, team salaries according to their performance.
Here are the MLB 2026 team payrolls rankings, Updated:
Finally, the team-by-team payrolls, according to the by USA TODAY Sports:
(In present-day value calculated by MLB)
1. New York Mets: $346.8 million (out of the playoffs)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers: $338.0 million (In the playoffs)
3. New York Yankees: $304.6 million: In.
4. Philadelphia Phillies: $291.7 million: In.
5. Toronto Blue Jays: $275.4 million: Out.
6. Atlanta: $263.9 million: In.
7. Houston Astros: $249.5 million: In.
8. Chicago Cubs: $248.8 million: In
9. San Diego Padres: $223.9 million: In.
10. Boston Red Sox: $210.2 million: In
11. Detroit Tigers: $202.1 million: Out
12. San Francisco Giants: $197.6 million: Out.
13. Arizona Diamondbacks: $192.8 million: Out.
14. Texas Rangers: $192.5 million: Out.
15. Los Angeles Angels: $179.8 million: Out.
16. Seattle Mariners: $170.5 million: Out.
17. Baltimore Orioles: $169.2 million: Out
18. Kansas City Royals: $149.8 million: Out.
19. Milwaukee Brewers: $143.5 million: In.
20. Cincinnati Reds: $128.3 million: Out
21. Colorado Rockies: $117.0 million: Out
22. Minnesota Twins: $109.5 million: Out
23. Pittsburgh Pirates: $107.6 million: Out.
24. Athletics: $98.7 million: Out
25. Tampa Bay Rays: $98.3 million. In
26. Chicago White Sox: $98.0 million: In
27. St. Louis Cardinals: $94.7 million: Out.
28. Washington Nationals: $90.3 million: Out.
29. Miami Marlins: $83.0 million: Out.
30. Cleveland Guardians: $74.2 million: In.
2026 MLB Payrolls Disparity Breakdown, Teams Spendings Highest to Lowest
Rank Highest-Paying 2026 Payroll Rank Lowest-Paying 2026 Payroll
1 Los Angeles Dodgers $415.2 Million 26 Chicago White Sox $98.0 Million
2 New York Mets $381.0 Million 27 Washington Nationals $90.3 Million
3 New York Yankees $337.1 Million 28 Miami Marlins $81.9 Million
4 Philadelphia Phillies $313.2 Million 29 Tampa Bay Rays $98.3 Million
5 Toronto Blue Jays $309.5 Million 30 Cleveland Guardians $74.2 Million
Annual spending on teams payrolls by the 30 major league clubs, MLB Payrolls history through the Years 2002-2026
2002: $2.1 billion
2003: $2.26 billion
2004: $ 2.23 billion
2005: $ 2.35 billion
2006: $2.49 billion
2007: $ 2.71 billion
2008: $2.88 billion
2009: $2.91 billion
2010: $2.91 billion
2011: $2.1 billion
2012: $ 3.15 billion
2013: $3.35 billion
2014: $3.63 billion
2015: $3.9 billion
2016: $4.07 billion - First time breaking the $4B threshold
2017: $4.25 Billion
2018: $4.23 Billion
2019 $4.22 Billion Final pre-pandemic full season baseline
2020 $1.75 Billion Shortened 60-game pandemic season (players paid pro-rated salaries)
2021 $4.05 Billion Post-pandemic recovery season
2022 $4.56 Billion Salary growth jumps under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
2023 $4.92 Billion Driven heavily by the New York Mets shattering single-team spending records
2024 $5.12 Billion Total league spending surpasses the $5B threshold for the first time
2025 $5.32 Billion Finalized figures compiled by the Commissioner's Office
2026 $6.13 Billion Current Season Total (driven by historic contracts and deferred money)
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