Baseball stars are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world. While the sport might be struggling to compete with football and basketball in terms of popularity, one place it still can is in the financial department. Baseball franchises are able to pay their stars outrageous salaries, which are often worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite the well documented mega deals in MLB, the highest paid player in 2019 might come as a surprise to you.
Stephen Strasburg – $38.8 million
Just this year alone, Stephen Strasbourg is going to take home more money than anyone in MLB in salary. This is the third year of his seven-year contract, but he is due to be paid the largest sum this season. Not all baseball contracts are equal, and often the players aren’t paid a flat salary each year.
If Strasburg sticks with the Nationals until the end of his contract, he will have a huge final season payout of $45 million in 2023. The pitcher struggled with injuries last season but when fit he is considered one of the best in the league.
Max Scherzer – $37.4 million
Not far behind Strasburg in terms of basic salary for 2019 is Max Scherzer. He is in great form and has made the All-Star team four years in a row while playing with the Nationals. Washington has been splashing the cash to make sure they get the top talents, and it seems to be paying off as Scherzer has scooped two Cy Young Awards.
Scherzer’s contract is up in 2021, and he stands to make $30 million in each of his final three seasons. The Nationals have yet to win a World Series, but if they keep adding talent to their roster like Scherzer and Strasburg, it’s only a matter of time before they do.
Although Bryce Harper and Manny Machado just broke $300 million for their total contract values, they won’t be earning the most in the league this season. Thanks to his contract break down, Strasburg is going to be the top earner in MLB this year, closely followed by his Nats teammate, Max Scherzer.