Baseball continues to be an expensive game, with teams more willing to sign superstars to mega contracts than ever before.
As teams balance their checkbooks with hopes of climbing World Series odds, here are the highest-paid MLB players by their average annual value in 2026:
Ranking MLB’s Highest Paid Players in 2026
| Rank | Player | Team | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shohei Ohtani | Dodgers | $70,000,000 |
| 2 | Kyle Tucker | Dodgers | $60,000,000 |
| 3 | Juan Soto | Mets | $51,000,000 |
| 4 | Bo Bichette | Mets | $42,000,000 |
| 5 | Zack Wheeler | Phillies | $42,000,000 |
| 6 | Aaron Judge | Yankees | $40,000,000 |
| 7 | Jacob deGrom | Rangers | $37,000,000 |
| 8 | Blake Snell | Dodgers | $36,400,000 |
| 9 | Gerrit Cole | Yankees | $36,000,000 |
| 10 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Blue Jays | $35,714,286 |
Who is the Highest-Paid Player in MLB?
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is the highest-paid player in MLB with an average annual value of $70,000,000 to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700,000,000 contract with the Dodgers before the 2024 season. His payroll salary is $28,216,944, as the Dodgers have deferred $68 million per year between 2034-43.
Ohtani won’t be a free agent until 2034, when he’ll be 39.
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