April 3, 2025 – In a surprising twist for the 2025 MLB season, the New York Mets have claimed the title of the league’s highest payroll, edging out the Los Angeles Dodgers with a present-day value of $323.1 million, according to calculations obtained by USA TODAY Sports. The Dodgers, long known for their financial might, follow closely at $321.3 million, but their strategic use of deferred contracts has kept their payroll just below the Mets’ mark, as reported by MLB insider Bob Nightengale on X.
MLB payrolls 2025: Mets higher than Dodgers in present-day value https://t.co/1BBC6meDd9
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 3, 2025
The Mets’ payroll surge is largely driven by their blockbuster signing of Juan Soto, who inked a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract in December 2024 with no deferrals. Soto’s present-day salary for 2025 is calculated at $61.875 million, making him the highest-paid player in MLB history for the year—nearly $20 million ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler at $42 million. The Mets’ commitment to Soto reflects their aggressive push to build a championship-caliber roster, but it also places them above the league’s $241 million competitive balance threshold, incurring a 50% luxury tax on overages.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ payroll strategy hinges on deferred contracts, most notably with Shohei Ohtani, who is deferring $68 million of his $70 million annual salary. This lowers his present-day value to $28.2 million, ranking him as only the 18th highest-paid player in MLB for 2025, despite his massive 10-year, $700 million deal. The Dodgers have applied similar deferral tactics to stars like Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, allowing them to manage luxury tax penalties while maintaining a competitive roster. This approach has fueled their hot 8-0 start to the season, their best since 1955, as Nightengale noted in a related X post.
The payroll disparity highlights a growing divide in MLB, with the Mets and Dodgers as the only teams above $300 million, while seven teams, including the Miami Marlins at $52.993 million, sit below $100 million. This gap could spell trouble for competitive balance, with some experts warning of a potential work stoppage after the 2026 season. For now, the Mets’ financial flex has set the stage for a high-stakes 2025, as they aim to translate their investment into on-field success.
