By Baseball is particularly very popular in America and it is highly considered one of the highest-paying sports, with several players having been paid a big fat check every year.
These players not only earn from their professional careers but also through multiple sponsorship deals and partnerships from some of the largest global brands.
In this post, we’ve compiled a list of the top 8 richest baseball players in the world or have played in Major League Baseball (MLB).
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Alex Rodriguez ($350 million)
Alex Rodriguez nicknamed “A-Rod” is an American retired pro baseball shortstop and 3rd baseman and is currently a businessman and philanthropist. He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1994 to 2016 for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees. Rodriguez is regarded as one of the finest baseball players of all time with a net worth of $350 million.
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Derek Jeter ($200 million)
Derek Jeter is an American retired pro baseball shortstop who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the New York Yankees from 1995 to 2014. The former shortstop is considered one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Jeter is a fourteen time All-Star (1998–2002, 2004, 2006–2012, 2014) and a five time World Series champion. He is also a Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame with his induction in 2020 obtaining 99.7% of the vote.
In 2001, Jeter landed his largest ten-year contract for a whopping $189 million deal with the New York Yankees. His revenue also comes from sponsorship deals such as Nike, Gatorade, Gillette, Ford, and VISA.
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Ichiro Suzuki ($180 million)
Ichiro Suzuki or simply Ichiro is a Japanese retired pro baseball outfielder who played for 28 seasons in the Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992 to 2019 for Orix BlueWave, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins. Ichiro is a ten-time Gold Glove Award (2001–2010), three-time Silver Slugger Award (2001, 2007, 2009), and two-time AL batting champion (2001, 2004) among some of his accomplishments.
Ichiro landed his largest contract in 2007 with the Mariners worth $90 million for a five-year contract.
As of now, the former Japanese outfield has a net worth of $180 million and also earns a massive sum of capital from sponsorship deals mainly in Japan.
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Albert Pujols ($170 million)
Albert Pujols nicknamed The Machine”, or “La Máquina” is a Dominican-American retired pro baseball first baseman, designated hitter and third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons from 2001 to 2002 for the team St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is an eleven-time All-Star (2001, 2003–2010, 2015, 2022), two-time World Series champion (2006, 2011), and three-time NL MVP (2005, 2008, 2009).
Pujols’s one-year contract with the Cardinals is worth $2.5 million. In 2012, he landed his largest ten-year contract with the Angels for $254 million before being discharged in 2021.
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Miguel Cabrera ($125 million)
Miguel Cabrera nicknamed “Miggy” is a Venezuelan pro baseball first baseman and designated hitter who currently plays for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a twelve-time All-Star (2004–2007, 2010–2016, 2022), World Series champion (2003), two-time AL MVP (2012, 2013), and won AL Triple Crown in 2012.
In 2014, he signed an eight-year contract extension worth $248 million with the Tigers, and his final earning ($32 million) is due to be paid in 2023. He also adds more to his income through various brand endorsements including Sony PlayStation, Oakley, and T-Mobile.
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Zack Greinke ($120 million)
Zack Greinke is an American pro baseball pitcher who is presently a free agent. He marked his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on May 23, 2004, for the Kansas City Royals. Greinke currently plays for the Kansas City Royals. He previously played for
Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Houston Astros. He is a six-time Gold Glove Award winner, six-time All-Star, and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Greinke’s one-year contract worth $13 million with the Royals also includes an extra $2 million bonus based on his performance.
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Ryan Howard ($120 million)
Ryan Howard nicknamed “the Big Piece”, is an American former pro baseball first baseman who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for Philadelphia Phillies from 2004 to 2016. He is a three-time All-Star (2006, 2009, 2010), and World Series champion in 2008.
Howard’s 5-year contract in 2010 was a massive $125 million. He also endorsed many brands like Subway, Adidas, and Verizon.
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Randy Johnson ($115 million)
Randy Johnson nicknamed “The Big Unit”, is an American former pro baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 22 seasons from 1988 to 2009 most notably Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. He also had short stints with the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants.
Johnson is a ten-time All-Star (1990, 1993–1995, 1997, 1999–2002, 2004), and a World Series champion (2001). His largest contract was in 1999 for a four-year deal worth $52.4 million. He earned his income from many sponsorship deals like GEICO, Nike, and Right Guard.
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