Highest-Paid MLB Players of 2025

2025 has been a year of generational contracts and record-shattering paydays in Major League Baseball.

Behind the numbers are players not only stacking wins on the diamond or breaking records, but stacking wealth that will last generations.

Some athletes are constantly playing chess, while others play checkers.

The main question of today is if Juan Soto will live up to his new $765 million contract with the New York Mets, now being the largest total contract value in MLB history.

Soto’s deal with the Mets include no deferred money, meaning he will collect his yearly salary as agreed upon in full.

Forget Deshaun Watson, the Juan Soto contract signing includes roughly $540 million more in guaranteed money. That price tag itself is unprecedented, let alone that the entirety of the deal is guaranteed regardless of Soto’s performance.

Parents should seriously consider putting their kids in baseball or basketball if they want them to have maximum earnings potential for their respective sport.

Nonetheless, here are the Top 10 Earners for the 2025 MLB Season:

1. Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Dodgers

Annual Salary: $70 million

Ohtani’s contract is baseball’s version of a tech IPO.

He’s not just a two-way player or one of the greatest players of all time, he’s a walking investment portfolio and if he continues to collect rings, may go down as #1 if not Top 3.

His deal includes massive deferred money, allowing the Dodgers to stay competitive now while Ohtani builds long-term passive income.

This may seem like a worse deal than the deal Juan Soto was given in New York, however Ohtani will still be entitles to his contract value and pushing it forward in his career also means the extension of his income as he gets older and retires from MLB.

The deal already gives Ohtani generational wealth and the potential to become baseballs first athlete billionaire while actively playing in the league. With the deferred payments the Dodgers will be able to retain their collection of top talent and compete for legacy.

Ohtani wants legacy and wealth.
Shohei Ohtani is no longer just a pro athlete, he’s a brand.

That is a move that many do not make, as you never know how long you will have the opportunity to collect pro checks. Rumor has it he’s already exploring real estate in Southern California, quietly positioning himself as a post-career mogul. Elite asset management.

2. Juan Soto: New York Mets

Annual Salary: $51 million

Soto’s 15-year, $765 million megadeal made headlines, but his choice of New York was strategic.

Not just for the market, but for the access to media, endorsements, and equity opportunities.

Considering he was already in the state when he played for the Yankees, his choice to leave for $5 million more, seemed personal.

While Soto claims it was about the money, there is always more to the story and without heavy speculation my guess would be that Soto wanted to cement his legacy on his own.

Without the umbrella of the powerhouse the Yankees have been for decades and the shadows of Aaron Judge.

He’s reportedly aligned with multiple athlete-led VC groups targeting Latin American startups. This shows that Soto does not intend to just sit on his contract money and spend it all.

He is showing signs that he wants to continue building his wealth, and is now in a race with Ohtani to see if one of them can become an active player and a billionaire simultaneously.

Juan Soto also purchased a ~$25M luxury mansion as his personal residence in the Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles California.

He is also reported to have owned a ~$7.7 million mansion in Los Angeles when he played in Washington D.C for the Nationals.

So, the move to upgrade his estate was likely more of an asset and money management purchase than the need for a nicer home.

The Mets didn’t just buy a bat; they invested in a brand.

Unlike some long-term deals, Soto’s is fully guaranteed, meaning he’s secured even if injuries hit.

If Soto Invests 15-20% of his yearly income into an index or mutual fund portfolio, 20-30% into real estate and another 5-10% in business ventures, there is no doubt in my mind that Soto does not exceed the billionaire status mark within the next decade.

Possibly even prior to collecting the entirety of his $765 million.

3. Zack Wheeler: Philadelphia Phillies

Annual Salary: $42 million

Wheeler is proof that late bloomers can still cash big. He’s leaned into performance-based incentives and short-term compounding.

Word in the clubhouse is he lives well below his means and is quietly buying up farmland and multi-family properties in rural Pennsylvania.

That’s a man who understands the power of delayed gratification and stacking assets outside the stadium.

4. Aaron Judge: New York Yankees

Annual Salary: $40 million

Judge turned down bigger markets to stay in pinstripes, but not without maximizing his HOF value.

With strong equity stakes in multiple fitness and supplement brands, and rumored holdings in upstate New York real estate.

He’s built a financial playbook mirroring his on-field patience. Add in endorsements, and his annual earnings easily climb past $50 million.

That’s multi-stream income at its finest. Paired with his endorsements and partnership money, business ventures and investments and a solid real estate portfolio.

Judge may not be paid the same as Soto or Ohtani, but he still has the chance to build generational wealth regardless. Aaron Judge is a household name at this point and whether you like him or hate him, he will likely be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee when its time.

He will also likely have many opportunities in media and other sports industry career paths when he retires from MLB.

5. Alex Bregman: Boston Red Sox

Annual Salary: $40 million

Bregman’s move to Boston came with a clean $120M, but the real play?

Market exposure. Boston’s a legacy franchise in a financial hotspot.

Bregman has already partnered with local development groups to co-invest in suburban commercial real estate.

It’s a double-play: earn and reinvest where you work. Smart players don’t just change jerseys, they change zip codes for financial leverage.

That is why it is also interesting to me when a player making tens of millions of dollars to move to states like California, New York or Arizona.

Yes, the media exposure in more populated metros can definitely assist in the exponential growth of ones wealth, but states like WA, NV, TX and FL all offer similar big city environments.

What do they all have in common that 43 states in the USA don’t?

None of them have an income tax, making them tax havens and some of the best locations to save 5-12% of their yearly income.

6. Jacob deGrom: Texas Rangers

Annual Salary: $37 million

deGrom’s dealt with injuries, but the Rangers still see value in his precision.

While his innings have dropped, his portfolio hasn’t.

Insiders say he’s focusing heavily on tax-friendly investing, using Texas’ lack of state income tax as a personal arbitrage opportunity.

His setup allows him to pocket more from every dollar earned compared to his big-market counterparts.

That’s net effective income, and it’s a gamechanger.

The financial power that DeGrom has living in Texas? The $3 million difference between him and Aaron Judge’s contract is nearly the same after tax implications, as Judge is entitles to pay at least 10% or more a year to the IRS than DeGrom.

The day that the USA ends the use of Income Tax across the country is the day “parody” can begin.

7. Blake Snell: Los Angeles Dodgers

Annual Salary: $36.4 million

Snell bet on himself and it paid.

His contract with the Dodgers includes escalators and postseason bonuses.

Snell is also an example of how the Dodgers are able to pay other Top talent to play in LA while retaining Ohtani.

Surprisingly, Mookie Betts does not even make this Top 10 list and that is just further proof of the depths the front office dug to when negotiating the Shohei Ohtani Super deal.

Off the field, Snell has dipped into the content world, with a successful Twitch channel and growing gaming brand.

It’s not just income the MLB offers layers, it’s identity diversification.

Smart athletes today build communities, not just highlight reels.

8. Gerrit Cole: New York Yankees

Annual Salary: $36 million

Cole’s one of the most technically sound pitchers in baseball and one of the most calculated financially.

He reportedly allocates a set percentage of his income into an index-fund-heavy portfolio, and owns a growing collection of high-end rental properties in Florida and the Carolinas.

His game is built on control, on and off the field.

9. Mike Trout: Los Angeles Angels

Annual Salary: $35.5 million

Trout is baseball’s quiet tycoon.

He doesn’t make waves in the media, but his net worth has grown steadily year after year thanks to smart brand partnerships and conservative asset growth.

He’s a known investor in golf course developments and outdoor recreation spaces, blending passion with property.

Think legacy, not lifestyle. That is how you turn your riches into generational wealth.

10. Anthony Rendon: Los Angeles Angels

Annual Salary: $35 million

Though Rendon’s been injured often, his guaranteed money hasn’t stopped flowing. Rendon’s contract is a case study in how MLB guarantees work.

Once a contract is signed, the checks come rain or shine.

He’s also one of the more charitable athletes on this list, known for backing youth mentorship programs in Houston and L.A. For Rendon, wealth isn’t just about accumulation, it’s about distribution.

While I am sure Rendon does charitable work for the good of people and the heart of giving, however it is also known among high-income earners that giving to charity or church is an astounding tax write-off.

Nothing wrong with using the systems that were created by the powers at be.

As long as no fraud is involved and you don’t end up like Brett Favre.

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Credits

Written by: Aidan Anderson
Research and Analysis: Apostle Sports Media LLC
Sources: Spotrac, MLBPA, Forbes, Athlete VC Disclosures, Public Tax Filings, Team Payroll Sheets, APSM Proprietary Analysis.
Featured Image: Public Domain / Instagram
Disclaimer: This article contains general financial information for educational purposes and does not constitute as professional advice.