14 MLB Players Worth More Than $100 Million
Players on Major League Baseball rosters at the start of the 2021 season earned an average of $4.17 million. And now, with the postseason underway and the World Series approaching, members of playoff teams will earn bonuses, too, adding to their season haul.
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While $4 million is a hefty salary, it's just a fraction of the annual pay of some of baseball's biggest earners. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels has a 12-year, $426.5 million contract ($35.5 million annual average), and Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a similar 12-year pact with a $365 million value ($30.4 million per year). Baseball contracts are fully guaranteed, meaning Trout and Betts will see every dollar.
With those kinds of salaries, it's no wonder there are more than dozen current and former MLB players who have accumulated net worths of more than $100 million. Read on to learn about 14 players who have hit that $100 million mark.
Last updated: Oct. 12, 2021
Joe Mauer
Net worth: $100 million
Positions: Catcher, first base
Years played: 2004-18
Teams: Minnesota Twins (2004-18)
Joe Mauer was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2001 by his hometown Minnesota Twins and played all 15 seasons of his career with the franchise. He was American League MVP in 2009 when he established career highs of 28 homers, 96 RBIs and an impressive .365 batting average. That season marked the third and final time he won the batting crown. The catcher earned more than $223 million during his career, most of it coming with an eight-year, $184 million deal from 2011-18. He and his wife, Maddie, regularly do charity work that benefits Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in the Twin Cities. In June, they raised $350,000 through The Mauer and Friends Kids Classic Home Run Challenge that featured former Twins players.
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Barry Bonds
Net worth: $100 million
Position: Left field
Years played: 1986-2007
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1992); San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)
Barry Bonds earned seven National League MVP awards during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates (two) and San Francisco Giants (five). He holds all-time homer records for single season (73) and career (762) but has not been enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame due to heavy suspicions that he used performance-enhancing drugs. He received 61.8% of the vote this year, again falling short of the necessary 75%. Bonds made more than $192 million in his career with nearly half of the cash coming in a five-year, $90 million deal that ran from 2002-06. He is highly involved in the Barry Bonds Family Foundation, which is geared toward helping Black youths and other underprivileged children in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Adrián González
Net worth: $100 million
Position: First base
Years played: 2004-18
Teams: Texas Rangers (2004-05); San Diego Padres (2006-10); Boston Red Sox (2011 -12); Los Angeles Dodgers (2012-17); New York Mets (2018)
Adrián González was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 draft by the Florida Marlins and played 15 seasons in the majors. His best seasons came with the San Diego Padres when he was a National League All-Star in three straight seasons (2008-10). All four of his 30-homer seasons came with the Padres. He also was an All-Star for the Boston Red Sox (2011) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2015). He finished his career with 317 homers and 1,202 RBIs. Gonzalez made more than $179 million in his baseball career, the bulk of it coming when he signed a seven-year, $154 million deal that ran from 2012-18. He lives in the San Diego area and runs The Adrian & Betsy Gonzalez Foundation with his wife to help underprivileged youths.
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Manny Ramírez
Net worth: $110 million
Position: Outfield
Years played: 1993-2011
Teams: Cleveland Indians (1993-2000); Boston Red Sox (2001-08); Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-10); Chicago White Sox (2010); Tampa Bay Rays (2011)
Manny Ramírez was a power threat who made the American League All-Star team 11 straight times (1998-2008) and 12 overall during his tenures for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. He clubbed 555 homers over 19 seasons and hit more than 40 on five occasions. Ramirez drove in more than 100 runs 12 times, including an eye-popping 165 for the Indians in 1999. Ramirez also violated Major League Baseball's drug policy multiple times, drawing suspension in both 2009 and 2011. Ramirez earned $160 million on an eight-year deal from 2001-08 and more than $234 million in all. Though he last played in the majors in 2011, he has been receiving deferred compensation from the Red Sox and will continue to receive more than $2 million annually for five more seasons.
Joey Votto
Net worth: $110 million
Position: First base
Years played: 2007-present
Team: Cincinnati Reds (2007-present)
Canadian-born Joey Votto has been a fixture with the Reds since 2007 and is known as one of the all-time best players for a franchise that has been home to legendary players such as the "Big Red Machine" trio of Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Pete Rose. Votto is a six-time All-Star who won National League MVP honors in 2010 when he batted .324 with career bests of 37 homers and 113 RBIs. He has led the NL in on-base percentage seven times due to a keen batting eye. Votto has earned more than $193 million in his career and still has three seasons remaining on a 10-year, $225 million deal. Votto regularly does charity work for Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Chipper Jones
Net worth: $110 million
Positions: Third base, left field
Years played: 1993-2012
Team: Atlanta Braves (1993-2012)
Chipper Jones was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1990 draft by the Atlanta Braves, and he spent his entire 19-year career with the club before retiring after the 2012 season. The Hall of Fame member was one of the best switch-hitters in major league history, and he won the 1999 NL MVP award when he smacked a career-best 45 homers. Jones, who hit 468 career homers, batted over .300 on 10 occasions, including a career-best .364 in 2008 when he won his lone batting title. The eight-time All-Star earned over $168 million in his career with his top salary being just over $16 million in 2005. He has raised money for cystic fibrosis and pediatric cancer through the Chipper Jones Family Foundation.
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Zack Greinke
Net worth: $120 million
Position: Pitcher
Years played: 2004-present
Teams: Kansas City Royals (2004-10); Milwaukee Brewers (2011-12); Los Angeles Angels (2012); Los Angeles Dodgers (2013-15); Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-19); Houston Astros (2019-present)
Zack Greinke currently pitches for the Houston Astros and has a stellar 219-132 record in 18 major league seasons. The six-time All-Star won the American League Cy Young award in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals when he led the league with a 2.16 ERA. He posted a career-best 1.66 ERA in 2015 with the Los Angeles Dodgers when he went a career-best 19-3, and he has 2,809 strikeouts in 3,110 career innings. Greinke has earned nearly $252 million in his career. After signing a six-year, $206.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to the 2016 season, he pledged to donate 1% of his salary to charities supported by the team.
Ryan Howard
Net worth: $120 million
Position: First base
Years played: 2004-16
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies (2004-16)
Ryan Howard spent his entire 13-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies and had a six-season run as one of the top sluggers in the majors. He smacked 262 homers and drove in 796 runs between 2006-11, winning National League MVP honors in 2006 when he established career highs of 58 homers, 149 RBIs and a .313 batting average. Howard earned over $190 million in career, a good chunk of it coming during a five-year, $125 million deal from 2012-16. Howard and wife Krystle founded The Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation to help improve the lives of children by promoting academic and athletic development. He also is a partner in a leading venture capital firm based in the Philadelphia area.
Miguel Cabrera
Net worth: $125 million
Positions: First base, third base, left field, designated hitter
Years played: 2003-present
Teams: Florida Marlins (2003-07); Detroit Tigers (2008-present)
Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera has 502 homers, 1,804 RBIs and a .310 batting average over his 19-year career. He won American League MVP honors in both 2012 and 2013 and also won four batting titles in five seasons between 2011-15. Cabrera was an AL All-Star seven straight seasons (2010-16) and also was a four-time National League All-Star with the Florida Marlins earlier in his career. Cabrera has earned more than $321 million. He has completed six seasons of an eight-year, $248 million deal and is set to earn $32 million in each of the next two seasons. Cabrera founded the Miguel Cabrera Foundation to give youngsters the chance to improve education and health through sports activities.
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Justin Verlander
Net worth: $150 million
Position: Pitcher
Years played: 2005-present
Teams: Detroit Tigers (2005-17); Houston Astros (2017-present)
Justin Verlander is one of the top starting pitchers of his era but sat out the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2020. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 2019 in his most recent full season when he went 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA for the Houston Astros. The eight-time All-Star has a 226-129 record with 3,013 strikeouts over his 16 seasons. Verlander has made more than $274 million during his career, including $33 million in 2021. Verlander founded the Wins for Warriors Foundation to help military families. He is married to model Kate Upton, who has a net worth of $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Albert Pujols
Net worth: $170 million
Positions: First base, left field, third base, designated hitter
Years played: 2001-present
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (2001-11); Los Angeles Angels (2012-21); Los Angeles Dodgers (2021-present)
Albert Pujols is nearing the end of his 21st season. He was one of the top players in the majors during 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2001-11, winning three National League MVP awards. Pujols hit more than 30 homers in all 11 seasons with St. Louis before leaving as a free agent and signing a 10-year, $240 million deal to join the Los Angeles Angels. Pujols has 679 homers and 2,150 RBIs. He has earned more than $339 million in his career. He formed the Pujols Family Foundation to help families live with Down syndrome — Pujols has a daughter with the condition — as well as helping impoverished people in his native Dominican Republic.
Ichiro Suzuki
Net worth: $180 million
Position: Right field
Years played: 2001-19
Teams: Seattle Mariners (2001-12; 2018-19); New York Yankees (2012-14); Miami Marlins (2015-17)
Even though he didn't come from Japan until he was 27 to play in the majors, Ichiro Suzuki still became a member of MLB’s 3,000-hit club. Ichiro was an American League All-Star in 10 straight seasons and was both AL Rookie of the Year and MVP in 2001 when he lead the league with a .350 average and 56 steals. Ichiro recorded 10 straight 200-hit seasons, including a record 262 in 2004. He finished with 3,089 hits and also won a batting title in 2004 when he hit a career-best .372. Ichiro made nearly $169 million in the majors with a high salary of $17 million in four straight seasons. Ichiro is highly popular in Japan and has done numerous endorsements in his homeland while being selective on offers from American companies.
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Derek Jeter
Net worth: $200 million
Position: Shortstop
Years played: 1995-2014
Team: New York Yankees (1995-2014)
The Hall of Fame shortstop played 20 seasons with the New York Yankees and was a 14-time All-Star and part of five World Series championship teams. Jeter amassed 3,465 hits and had a .310 batting average while also winning five Gold Gloves for his defense. A part-owner of the Miami Marlins, Jeter just completed his fourth season as CEO of the franchise. Jeter earned more than $266 million as a player with a high salary of $21 million in 2010. Jeter is the founder of the Turn 2 Foundation, which is designed to motivate young people to choose not to use drugs and alcohol.
Alex Rodriguez
Net worth: $350 million
Positions: Shortstop, third base
Years played: 1994-2016
Teams: Seattle Mariners (1994-2000); Texas Rangers (2001-03); New York Yankees (2004-16)
Alex Rodriguez was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Seattle Mariners in 1993 and went on to be a three-time MVP and 14-time American League All-Star. He hit more than 50 homers on three occasions and had 696 in his 22-year career. He earned more than $455 million with high salaries of $32 million in both 2009 and 2010. Rodriguez and business partner Marc Lore recently purchased a 20% minority share of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves for $1.5 billion. The pair can purchase another 20% in 2022 and another 20% in 2023 to become majority owners. An ownership stake in the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA was part of the deal.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 14 MLB Players Worth More Than $100 Million
