MLB

Here Are the Highest-Paid MLB Players for the 2023 Season

Aaron Judge, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander lead the highest-paid players for this season

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Here are the highest-paid MLB players originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The 2023 MLB season is underway, and with it comes some big-time paydays for star players.

Aaron Judge re-signed with the New York Yankees on a nine-year megadeal, Trea Turner joined the Philadelphia Phillies on another massive contract and Jacob deGrom is now with the Texas Rangers.

All three of those players received eye-popping deals, but where do they stand among the highest-paid players in baseball?

Who are the highest-paid MLB players?

It took a record-setting three-year, $130 million contract to lure Max Scherzer from Hollywood to the Big Apple in 2022, and one of his former teammates joined him this offseason

Justin Verlander signed a two-year, $86,666,666 deal with the New York Mets in December, tying Scherzer for the highest average annual salary in MLB history. Scherzer, whose prior deal had an average annual value of $30 million, blew past Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s previous record of $36 million with the new $43,333,333 figure. Verlander, the 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner, is now tied atop the list with the same annual payday as Scherzer.

Baseball’s third and final player to earn $40 million a year also resides in New York. Judge inked a nine-year, $360 million deal to stay with the Yankees, putting an end to the biggest free agency sweepstakes of the offseason.

The Yankees have agreed to a 9-year, $360M contract with slugger Aaron Judge.

deGrom comes in at No. 4 in average salary at $37 million after joining the Rangers on a five-year, $185 million deal. Cole’s $36 million average salary puts him at No. 5 in the big leagues.

Here’s a full look at the highest-paid MLB players for this season based on average annual salary, according to Spotrac:

T-1. Max Scherzer, New York Mets: $43,333,333

T-1. Justin Verlander, New York Mets: $43,333,333

3. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: $40 million

4. Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers: $37 million

5. Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees: $36 million

6. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: $35,541,667

T-7. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: $35 million

T-7. Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels: $35 million

9. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: $34.1 million

10. Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins: $33.3 million

T-11. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers: $32.5 million

T-11. Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals: $32.5 million

13. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: $31,818,182

14. Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox: $31,350,000

15. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: $31 million

16. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers: $30,416,667

17. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels: $30 million

18. Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox: $29 million

19. Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies: $27,272,727

T-20. Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers: $27 million

T-20. Carlos Rodon, New York Yankees: $27 million

22. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers: $26,928,571

T-23. Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals: $26 million

T-23. Kris Bryant, Colorado Rockies: $26 million

25. Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres: $25,454,545

26. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies: $25,384,615

27. Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs: $25,285,714

T-28. Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees: $25 million

T-28. Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers: $25 million

T-28. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays: $25 million

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