The Milwaukee Brewers dominated the regular season with an MLB-best 103 wins, but even that unbelievable run can’t distract from the absolute financial Goliath they’re up against in October: the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a payroll that just blows the doors off the Brewers and the ALCS squads, the Rays and Guardians, L.A.’s stacked roster has kept them favored to three-peat all season long. Look, payrolls don’t win games on their own, but when you look at these numbers, the Dodgers clearly have a wild advantage in this championship chase.
The Money Gap Is a Chasm, Not a Ditch
The Dodgers’ adjusted payroll is a staggering $339.32 million, ranking them second in MLB, only behind the Mets. And that number doesn’t even tell the full story because it only accounts for a measly $1 million salary for Kyle Tucker, despite him hauling in a $54 million signing bonus back in February. Let that sink in for a second: Tucker’s signing bonus alone is only about $20 million less than the ENTIRE payroll of the Cleveland Guardians. Yeah, the Guardians are sitting dead last in MLB with a $74.46 million payroll. The Rays aren’t far ahead at 28th with $95.62 million, and our 103-win Brewers are still way down at 19th with $146.21 million. It’s tough to see that kind of disparity when you’re watching these teams battle it out for a title.
Dodgers Stacked With Millionaires While Others Pinch Pennies
When you look at the highest-paid players still left in the LCS, the numbers are just wild. There are 14 players making at least $15 million per year, not counting Tucker’s bonus money. Wanna guess how many of them are Dodgers? Eleven. ELEVEN Dodgers are on that list! And one of the three non-Dodgers, Brandon Woodruff from the Brewers, is sidelined for the entire season with an injury, which is just brutal.
Let’s talk about that Dodgers lineup for a second. Shohei Ohtani is raking in $70 million. Then you’ve got Blake Snell at $36.4 million, Tyler Glasnow at $32.5 million, Tarik Skubal at $32 million, Mookie Betts at $30 million, and Freddie Freeman at $27 million. They’ve also got Christian Yelich at $26 million for the Brewers, Jose Ramirez at $25 million for the Guardians, and then more Dodgers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($20.3M), Teoscar Hernandez ($19.7M), Edwin Diaz ($17M), Tanner Scott ($16M), and Will Smith ($16M).
Meanwhile, the Rays’ highest-paid player is Yandy Diaz, checking in at $12 million. And for the Guardians, only Jose Ramirez is making more than $8 million annually. That’s a stark difference in talent acquisition, isn’t it? It just goes to show you what kind of financial firepower some teams are bringing to the table in October.
The postseason field is a mixed bag for sure if you’re looking for proof that MLB is dominated by bigger markets. Eight of the top 10 teams in terms of payroll actually made the postseason. This series, these teams are battling for a championship, but the money factor is just staring us all down. Can the smaller payrolls pull off an upset against the big spenders, or will the Dodgers’ war chest simply be too much to overcome? That’s the question we’re all looking forward to seeing answered on the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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