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10 Highest Paid MLB Players in 2023

Who are the highest paid MLB players in 2023? These baseball players are earning some serious coin now and aren’t far off their NFL counterparts.

Highest Paid MLB Players

Major League Baseball has some of the best athletes in the world. These players have proven their worth as the best at their craft and are the highest paid MLB players. 

10. Francisco Lindor (Mets) – $34.1 million

Francisco Lindor is one of the premier shortstops of Major League Baseball and is continuing to get better. He’s got one of the best gloves, is a good hitter and is one of the best defensive players in the game.

Known for his positive attitude and leadership abilities, his dedication and work ethic is an inspiration for the Mets which is why they made him one of the highest paid MLB players in 2021. 

9. Stephen Strasburg (Nationals) – $35 million

Three-time All-Star Stephen Strasburg is considered to be one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball. He’s got a powerful fastball, a devastating curveball, and has excellent command of the strike zone.

In addition to his physical abilities, Strasburg is known for his meticulous preparation and attention to detail. The highlight of Strasburg’s career to date is the Nationals’ World Series championship in 2019, which he was named MVP.

8. Nolan Arenado (Cardinals) – $35 million

Nolan Arenado is one of the highest paid MLB players known for his defensive abilities, having won his 10th Gold Glove award and earning a 7th All-Star appearance in 2022. 

Arenado is considered to be one of the greatest ever third baseman, but he’s also one of the best batters in the league with exceptional contact, power and plate discipline.

7. Corey Seager (Rangers) – $35.5 million

Corey Seager won World Series MVP in 2020 following a series win for the Dodgers against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Texas Rangers then gave Seager one of the biggest MLB contracts ever in an attempt to win their first ever World Series.

The Rangers shortstop is known for his impressive offensive and defensive abilities and came to Texas with a winning pedigree. He has a knack for hitting clutch home runs and RBIs, and is a more than capable fielder with good range and a strong arm.

6. Gerrit Cole (Yankees) – $36 million

Gerrit Cole is one of the best pitchers in the MLB which is why the Yankees agreed to the pay the largest ever overall contract given to a pitcher in 2019. His got a ripping off-speed pitch, a fierce fastball, and is a five-time All-Star and Cy Young Award runner-up. 

Ever since facing his first batter when debuting for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013, Cole has done a great job of keeping the ball in the zone. He’s also good at restricting free bases and holds numerous strikeout records.

5. Mike Trout (Angels) – $37.1 million

Mike Trout is one of the best players of all time and one of the highest paid MLB players in 2023. In 2019 he signed a $360 million extension with the LA Angels which extended his existing contract beyond the remaining two years and $66.5 million he had remaining on the contract he signed in 2014.

Trout will earn $37.1 million in 2023 but his 12-year, $426.5 million contract is the biggest MLB contract of all time. Despite injuries in his past, the Angels paid up big for his all-around skills, consistency, his ability to hit for power and average, his speed between bases and his outstanding defense in center field.

4. Anthony Rendon (Angels) – $38.5 million

Anthony Rendon is one of Major League Baseball’s best third basemen. Known for his exceptional hitting ability, strong defense, and smart base running, he’s seen as one of the most complete players in the league.

Off the back of the Nationals’ World Series championship in 2019, they couldn’t afford to keep both Stephen Strasburg and Rendon. After entering free agency, the Angels made a play for Rendon and he became one of the highest paid MLB players.

3. Aaron Judge (Yankees) – $40 million

Aaron Judge is one of the highest paid MLB players after he bet on himself in his contract year, rejecting a $213.5 million, 7-year deal with the Yankees in 2022. It paid off literally, as Judge hit an American League record 62 home runs, earning an extra $150 million.

Apart from being one of the most feared hitters in baseball, Judge is also one of the top outfielders in the league. He’s athleticism, throwing arm and his range shows that he’s just as capable defensively as he is at bat.

2. Max Scherzer (Mets) – $43.3 million

Max Scherzer is widely considered one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball today. He’s been an extremely durable pitcher since debuting in 2008 despite the criticism of his violent delivery and risk of injury because of his technique. 

A strikeout machine, Scherzer deploys a damaging mix of pitches and is a three-time Cy Young Award Winner, an 8-time All-Star, and a World Series winner with the Nationals in 2019. He’ll form a devastating Mets’ rotation as they aim to win their first World Series since 1986. 

1. Justin Verlander (Mets) – $43.3 million

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is serious about winning a World Series and the two biggest annual salaries are both Met’s pitchers. The Mets made Justin Verlander the highest paid MLB player – tied with teammate Max Scherzer – after signing him as a free agent after his contract expired with the Houston Astros in 2022.

Despite being 40 years old, Verlander signed a whopping two-year, $86.7 million contract. The Mets paid up big and rightfully so. He’s a great leader with a proven track record of 9 All-Star appearances, two World Series championships, and he’s known for his overpowering fastball, devastating breaking pitches, and exceptional control.

Matt Ieriko

Matt Ieriko is a freelance writer who’s evolved his lifelong passion for sport into the creation of WolfgangSport.com in 2020 – an American sports blog covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. As an Australian, he’s always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America.

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