MLB Payrolls 2021: Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Astros Are Top Opening Day Spenders

The teams with the highest expectations for the 2021 MLB season also have the deepest pockets, spending more money on their rosters than the rest of the league. The World Series favorites Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have baseball’s highest payrolls on Opening Day.

The Dodgers lead the league by a considerable margin with a $239,572,333 payroll, according to Spotrac. The Yankees are second in MLB and first in the American League with $197,865,670 in player salaries for this season.

Coming off a World Series championship, Los Angeles arguably got even better. The Dodgers are the runaway favorites to repeat last year's title run.

The Dodgers made the biggest signing of the offseason, giving Trevor Bauer a three-year contract worth $102 million. Bauer is set to be paid close to $40 million this year, making him one of five Dodgers with a 2021 salary of at least $20 million.

The Yankees are the favorite to represent the AL in this year’s Fall Classic. Gerrit Cole leads the team with a $36 million salary in the second season of a historic nine-year contract. Giancarlo Stanton will make $29 million, and six other Yankees are set to make more than $10 million this season.

The New York Mets rank third in MLB with a $185,988,444 payroll. Expectations are high for the Big Apple’s second team, following the offseason additions of Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. Lindor and two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom are the team’s highest-paid players.

The Houston Astros are fourth in MLB with a $181,084,166 payroll. In the shortened 60-game 2020 season, Houston reached the ALCS for the fourth straight year.

The Philadelphia Phillies ($177,415,962), Boston Red Sox ($172,058,500) and Los Angeles Angels ($171,413,094) are the next biggest spenders. All three teams missed the 2020 playoffs. Angels star Mike Trout is the sport’s highest-paid position player with a salary north of $37 million.

The Washington Nationals ($162,841,575), San Diego Padres ($161,817,618) and St. Louis Cardinals ($154,629,166) round out the top-10 payrolls. San Diego is considered by many to be the biggest threat to Los Angeles in the NL.

The Baltimore Orioles ($45,682,297), Pittsburgh Pirates ($43,255,000) and Cleveland Indians ($39,484,700) have the lowest payrolls in baseball.