Follow usMajor League Baseball’s average salary rose 14.8% to a record $4.22 million in 2022 after the end of the lockout, boosted by huge deals for New York Mets’ Maxwell “Max” Scherzer and Francisco Lindor as well as Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien and Corey Seager.
The final calculations by the players’ association showed that the rate of increase was the highest since a 17.7% increase in 2000 to $1.61 million.
The average had dropped in each of the previous four seasons before 2022, sparking player anger that was expressed by the union during a 99-day lockout that ended last March.
Last year’s average salary was calculated by the union at $4,222,193, up from $3,679,335 in 2021.
MLB, which uses a slightly different method, calculated the average at $4,117,472, up 15% from $3,579,341 in 2021.
Payrolls, a more complete reflection on spending, rose 12.6% to $4.56 billion from $4.05 billion.
Salaries have escalated higher this past offseason. The Mets have boosted their payroll to a projected $370 million, well past the previous record of $297.9 million of the 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers.
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