Show me the money! These are the highest paid MLB players for the 2026 season
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani is making bank this year, and his salary is just a small part of it.
Money is flowing through Major League Baseball at historic levels and in 2026, one superstar is in a financial league of his own. According to Forbes, the top 10 highest-paid MLB players are set to earn a combined $537 million this season. But the headline story isn’t just the total. It’s the massive gap between No. 1 and everyone else.
Shohei Ohtani is in a class of his own
At the top of the list is Shohei Ohtani, who is projected to earn an eye-popping $127 million in 2026. What makes that number even more remarkable?
- Only about $2 million comes from his Dodgers salary
- Roughly $125 million comes from endorsements and business ventures
That off-field total alone is one of the largest ever recorded for an active athlete, trailing only Conor McGregor’s 2021 haul. With global sponsorships spanning the U.S. and Japan, from New Balance to Japan Airlines, Ohtani has effectively become baseball’s most valuable marketing asset.
The highest-paid MLB players in 2026
Here’s how the full top 10 shakes out based on total earnings (salary + endorsements):
- Shohei Ohtani - $127M
- Cody Bellinger - $56.5M
- Kyle Tucker - $56M
- Juan Soto - $51.9M
- Aaron Judge - $46.1M
- Bo Bichette - $42.4M
- Zack Wheeler - $42.2M
- Mike Trout - $39M
- Jacob deGrom - $38.3M
- Gerrit Cole - $37.5M
Big markets, big money
Elite salaries are concentrated among a handful of teams. Players from the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets dominate the top tier, a reflection of their willingness to spend and compete for superstar talent.
In fact, six of the top earners play in either Los Angeles or New York.
Juan Soto’s drop highlights how bonuses skew earnings
One of the biggest year-over-year changes comes from Juan Soto. After leading MLB with roughly $126.9 million in 2025, boosted by a massive signing bonus, Soto drops to No. 4 in 2026 at $51.9 million as that bonus falls off. It shows that “highest-paid” doesn’t always mean highest salary. Timing and structure of contracts also have to be taken into consideration.
The growing gap off the field
Another striking trend is how much endorsement money is exploding. The top 10 players will earn $144 million off the field in 2026. That’s up 20% year over year and up over 800% in just four years
But here’s the kicker...Ohtani alone accounts for $125 million of that total. In other words, he earns more off the field than the other nine players combined.
The concentration of money among top players and top teams is becoming a major talking point across the league. With MLB’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire after the 2026 season, issues like a potential salary cap and revenue distribution are expected to dominate negotiations. For now, though, the numbers speak for themselves.
From Shohei Ohtani’s unprecedented global empire to massive contracts in New York and Los Angeles, MLB’s financial landscape has never been bigger. And if current trends hold, the next wave of superstars might be cashing even larger checks.
Related stories
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.