Who are the highest-paid starting pitchers? Salaries and contracts of MLB’s top aces

Shohei Ohtani made history by signing an unprecedented contract in American sports. The Japanese player has committed to playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the next 10 seasons in exchange for a whopping $700 million. What’s interesting about this deal is that despite having an average annual salary of $70 million, the two-way player will only receive $2 million per year.

Ohtani has agreed to defer $68 million annually so that the Dodgers can use that money to assemble a competitive team. As a result, when his contract with the Los Angeles franchise ends, Ohtani will receive a total of $680 million, with $68 million paid out each year from 2034 to 2043. The Japanese player with this contract became the highest-paid pitcher in Major League Baseball. The only downside of Ohtani’s pitching for the Dodgers is that he will not be able to pitch before season 2025 because of an elbow injury.

In the meantime, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, two veteran pitchers and former Cy Young winners, are expected to earn a combined $86.6 million. New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is responsible for reuniting the pair after they played together with the Detroit Tigers for five years. Scherzer signed a three-year, $130 million contract with the Mets last year but was traded to the reigning World Series champions, the Texas Rangers, this season. Meanwhile, Verlander, who signed a two-year, $86.6 million deal, found himself in a mid-season trade scenario, which saw him return to his former team, the Houston Astros, via a trade deal with the Mets.

On the other hand, Jacob deGrom signed a massive 5-year / $185,000,000 contract with the Texas Rangers, which includes an annual average salary of $37,000,000 and $185,000,000 guaranteed, and is taking the 3rd spot on this list. He will earn a base salary of $40,000,000 in 2024, carrying a total salary of $40,000,000.

The highest-paid MLB starting pitchers?

The 2024 Salary Rankings for Starting Pitchers demonstrate the financial power of experienced players in this position.