Salaries in baseball have risen exponentially in recent years.
While only one player, Nolan Ryan, was making $1 million per season 30 years ago, 25 players will make $17 million or more this season. Fourteen will break the $20 million threshold, and one—Alex Rodriguez—will receive $30 million from the New York Yankees.
The combined salaries of the top two highest-paid players (Rodriguez and the Angels’ Vernon Wells) will cost just $4 million less than the entire Oakland Athletics roster.
But how many are actually worth their exorbitant salaries and are contributing at the most important time of the year?