AP Photo/HF / AP Photo/Kathy Willens
- The highest-paid player in Major League Baseball in 2019 makes $42 million more than the highest-paid player in 1960.
- Alex Rodriguez leads the pack with 11 years as the highest-paid player in baseball since 1960.
- Former American League outfielder Albert Belle was the first player to receive $10 million per year in the MLB.
- Max Scherzer is the highest-paid player of 2019 with $42.1 million.
- Visit Business Insider’s home page for more stories.
The highest-paid player in Major League Baseball in 2019 makes $42 million more than the highest-paid player in 1960.
As the MLB has grown since its founding in 1903, so have the contracts, reaching sky high sums this past offseason with the signings of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, and the re-signing of Mike Trout by the Los Angeles Angels.
Using salary data obtained by Baseball Reference and the Society for American Baseball Research, and other sources, here are the highest-paid MLB players every year since 1960.
1960-65 Willie Mays – $80,000-$105,000
AP
Willie Mays is considered to be one the greatest players of all time, and possibly the best five-tool player to ever play the game. Nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid", Mays won two NL MVP awards and hit 660 home runs in his 22-year career.
He played most of his years with the New York/San Francisco Giants and ended his career with the New York Mets.
*The Society of American Baseball Research lists that Mickey Mantle tied Mays in 1962 with $90,000 as the highest-paid player.
1966 Sandy Koufax – $130,000
AP Photo/Ray Howard
Sandy Koufax spent 12 seasons in the MLB with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers.
One of the greatest pitchers in baseball, Koufax was a six-time All-Star and three-time unanimous Cy Young Award winner. He also won the NL Triple Crown three consecutive seasons by leading the NL in wins, strikeouts, and ERA.
Koufax’s career was cut short due to arthritis in his elbow when he was 30 years old. He was the youngest player ever to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame at 36 in 1972.
1967-70 Willie Mays – $125,000-$135,000
AP Photo/HF
Willie Mays hit over 50 home runs in 1955 and 1965, had eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons, and won 12 Gold Glove Awards in his career.
He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Alexandra Licata)