According to the average annual value, Aaron Judge has the third-biggest contract in MLB at present. However, his earnings in 2023 put him at No. 4 ($44 million) among the top earners in the big league. Gerrit Cole ($37.5 million) is the only other Yankees player to find a place — at No. 7 — among the top 10 baseball earners.
The Yankees have heavily invested in salary this year with the total amounting to a $280-million payroll. Within the team, Aaron Judge is the highest earner followed by Gerrit Cole, and Giancarlo Stanton.
However, the Yankees players fall behind others in MLB when considering their total earnings. Though Aaron Judge remains among the top five thanks to his seven brand endorsements, his Yankees teammates struggle to attract brands.
Who is the highest earner in MLB?
Angels’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani is the highest earner in MLB. At $70 million, he earns almost 60% higher than Yankees Aaron Judge. Compared to the $40 million salary of Aaron Judge, he has a pay of $30 million. However, his endorsements give him $40 million, a whopping 10 times higher than what Aron Aaron Judge is paid by brands.
To be more precise, Shohei Ohtani’s earnings, which include endorsements, have now reached an unprecedented level in MLB history, rivaling the typical earnings of NBA stars and soccer icons. By examining his endorsement contracts alone, Ohtani accumulated an estimated $40 million in 2023. When his salary is factored in, the Angels’ standout player earned approximately $70 million in 2023, surpassing the annual earnings of Max Scherzer ($60.3 million), Justin Verlander ($44.3 million), and Aaron Judge ($44 million).
Who are among the top 10 earners in MLB?
| Rank | Player | Team | Salary | Endorsements | Total |
| 1 | Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels | $30 million | $40 million | $70 million |
| 2 | Max Scherzer | New York Mets | $58.33 million | $2 million | $60 million |
| 3 | Justin Verlander | New York Mets | $43.3 million | $1 million | $44.3 million |
| 4 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees | $40 million | $4 million | $44 million |
| 5 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels | $35.5 million | $5 million | $40.5 million |
| 6 | Anthony Rendon | Los Angeles Angels | $38 million | $250K | $38.3 million |
| 7 | Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | $36 million | $1.5 million | $37.5 million |
| 8 | Corey Seager | Texas Rangers | $35 million | $2 million | $37 million |
| 9 | Carlos Correa | Minnesota Twins | $36 million | $1 million | $37 million |
| 10 | Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | $33.6 million | $200k | $33.8 million |
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