Who’s the highest-paid pitcher in the MLB? Boardroom breaks down baseball’s biggest salaries on the books among starters, relievers, and even a few lefties for the 2022 season.
In 2029, New York Yankees hurler Gerrit Cole’s nine-year, $324,000,000 contract, the single biggest deal an MLB pitcher has ever signed, finally expires. But if you assumed that also makes him the most expensive pitcher in baseball by both average annual value and 2022 salary, you’d be wrong.
That distinction goes to a pitcher who likewise plies his trade in New York — but you won’t see him wearing pinstripes this year.
With the 2022 season finally upon us, we want to give the very best aces, closers, and maybe even a few left-handers some love typically reserved for the game’s foremost sluggers. If you enjoyed our rundown of the biggest salaries in the game overall, check out our master list of the highest-paid pitchers in Major League Baseball here and now.
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Highest MLB Pitcher Salaries for the 2022 Season
Dollar figures via Spotrac.
1. Mets RHP Max Scherzer: $43,333,333
- Contract: 3 years, $130,000,000
- MLB’s No. 1 overall salary in 2022
- Click here to read Boardroom’s deep dive on Max Scherzer’s record-setting Mets contract
2. Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole: $36,000,000
- Contract: 9 years, $324,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 3 overall salary
3. Dodgers RHP Trevor Bauer: $32,000,000
- Contract:3 years, $102,000,000
- Tied MLB’s No. 7 overall salary
4. Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler: $26,000,000
- Contract: 5 years, $118,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 13 overall salary
t-5. Astros RHP Justin Verlander: $25,000,000
- Contract: 2 years, $50,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 17 overall salary
t-5. Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman: $25,000,000
- Contract: 3 years, $71,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 17 overall salary
7. Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg: $23,571,428
- Contract: 7 years, $245,000,000
- MLB’s No. 23 overall salary
t-8. Nationals LHP Patrick Corbin: $23,000,000
- Contract: 6 years, $140,000,000
- Tied for No. 1 highest-paid left-handed pitcher in 2022
- Tied for MLB’s No. 24 overall salary
t-8. Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner: $23,000,000
- Contract: 5 years, $85,000,000
- Tied for No. 1 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied for MLB’s No. 24 overall salary
10. Giants LHP Carlos Rodon: $21,500,000
- Contract: 2 years, $44,000,000
- No. 3 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- MLB’s No. 29 overall salary
t-11. Angels RHP Noah Syndergaard: $21,000,000
- Contract: 1 year, $21,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 30 overall salary
t-11. Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman: $21,000,000
- Contract: 5 years, $110,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 30 overall salary
t-11 Mariners LHP Robbie Ray: $21,000,000
- Contract: 5 years, $115,000,000
- No. 4 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied for MLB’s No. 30 overall salary
t-14. Red Sox LHP Chris Sale: $20,000,000
- Contract: 5 years, $145,000,000
- Tied for No. 5 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied MLB’s No. 36 overall salary in 2022
t-14. Blue Jays LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu: $20,000,000
- Contract: 4 years, $80,000,000
- Tied for No. 5 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied MLB’s No. 36 overall salary
t-14. Braves RHP Charlie Morton: $20,000,000
- Contract: 1 year, $20,000,000
- Tied MLB’s No. 36 overall salary
17. Padres RHP Yu Darvish: $19,000,000
- Contract: 6 years, $126,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 47 overall salary
t-18. Mets RHP Jacob deGrom: $18,500,000
- Contract: 5 years, $137,500,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 50 overall salary
t-18. White Sox RHP Lance Lynn: $18,500,000
- Contract: 2 years, $38,000,000
- Tied for MLB’s No. 50 overall salary
t-20. Yankees LHP Aroldis Chapman: $18,000,000
- Contract: 3 years, $48,000,000
- No. 1 highest-paid relief pitcher in 2022
- Tied for No. 6 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied MLB’s No. 54 overall salary
t-20. White Sox LHP Dallas Keuchel: $18,000,000
- Contract: 3 years, $55,500,000
- Tied for No. 6 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied MLB’s No. 54 overall salary
22. Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright: $17,500,000
- Contract: 1 year, $17,500,000
- MLB’s No. 57 overall salary
t-23. Red Sox RHP Nathan Eovaldi: $17,000,000
- Contract: 4 years, $68,000,000
- Tied MLB’s No. 59 overall salary
t-23. Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw: $17,000,000
- Contract: 1 year, $17,000,000
- No. 8 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied MLB’s No. 59 overall salary
t-25. Braves RHP Kenley Jansen: $16,000,000
- Contract: 1 year, $16,000,000
- Tied for No. 2 highest-paid relief pitcher
- Tied for MLB’s No. 65 overall salary
t-25. Dodgers LHP David Price: $16,000,000
- Contract: 7 years, $217,000,000
- Tied for No. 9 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied for MLB’s No. 65 overall salary
t-25. Dodgers Craig Kimbrel: $16,000,000
- Contract: 3 years, $43,000,000
- Tied for No. 2 highest-paid relief pitcher
- Tied for MLB’s No. 65 overall salary
t-25. Blue Jays LHP Yusei Kikuchi: $16,000,000
- Contract: 3 years, $36,000,000
- Tied for No. 9 highest-paid left-handed pitcher
- Tied for MLB’s No. 65 overall salary
29. Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas: $15,750,000
- Contract: 4 years, $68,000,000
- MLB’s No. 75 overall salary
30. Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr.: $15,250,000
- Contract: 5 years, $85,000,000
- MLB’s No. 76 overall salary
Highest-paid MLB Relief Pitchers of 2022
1. Aroldis Chapman (Yankees): $18,000,000
t-2. Kenley Jansen (Braves): $16,000,000
t-2. Craig Kimbrel (Dodgers): $16,000,000
4. Zach Britton (Yankees): $14,000,000
t-5. Will Smith (Braves): $13,000,000
t-5. Liam Hendriks (White Sox): $13,000,000
7. Josh Hader (Brewers): $11,000,000
8. Edwin Diaz (Mets): $10,200,000
t-9. Raisel Iglesias (Angels): $10,000,000
t-9. Corey Knebel (Phillies): $10,000,000
t-9. Ryan Pressly (Astros): $10,000,000
t-9. Drew Pomeranz (Padres): $10,000,000
t-13. Blake Treinen (Dodgers): $9,000,000
t-13. Matt Barnes (Red Sox): $9,000,000
t-15. Kendall Graveman (White Sox): $8,000,000
t-15. Hector Neris (Astros): $8,000,000
t-15. Will Harris (Nationals): $8,000,000
t-15. Tyler Anderson (Dodgers): $8,000,000
19. Trevor May (Mets): $7,750,000
20. Aaron Loup (Angels): $7,500,000
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