Wealthy Teams Win -- for a Change

 This year money does seem to buy at least some happiness.   The two MLB teams that had the highest payrolls this year – the Yankees and Mets – made it into the final four. Each had a payroll of over $300 million. The Mets spent an astonishing $3.6 million per victory to lead the majors, the Bronx Bombers second with $3.3 million. The Dodgers also have a humongous payroll.

Contrast that to last year when the five teams that spent the most per win didn’t make the playoffs: Rockies ($2.9 million per win), Padres ($3.1 M), Angels ($3.15 M), Yankees ($3,4 M) and the Mets at an astonishing $4.6 million per win.

 This is my seventh year measuring MLB team efficiencies: Payroll divided by victories. I use Spotrac for payroll, because it includes all paid players, even those no longer on the active roster.

This year, four of the seven teams with the lowest per victory cost made the Playoffs: The Tigers at $1.14 M, Guardians at 1.16M, Orioles at $1.2M and Brewers at $1.24M.

          Clearly, the award for stupidest spending this year goes to the White Sox. They managed to set an MLB record for most losses ever in a season while having a middle-of-the pack payroll of $133.8M (15 teams spent less money). With 41 victories, that meant the White Sox spent $3.26M per win – just a tiny bit less than the Yankees.

          The Dodgers meanwhile belong in a separate category. Their 2024 payroll is officially $241 million. Four teams spent more. Cost per win: $2.46M. Eleven teams spent more per win. But this number needs an asterisk: Ohtani is paid $2 million this year, with the rest of his $70M salary deferred, if I’m reading Spotrac correctly.

          Each season is always something of a crapshoot. Injuries hurt last year’s champs, the Rangers ($2.9M per win) and the perennial playoff Braves ($2.6M).

          But then there are the truly stupid teams: the ones who spend big year after year to get mediocre results and miss the playoffs. Prime example: The Angels continue to spend big bucks but haven’t made the playoffs since 2014. This year, they spent $2.7M per win. Four teams spent less than half of that per win and made the playoffs.

          Other futile big spenders were the Cubs ($2.8M per win) and the Blue Jays ($2.9M).

          My Miami Marlins had a payroll of $97 million. Only three teams paid less. By getting rid of almost any player with trade value, they had a miserable 62 victories, each costing an average of $1.6 million. Ten teams spent less.

          Some teams – Oakland and Pittsburgh – consistently spend little and have crummy seasons.

          Contrast that with Tampa, which has been regularly at or near the top in cheapest costs per win while making the playoffs. This year, only Oakland had a cheaper cost-per-win, but for the first time in six years, the Rays missed the post-season.

		Payroll	Wins	$ Millions
		in Millions		per Wins
1	Oakland	63.4	69	0.9188
2	Tampa Bay	88.8	80	1.11
3	Pittsburgh	85.8	76	1.1289
4	Detroit	98.5	86	1.1453
5	Cleveland	106.8	92	1.1609
6	Baltimore	109.8	91	1.2066
7	Milwaukee	115.5	93	1.2419
8	Cincinnati	100.3	77	1.3026
9	Kansas City	122.5	86	1.4244
10	Washington	106.4	71	1.4986
11	Miami	97.5	62	1.5726
12	Minnesota	131	82	1.5976
13	Seattle	148.3	85	1.7447
14	San Diego	171.8	93	1.8473
15	Arizona	172.8	89	1.9416
16	St Louis	175.9	83	2.1193
17	Boston	190	81	2.3457
18	Colorado	147.3	61	2.4148
19	LA Dodgers	241	98	2.4592
20	San Fran	206	80	2.575
21	Philadelphia	247	95	2.6
22	Atlanta	236.4	89	2.6562
23	LA Angels	172.2	63	2.7333
24	Chi Cubs	230	83	2.7711
25	Texas	225.5	78	2.891
26	Houston	255.3	88	2.9011
27	Toronto	218	74	2.9459
28	White Sox	133.8	41	3.2634
29	NY Yankees	309.4	94	3.2915
30	NY Mets	317.8	89	3.5708

The Smart and the Stupid: MLB Teams Payrolls Compared to VIctories

 

The Orioles spent $700,000 for each win during the 2023 regular season. The Mighty Mets spent more than six times as much: $4.6 million per win.

Smart vs. Stupid: This is my sixth year measuring MLB team efficiencies: Payroll divided by victories. I use Spotrac for payroll, because it includes all paid players, even those no longer on the active roster.

This year’s post-season was a bit weird: The big-win teams in the regular season – Braves, Dodgers, Orioles, Rays – collapsed in the playoffs, taken over by wild-card teams on hot streaks. 

The big-spending Rangers -- $251 million payroll – paid $2.8 million per regular season victory.

The frugal D-backs spent $119 million, just a bit more than the Marlins’ $105 M. The Snakes and Fish each had 84 wins in the regular season, Miami spending $1.25 M per win, Arizona $1.4 M (half as much as the Rangers). During the playoffs, Arizona got hot. The Fish did not.

Looking back over the six years, what impresses me is that some teams are consistently smart on how they spend their money – and some teams are astoundingly stupid year after year.

 The Rays regularly reach the playoffs despite low budgets caused by dreadful attendance. For the past four years, the Orioles have had good efficiency – low cost per win – and finally made the playoffs this year.

Then there are the Pirates and A’s: Great bargains in cost-per-win, but not a whiff of playoffs. Each spent roughly $1 million per win.

Contrast that with teams like the Angels and Mets, who consistently spend huge amounts for naught. This year, the five teams that spent the most per win didn’t make the playoffs: Rockies ($2.9 million per win), Padres ($3.1 M), Angels ($3.15 M), Yankees ($3,4 M) and the Mets at an astonishing $4.6 million per win.

The Mets set an all-time record for payroll at $343 million, almost five times the Orioles’ $71 million.

The Yanks at least made the playoffs five of the six years, though the top spot they always seek keeps eluding them. The Padres got there twice in the same period.  The Mets once. The Angels, determinedly bad in cost-per-wins year after year, have not been in the playoffs since 2014, perhaps an example of the old saying that insanity is doing the same thing again and again expecting different results.

The World Champ Rangers are an interesting case. They had the fourth highest payroll – behind only the Mets, Yankees and Padres. Yet $96M of their $251M was injured reserve, led by deGrom at $30 million. Seager ($35.5 million) was a major factor for their success, but so were Evan Carter (adjusted salary $89,033 because he had less than 100 AB when he came up at the end of the season), Josh Jung ($721,000), Leodys Taveras $733,000, Josh Sborz $733,000 and Adolis Garcia $747,000. Then, even with super-stud Garcia injured, Bochy somehow made it all work.

 

TEAM	PAYR0LL	WINS	$ PER WIN	2023
Baltimore Orioles	$71,061,047	101	$703,574.72	1
Tampa Bay Rays	$79,354,272	99	$801,558.30	2
Pittsburgh Pirates	$68,945,975	76	$907,183.88	3
Cincinnati Reds	$96,577,288	82	$1,177,771.80	4
Cleveland Guardians	$91,861,627	76	$1,208,705.62	5
Oakland Athletics	$62,243,227	50	$1,244,864.54	6
Miami Marlins	$105,435,809	84	$1,255,188.20	7
Washington Nationals	$93,378,663	71	$1,315,192.44	8
Milwaukee Brewers	$125,338,345	92	$1,362,373.32	9
Arizona Diamondbacks	$119,257,651	84	$1,419,733.94	10
Seattle Mariners	$134,466,903	88	$1,528,032.99	11
Detroit Tigers	$121,494,514	78	$1,557,621.97	12
Kansas City Royals	$96,083,853	56	$1,715,783.09	13
Twins	$156,104,540	87	$1,794,305.06	14
Braves	$206,239,131	104	$1,983,068.57	15
St. Louis Cardinals	$153,793,028	71	$2,166,098.99	16
Cubs	$189,629,358	83	$2,284,691.06	17
Red Sox	$182,926,796	78	$2,345,215.33	18
Giants	$187,398,165	79	$2,372,128.67	19
Dodgers	$240,278,296	100	$2,402,782.96	20
Bluejays	$214,630,885	89	$2,411,582.98	21
Astros	$237,107,748	90	$2,634,530.53	22
White Sox	$162,863,836	61	$2,669,898.95	23
Phillies	$245,419,295	90	$2,726,881.06	24
Rangers	$251,332,754	90	$2,792,586.16	25
Rockies	$171,026,607	59	$2,898,756.05	26
Padres	$256,045,688	82	$3,122,508.39	27
Angels	$230,534,276	73	$3,158,003.78	28
Yankees	$278,651,000	82	$3,398,182.93	29
Mets	$343,605,067	75	$4,581,400.89	30