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 |
|
$71,061,047 |
101 |
$703,574.72 |
1 |
|
|
$79,354,272 |
99 |
$801,558.30 |
2 |
|
|
$68,945,975 |
76 |
$907,183.88 |
3 |
|
|
$96,577,288 |
82 |
$1,177,771.80 |
4 |
|
|
$91,861,627 |
76 |
$1,208,705.62 |
5 |
|
|
$62,243,227 |
50 |
$1,244,864.54 |
6 |
|
|
$105,435,809 |
84 |
$1,255,188.20 |
7 |
|
|
$93,378,663 |
71 |
$1,315,192.44 |
8 |
|
|
$125,338,345 |
92 |
$1,362,373.32 |
9 |
|
|
$119,257,651 |
84 |
$1,419,733.94 |
10 |
|
|
$134,466,903 |
88 |
$1,528,032.99 |
11 |
|
|
$121,494,514 |
78 |
$1,557,621.97 |
12 |
|
|
$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 |
|
$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 |
