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 |
|
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