Year Adjusted Salary Player Salary($M) CPI 1874 253.62319 Fergus Malone (Chi NA) 0.0028 11.04 1875 206.76692 Rich Higham (Chi NL) 0.0022 10.64 1876 384.98556 Al Spalding (Chi NL) 0.004 10.39 1877 285.71429 Al Spalding (Chi NL) 0.0029 10.15 1878 382.62668 Bob Ferguson (Chi NL) 0.0037 9.67 1879 186.14271 Frank Flint (Chi NL) 0.0018 9.67 1880 181.63471 Adrian Anson (Chi NL) 0.0018 9.91 1881 201.81635 Jim O'Rourke (Buf NL) 0.002 9.91 1882 242.17962 Monte Ward (Prov NL) 0.0024 9.91 1883 319.25850 Buck Ewing (NY NL) 0.0031 9.71 1884 325.97266 Buck Ewing (NY NL) 0.0031 9.51 1885 482.83262 Jim O'Rourke (NY NL) 0.0045 9.32 1886 493.42105 Fred Dunlap (StL/Det NL) 0.0045 9.12 1887 488.06941 Fred Dunlap (Det NL) 0.0045 9.22 1888 542.29935 Fred Dunlap (Pit NL) 0.005 9.22 1889 560.53812 Fred Dunlap (Pit NL) 0.005 8.92 1890 453.51474 Hardy Richardson (Bos PL) 0.004 8.82 1891 226.75737 Paul Cook (Lou/StL AA) 0.002 8.82 1892 317.46032 Joe Gunson (Bal NL) 0.0028 8.82 1895 294.84029 Jack Glasscock (Lou/Was NL) 0.0024 8.14 1899 223.88060 Victor Willis (Bos NL) 0.0018 8.04 1904 579.37428 Joe McGinnity (NY NL) 0.005 8.63 1906 974.77064 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL) 0.0085 8.72 1907 933.04061 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL) 0.0085 9.11 1908 952.91480 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL) 0.0085 8.92 1909 1020.4082 Nap Lajoie (Cle AL) 0.009 8.82 1910 977.19870 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.009 9.21 1911 977.19870 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.009 9.21 1912 1063.8298 Roger Bresnahan (StL NL) 0.01 9.4 1913 1562.5000 Fred Clarke (Pit NL) 0.015 9.6 1914 1547.9876 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.015 9.69 1915 1545.1745 Fred Clarke (Pit NL) 0.01505 9.74 1916 1879.6992 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.02 10.64 1917 1560.0624 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.02 12.82 1918 1328.0212 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.02 15.06 1919 1156.0694 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.02 17.3 1920 998.00399 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.02 20.04 1921 1396.6480 Ty Cobb (Det AL) 0.025 17.9 1922 3100.7752 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.052 16.77 1923 3046.2800 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.052 17.07 1924 3040.9357 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.052 17.1 1925 2966.3434 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.052 17.53 1926 2937.8531 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.052 17.7 1927 4029.9367 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.07 17.37 1928 4086.3981 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.07 17.13 1929 4086.3981 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.07 17.13 1930 4790.4192 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.08 16.7 1931 5252.7905 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.08 15.23 1932 5490.4832 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.075 13.66 1933 4012.3457 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.052 12.96 1934 2613.8910 Babe Ruth (NY AL) 0.035 13.39 1935 2257.8296 Lou Gehrig (NY AL) 0.031 13.73 1936 2597.4026 Mickey Cochrane (Det AL) 0.036 13.86 1937 2506.9638 Mickey Cochrane (Det AL) 0.036 14.36 1938 2767.9205 Lou Gehrig (NY AL) 0.039 14.09 1939 2519.7984 Lou Gehrig (NY AL) 0.035 13.89 1940 2494.6543 Hank Greenberg (Det AL) 0.035 14.03 1941 3733.8764 Hank Greenberg (Det AL) 0.055 14.73 1942 2684.0491 Joe DiMaggio (NY AL) 0.04375 16.3 1943 1560.6936 Joe Cronin (Bos AL) 0.027 17.3 1944 1534.0909 Joe Cronin (Bos AL) 0.027 17.6 1945 1388.8889 Lou Boudreau (Cle AL) 0.025 18 1946 2814.7390 Hank Greenberg (Det AL) 0.055 19.54 1947 3133.3930 Hal Newhouser (Det AL) 0.07 22.34 1948 2699.3355 Joe DiMaggio (NY AL) 0.065 24.08 1949 4192.8721 Joe DiMaggio (NY AL) 0.1 23.85 1950 4152.8239 Joe DiMaggio (NY AL) 0.1 24.08 1951 3464.2032 Joe DiMaggio (NY AL) 0.09 25.98 1952 3201.5066 Ted Williams (Bos AL) 0.085 26.55 1953 3177.5701 Ted Williams (Bos AL) 0.085 26.75 1954 3162.2024 Ted Williams (Bos AL) 0.085 26.88 1955 2520.5377 Ted Williams (Bos AL) 0.0675 26.78 1956 2133.9220 Yogi Berra (NY AL) 0.058 27.18 1957 2309.0586 Yogi Berra (NY AL) 0.065 28.15 1958 2247.5795 Mickey Mantle (NY AL) 0.065 28.92 1959 2572.0165 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.075 29.16 1960 2700.8778 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.08 29.62 1961 2840.9091 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.085 29.92 1962 2974.2234 Mickey Mantle (NY AL) 0.09 30.26 1963 3429.1313 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.105 30.62 1964 3383.8221 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.105 31.03 1965 3326.9962 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.105 31.56 1966 4004.9291 Sandy Koufax (LA NL) 0.13 32.46 1967 3742.5150 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.125 33.4 1968 3591.9540 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.125 34.8 1969 3681.4835 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.135 36.67 1970 3475.7981 Willie Mays (SF NL) 0.135 38.84 1971 4122.4389 Carl Yastrzemski (Bos AL) 0.167 40.51 1972 3990.4421 Carl Yastrzemski (Bos AL) 0.167 41.85 1973 4499.4376 Dick Allen (Chi AL) 0.2 44.45 1974 5067.9100 Dick Allen (Chi AL) 0.25 49.33 1975 4457.6523 Hank Aaron (Mil AL) 0.24 53.84 1976 4214.9631 Hank Aaron (Mil AL) 0.24 56.94 1977 9239.3994 Mike Schmidt (Ph NL) 0.56 60.61 1978 8586.3232 Mike Schmidt (Ph NL) 0.56 65.22 1979 11023.839 Rod Carew (Cal AL) 0.8 72.57 1980 12138.869 Nolan Ryan (Hou NL) 1 82.38 1981 15396.459 Dave Winfield (NY AL) 1.4 90.93 1982 15544.041 Mike Schmidt (Ph NL) 1.5 96.5 1983 16589.689 Mike Schmidt (Ph NL) 1.652333 99.6 1984 19151.829 Mike Schmidt (Ph NL) 1.989875 103.9 1985 19488.541 Mike Schmidt (Ph NL) 2.096967 107.6 1986 17923.568 Jim Rice (Bos AL) 1.964423 109.6 1987 21236.796 Jim Rice (Bos AL) 2.4125 113.6 1988 19780.220 Ozzie Smith (StL NL) 2.34 118.3 1989 22311.831 Orel Hershiser (LA NL) 2.766667 124 1990 24483.550 Robin Yount (Mil AL) 3.2 130.7 1991 27900.147 Darryl Stawberry (LA NL) 3.8 136.2 1992 43478.261 Bobby Bonilla (NY NL) 6.1 140.3 1993 42906.574 Bobby Bonilla (NY NL) 6.2 144.5 1994 42510.121 Bobby Bonilla (NY NL) 6.3 148.2 1995 60613.517 Cecil Fielder (Det AL) 9.2375 152.4 1996 58875.080 Cecil Fielder (Det AL) 9.2375 156.9 1997 62305.296 Albert Belle (Chi AL) 10 160.5 1998 91635.994 Gary Sheffield (Fla/LA NL) 14.936667 163 1999 71727.455 Albert Belle (Bal AL) 11.949794 166.6 2000 91256.016 Kevin Brown (LA NL) 15.714286 172.2 2001 124223.60 Alex Rodriguez (Tex AL) 22 177.1 2002 122290.16 Alex Rodriguez (Tex AL) 22 179.9 2003 119565.22 Alex Rodriguez (Tex AL) 22 184 2004 115017.90 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 21.726881 188.9 2005 133128.52 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 26 195.3 2006 107543.29 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 21.680727 201.6 2007 112993.63 Jason Giambi (NY AL) 23.428571 207.344167 2008 130078.73 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 28 215.25425 2009 153798.47 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 33 214.5665 2010 151317.26 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 33 218.084833 2011 142263.06 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 32 224.935417 2012 130659.60 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 30 229.60425 2013 124492.77 Alex Rodriguez (NY AL) 29 232.945257 2014 NA Zack Greinke 26 2015 NA Clayton Kershaw 32.571