Average MLB salary hits record in 2025, but increases shrink again as CBA battle looms

While Major League Baseball player salaries continue to rise, the rate of the rise slowed last season, according to figures released by the MLB Players Association (via the Associated Press). File this little tidbit away in front of what seem likely to be contentious negotiations between the players and owners next offseason after the expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). That'll happen on Dec. 1. 

As for the numbers, MLB player salaries actually decreased four straight seasons through 2021, which isn't shocking on the latter two seasons given what we saw COVID do to society in 2020. There was an increase of 14.8% in 2022, 7.2% in 2023 and 2.9% in 2024. Last season, player salaries only increased 1.4%, which was easily less than the rate of inflation. 

The average player salary last season was a record at $4,721,393.

Meanwhile, MLB attendance continues to be on the rise. Seventeen of the 30 teams last season saw a year-over-year rise in attendance, topping out with the Mets seeing an increase of more than 10,000 fans per game. Eleven teams added more than 1,000 fans per game while the Blue Jays added over 2,000 a game, the Giants added more than 3,000 and the Tigers increased by nearly 7,000. 

In all, MLB teams drew more than 71 million fans in the regular season, marking the third straight season with an increase. The 71,409,522 in MLB attendance was the highest since 2017. 

We don't yet have estimated figures for league revenue in 2025, but Forbes previously reported that MLB saw a record of $12.1 billion in 2024, breaking the 2023 record of $11.6 billion, which broke the 2022 record of $10.9 billion. Basically, it's overwhelmingly likely that MLB set another revenue record in 2025.