NEW YORK — In a recent announcement, Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. emerged as the top recipient of the pre-arbitration bonus pool, amassing a total of $3,077,595. Notably, Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes secured the second position with $2,152,057, despite making his major league debut only on May 11. Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson followed closely in third place with $2,007,178, while Milwaukee catcher William Contreras and Kansas City pitcher Cole Ragans earned $1,722,174 and $1,638,013, respectively, according to data gathered by Major League Baseball and the players’ union.
Additionally, several other players topped the $1 million mark. Boston outfielder Jarren Duran earned $1,321,661, San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill received $1,191,534, and New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil was awarded $1,098,628. Baltimore outfielder Colton Cowser ranked ninth with $978,671, followed by Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio at $901,335, Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz at $860,710, and Athletics reliever Mason Miller at $825,276.
The creation of the annual bonus pool was part of an agreement reached during the March 2022 labor negotiations, aimed at providing greater financial support to younger players. Witt, who was the runner-up for the AL MVP award behind Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, has benefited significantly from this initiative, receiving a total of $4,202,126 from the pool over the past three years.
Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez, who was the top recipient last season, earned $509,957 this year, bringing his three-year total to $3,926,156. Meanwhile, Gunnar Henderson’s cumulative earnings amount to $3,435,149, Contreras has received $2,808,762, and Cole Ragans has made $2,019,346 alongside others like Duran and De La Cruz.
Some players have already signed long-term contracts, including Bobby Witt, who agreed to an 11-year deal worth $288.7 million earlier this year. Chourio, who was listed at 10th position, signed an eight-year deal worth $82 million last December, marking one of the largest contracts for a player before their major league debut.
In total, 101 players are set to receive payments from this bonus pool, which aims to financially assist those without enough service time to qualify for salary arbitration, defined at two years and 118 days. Players signed as foreign professionals are not included in this program.
Milwaukee leads the rankings with the largest number of players receiving bonuses, totaling eight, followed closely by Detroit with seven. Arizona, Cleveland, and Seattle each have six players benefiting from the pool.
Eligible players can earn substantial bonuses based on their performance, with amounts ranging from $2.5 million for MVP or Cy Young Award winners to $500,000 for second place in Rookie of the Year voting or selection to the all-MLB second team. The All-MLB teams are determined by votes from fans, media, broadcasters, former players, and officials.
Players are only eligible for one bonus per year, allowing them to receive the highest amount applicable, while any remaining funds are distributed based on a WAR formula.
