MLB average salary nears $4 million

Major League Baseball players made an average of $3.8 million during the 2014 season, a nearly 13 percent increase from the previous year.

Major League Baseball players made an average of $3.8 million during the 2014 season, a nearly 13 percent increase from the previous year, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports.

The MLB Players Association said that the average salary was $3,818,923 last season, compared to MLB players making an average of $3,386,212 in 2013. The 12.78 percent increase in salary was the biggest in more than a decade.

The record salaries are due in part to baseball’s making over $9 billion in revenue, thanks to television contracts.

The union said the figures are based on 910 players and based its findings by studying rosters and disabled lists as of Aug. 31. Teams can expand their rosters from 25 to 40 on Sept. 1.

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Using different criteria to calculate salaries, the commissioner's office says the average player made $3,726,243 in 2013, another increase of 12 percent.

According to a USA Todaydatabase, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke was MLB’s top earner last season, pulling in $26 million as part of a six-year deal worth $147 million. His teammate, National League Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, is scheduled to make $32.5 million next season. He agreed to a seven-year, $215 million deal last January.

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