List of highest paid baseball players

The following chart reveals the evolution of the highest paid player in Major League Baseball. Data after 1985 is verified through research by Doug Pappas[?].

 
 1927       $70,000 - Babe Ruth (unconfirmed)
 1930       $80,000 - Babe Ruth (unconfirmed)
 1949      $100,000 - Ted Williams (unconfirmed)
 1961 -     $75,000 - Mickey Mantle (unconfirmed)
 1966 -    $130,000 - Willie Mays (unconfirmed)
 1972      $200,000 - Hank Aaron (unconfirmed)
 1979 -             - Pete Rose (unconfirmed)
 1981 -  $2,000,000 - Dave Winfield (unconfirmed)
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 1985 -  $2,130,300 - Mike Schmidt[?]
 1986 -  $2,800,000 - George Foster[?]
 1987 -  $2,127,333 - Mike Schmidt[?]
 1988 -  $2,340,000 - Ozzie Smith
 1989 -  $2,766,667 - Orel Hershiser[?], Frank Viola[?]
 1990 -  $3,200,000 - Robin Yount[?]
 1991 -  $3,800,000 - Darryl Strawberry
 1992 -  $6,100,000 - Bobby Bonilla[?]
 1993 -  $6,200,000 - Bobby Bonilla[?]
 1994 -  $6,300,000 - Bobby Bonilla[?]
 1995 -  $9,237,500 - Cecil Fielder[?]
 1997 - $10,000,000 - Albert Belle[?]
 1998 - $14,936,667 - Gary Sheffield[?]
 2000 - $15,714,286 - Kevin Brown[?]
 2001 - $22,000,000 - Alex Rodriguez

 $95,095,000 - Greg Maddux
 $88,963,215 - Barry Bonds
 $87,901,000 - Roger Clemens
 $84,376,294 - Albert Belle[?]
 $83,747,644 - Kevin Brown[?]
 $82,659,654 - Ken Griffey Jr
 $81,593,335 - Gary Sheffield[?]
 $79,295,000 - Randy Johnson[?]
 $76,700,000 - Cal Ripken Jr (no data available for 1981-1984)
 $74,765,000 - Barry Larkin[?]
 $74,688,354 - Mark McGwire
 $74,568,000 - Sammy Sosa
 $73,297,996 - Rafael Palmiero[?]
 $72,363,430 - Larry Walker[?]
 $71,199,437 - Tom Glavine[?]
 $69,437,500 - Juan Gonzalez[?]
 $68,860,000 - Matt Williams[?]
 $68,342,501 - David Cone[?]
 $67,603,815 - Roberto Alomar[?]
 $67,014,000 - Frank Thomas[?]