There’s a lot of talk — and for good reason — about the large contracts handed out to Major League Baseball players during every offseason. But what about the minimum salary that is given to players in MLB? The minimum salary only applies to certain players and does change every year. So, here’s a look at what the minimum will be in 2026 and beyond.
What is the MLB minimum salary in 2026?
Per the official collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association), the minimum payroll salary (or in more proper terms, the “minimum rate of payment to a Player for each day of service”) for players in the 2026 campaign will be $780,000. This is in Article VI of the active CBA.
This is a $20,000 increase from what was the league minimum salary in 2025. It was $760,000. For the 2023 campaign, the minimum was $720,000. And in 2024, it was $740,000/
These minimums were agreed upon by the league and the players’ association in 2022 when the two sides came to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Which players traditionally get the minimum salary?
The minimum salary is traditionally for players who’ve just been promoted to the Majors and who have played less than three seasons in the Majors. However, some veteran players, including those recently released and who are getting paid by another organization, may also receive the league minimum.
From there, those who have at least three years of experience or are eligible “Super Two” players will be able to go through the arbitration process.
However, there are exceptions. One notable one was in 2024 when Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio signed a massive extension with Milwaukee before what was MLB debut during the following campaign. Chourio made $2.25MM in his rookie season with a base salary of $2MM.
Additionally, second and third-year players typically receive modest increases. For example, Bobby Witt Jr. made the league minimum of $700,000 of 2022. However, the Royals bumped his yearly pay up to $745,750, up from the league-minimum of $720,000.
The contract renewal process
Teams can renew contracts with pre-arbitration players, since those players do not have leverage in those years. This action is done unilaterally by a team, without the need of approval of a player.
Some upper-echelon names do receive pay raises, albeit small ones, during their pre-arbitration years via renewal.
Teams have been known in the past to significantly go above the league-minimum in some cases of contract renewal, once a player gets at least one season of service time.
A well-known instance of that was in 2017, when the Cubs renewed Kris Bryant for $1.05MM in 2017, a league record.
But in most cases, these terms are usually below what the players want and closely aligned with the league minimum.
League minimum in future seasons
It’s unknown what the league minimum will be past the 2026 campaign. That’s because the current collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and MLBPA is set to expire after the 2026 season.
Clarity on what the minimum will be in 2027 and beyond will come with the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement.
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