Baseball’s biggest international stage is back. The 2026 World Baseball Classic is underway, with 20 nations battling through March 17 for global bragging rights.
While some rosters are loaded with MLB superstars earning eight figures a year, others are filled with players making a tiny fraction of that. The contrast is staggering — so just how wide is the financial gap between baseball’s global powerhouses and its emerging nations?
We were curious, so we looked it up.
World Baseball Classic Teams by Payroll
Rank | Country | Total Team Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | $383,273,021 |
| 2 | Dominican Republic | $306,018,116 |
| 3 | Venezuela | $191,447,713 |
| 4 | Japan | $174,590,973 |
| 5 | Puerto Rico | $115,407,500 |
| 6 | Canada | $75,919,556 |
| 7 | Mexico | $72,777,500 |
| 8 | Italy | $64,896,129 |
| 9 | Cuba | $33,320,000 |
| 10 | Israel | ~$25,000,000 |
| 11 | Panama | $24,123,800 |
| 12 | Great Britain | $23,238,000 |
| 13 | Colombia | $22,458,591 |
| 14 | Chinese Taipei | $16,760,700 |
| 15 | South Korea | ~ $11,200,000 |
| 16 | Nicaragua | < $4,000,000 |
| 17 | Brazil | ~ $3,000,000 |
| 18 | Netherlands | < $2,000,000 |
| 19 | Australia | < $2,000,000 |
| 20 | Czechia | < $1,000,000 |
United States: $383.3 Million
© Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Team USA enters the World Baseball Classic as the team with the highest team payroll, with a total roster value of $383.3 million, far more than any other country in the field. In Pool B alone, the U.S. payroll dwarfs rivals like Great Britain ($23.2 million) by more than 15 times, underscoring how deep its professional talent runs. The team can count on stars like Aaron Judge (one of MLB’s highest-paid players at $40 million a year) and a mix of All-Star pitchers and hitters.
| Name | Position | Salary |
| David Bednar | Pitcher | $9,000,000 |
| Matthew Boyd | Pitcher | $14,500,000 |
| Garrett Cleavinger | Pitcher | $2,400,000 |
| Clay Holmes | Pitcher | $12,666,667 |
| Griffin Jax | Pitcher | $3,565,000 |
| Brad Keller | Pitcher | $11,000,000 |
| Clayton Kershaw | Pitcher | $7,500,000 |
| Nolan McLean | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Mason Miller | Pitcher | $4,000,000 |
| Paul Skenes | Pitcher | $875,000 |
| Tarik Skubal | Pitcher | $32,000,000 |
| Gabe Speier | Pitcher | $2,125,000 |
| Michael Wacha | Pitcher | $17,000,000 |
| Logan Webb | Pitcher | $18,000,000 |
| Garrett Whitlock | Pitcher | $4,687,500 |
| Ryan Yarbrough | Pitcher | $2,500,000 |
| Cal Raleigh | Catcher | $17,500,000 |
| Will Smith | Catcher | $14,000,000 |
| Alex Bregman | Infielder | $35,000,000 |
| Ernie Clement | Infielder | $4,600,000 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Infielder | $4,000,000 |
| Bryce Harper | Infielder | $25,384,615 |
| Gunnar Henderson | Infielder | $8,500,000 |
| Brice Turang | Infielder | $4,150,000 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | Infielder | $26,252,525 |
| Roman Anthony | Outfielder | $16,250,000 |
| Byron Buxton | Outfielder | $14,285,714 |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | Outfielder | $771,000 |
| Aaron Judge | Outfielder | $40,000,000 |
| Kyle Schwarber | Designated Hitter | $30,000,000 |
| Total | $383,273,021 |
Dominican Republic: $306 Million
Ranking second overall with a combined payroll of $306 million, the Dominican Republic enters the 2026 World Baseball Classic with one of the tournament’s most experienced and talent-rich rosters. Its total salary is nearly 13 times larger than Nicaragua’s, underscoring the country’s deep baseball roots and long-standing status as a global powerhouse. The roster is headlined by stars like Juan Soto, Vlad Guerrero Jr., and Manny Machado – who clear more than $30,000,000 per season each.
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Albert Abreu | Pitcher | $738,700 |
| Sandy Alcantara | Pitcher | $11,200,000 |
| Elvis Alvarado | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Brayan Bello | Pitcher | $9,166,667 |
| Huascar Brazobán | Pitcher | $1,050,000 |
| Seranthony Domínguez | Pitcher | $10,000,000 |
| Camilo Doval | Pitcher | $6,100,000 |
| Carlos Estévez | Pitcher | $11,100,000 |
| Juan Mejia | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Wandy Peralta | Pitcher | $4,125,000 |
| Dennis Santana | Pitcher | $3,500,000 |
| Luis Severino | Pitcher | $22,333,333 |
| Gregory Soto | Pitcher | $7,750,000 |
| Cristopher Sánchez | Pitcher | $5,625,000 |
| Abner Uribe | Pitcher | $762,200 |
| Agustín Ramírez | Catcher | $760,000 |
| Austin Wells | Catcher | $801,400 |
| Junior Caminero | Infielder | $764,100 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Infielder | $35,714,286 |
| Manny Machado | Infielder | $31,818,182 |
| Ketel Marte | Infielder | $19,416,667 |
| Geraldo Perdomo | Infielder | $11,250,000 |
| Jeremy Peña | Infielder | $9,475,000 |
| Amed Rosario | Infielder | $2,500,000 |
| Carlos Santana | Infielder | $2,000,000 |
| Oneil Cruz | Outfielder | $3,300,000 |
| Junior Lake | Outfielder | $520,200 |
| Julio Rodríguez | Outfielder | $17,441,667 |
| Juan Soto | Outfielder | $51,000,000 |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | Outfielder | $24,285,714 |
| Total | $306,018,116 |
Venezuela: $191.4 Million
Venezuela ranks third in payroll at about $191.4 million, separating itself from other Pool D squads such as the Netherlands (under $2 million) and Nicaragua (under $4 million) by an enormous margin. With over 20 major league players on the roster, Venezuela blends proven MLB veterans with emerging stars. Simply put, they’re stacked.
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Luinder Avila | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Eduard Bazardo | Pitcher | $892,700 |
| José Buttó | Pitcher | $784,250 |
| Enmanuel De Jesus | Pitcher | $720,000 |
| Jhonathan Díaz | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Carlos Guzman | Pitcher | $245,000 |
| Yoendrys Gómez | Pitcher | $765,050 |
| Andrés Machado | Pitcher | $720,000 |
| Anthony Molina | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Keider Montero | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Daniel Palencia | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Eduardo Rodriguez | Pitcher | $21,000,000 |
| Antonio Senzatela | Pitcher | $12,000,000 |
| Christian Suarez | Pitcher | $1,500,000 |
| Ranger Suarez | Pitcher | $7,600,000 |
| Ricardo Sánchez | Pitcher | $563,500 |
| Angel Zerpa | Pitcher | $1,095,000 |
| William Contreras | Catcher | $9,400,000 |
| Salvador Perez | Catcher | $12,500,000 |
| Luis Arraez | Infielder | $12,000,000 |
| Willson Contreras | Infielder | $18,000,000 |
| Maikel Garcia | Infielder | $4,260,000 |
| Andrés Giménez | Infielder | $15,571,428 |
| Eugenio Suárez | Infielder | $15,000,000 |
| Gleyber Torres | Infielder | $22,025,000 |
| Ezequiel Tovar | Infielder | $5,214,285 |
| Wilyer Abreu | Outfielder | $780,000 |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | Outfielder | $17,000,000 |
| Jackson Chourio | Outfielder | $7,250,000 |
| Javier Sanoja | Outfielder | $761,500 |
| Total | $191,447,713 |
Japan: $174.5 Million
Japan, the defending WBC Champions, earn $174.5 million collectively for their annual play. 4x MLB MVP Shohei Ohtani leads the way as the team’s highest earner, but he’s definitely not alone. Pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yusei Kikuchi both receive more than $20 million per season.
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Shoma Fujihira | Pitcher | $253,000 |
| Hiromi Itoh | Pitcher | $2,150,000 |
| Yumeto Kanemaru | Pitcher | |
| Yusei Kikuchi | Pitcher | $21,225,000 |
| Koki Kitayama | Pitcher | $602,000 |
| Yuki Matsumoto | Pitcher | $1,470,000 |
| Hiroya Miyagi | Pitcher | $1,470,000 |
| Taisei Ota | Pitcher | $100,000 |
| Ryuhei Sotani | Pitcher | |
| Tomoyuki Sugano | Pitcher | $5,100,000 |
| Chihiro Sumida | Pitcher | $570,000 |
| Hiroto Takahashi | Pitcher | $1,267,000 |
| Atsuki Taneichi | Pitcher | $823,848 |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Pitcher | $27,083,333 |
| Yuhei Nakamura | Catcher | $1,000,000 |
| Seishiro Sakamoto | Catcher | $110,000 |
| Kenya Wakatsuki | Catcher | $1,140,000 |
| Sosuke Genda | Infielder | $2,000,000 |
| Kaito Kozono | Infielder | $950,500 |
| Shugo Maki | Infielder | $823,848 |
| Taisei Makihara | Infielder | $950,500 |
| Munetaka Murakami | Infielder | $17,000,000 |
| Kazuma Okamoto | Infielder | $15,000,000 |
| Teruaki Sato | Infielder | $3,300,000 |
| Kensuke Kondo | Outfielder | $3,485,000 |
| Shota Morishita | Outfielder | $1,000,000 |
| Ukyo Shuto | Outfielder | $2,500,000 |
| Seiya Suzuki | Outfielder | $17,000,000 |
| Masataka Yoshida | Outfielder | $18,000,000 |
| Shohei Ohtani | Designated Hitter | $28,216,944 |
| Total | $174,590,973 |
Puerto Rico: $115.4 Million
Puerto Rico brings a proud baseball tradition and a lineup filled with big leaguers to the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Nolan Arenado, Christian Vázquez, Edwin Díaz, and Seth Lugo all earn more than $10 million per season and will look to carry Puerto Rico out of Pool A.
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Raymond Burgos | Pitcher | $740,000 |
| Fernando Cruz | Pitcher | 1450000 |
| José De León | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Edwin Díaz | Pitcher | $23,000,000 |
| Jose Espada | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Rico Garcia | Pitcher | $900,000 |
| Seth Lugo | Pitcher | $23,000,000 |
| Jorge López | Pitcher | $3,000,000 |
| Jovani Morán | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Luis Quiñones | Pitcher | $50,000 |
| Angel Reyes | Pitcher | $70,000 |
| Eduardo Rivera | Pitcher | $125,000 |
| Gabriel Rodriguez | Pitcher | $563,500 |
| Elmer Rodríguez | Pitcher | $497,500 |
| Yacksel Ríos | Pitcher | $720,000 |
| Ricardo Velez | Pitcher | $66,500 |
| Martín Maldonado | Catcher | $1,000,000 |
| Christian Vázquez | Catcher | $10,000,000 |
| Nolan Arenado | Infielder | $32,500,000 |
| Edwin Arroyo | Infielder | $1,650,000 |
| Darell Hernaiz | Infielder | $760,000 |
| Emmanuel Rivera | Infielder | $1,000,000 |
| Luis Vázquez | Infielder | $900,000 |
| Willi Castro | Outfielder | $6,400,000 |
| Carlos Cortes | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Matthew Lugo | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| MJ Melendez | Outfielder | $1,500,000 |
| Heliot Ramos | Outfielder | $780,000 |
| Eddie Rosario | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Bryan Torres | Outfielder | $175,000 |
| Total | $115,407,500 |
The Sub-$100M Club
Teams ranking outside the top-5 in total salary, below the $100M mark, include:
Canada: $75.9 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Logan Allen | Pitcher | $777,200 |
| Micah Ashman | Pitcher | $150,000 |
| Phillippe Aumont | Pitcher | $507,500 |
| Jordan Balazovic | Pitcher | $720,000 |
| Eric Cerantola | Pitcher | $62,000 |
| Indigo Diaz | Pitcher | N/A |
| Brock Dykxhoorn | Pitcher | $250,000 |
| Antoine Jean | Pitcher | $200,000 |
| Adam Macko | Pitcher | $123,900 |
| James Paxton | Pitcher | $7,000,000 |
| Cal Quantrill | Pitcher | $3,500,000 |
| Noah Skirrow | Pitcher | N/A |
| Michael Soroka | Pitcher | $7,500,000 |
| Jameson Taillon | Pitcher | $17,000,000 |
| Matt Wilkinson | Pitcher | $110,000 |
| Rob Zastryzny | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Liam Hicks | Catcher | $760,000 |
| Bo Naylor | Catcher | $790,300 |
| Tyler Black | Infielder | $760,000 |
| Matt Davidson | Infielder | $56,906 |
| Adam Hall | Infielder | $1,300,000 |
| Edouard Julien | Infielder | $772,750 |
| Otto Lopez | Infielder | $778,500 |
| Josh Naylor | Infielder | $11,300,000 |
| Abraham Toro | Infielder | $1,000,000 |
| Owen Caissie | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Denzel Clarke | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Tyler O’Neill | Outfielder | $16,500,000 |
| Jacob Robson | Outfielder | $570,500 |
| Jared Young | Outfielder | $1,150,000 |
| Total | $75,919,556 |
Mexico: $72.7 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Alexander Armenta | Pitcher | |
| Javier Assad | Pitcher | $1,800,000 |
| Manny Barreda | Pitcher | $570,500 |
| Brennan Bernardino | Pitcher | $925,000 |
| Alex Carrillo | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Jesus Cruz | Pitcher | $700,000 |
| Daniel Duarte | Pitcher | $750,000 |
| Robert Garcia | Pitcher | $772,500 |
| Luis Gastelum | Pitcher | |
| Andrés Muñoz | Pitcher | $1,875,000 |
| Samy Natera Jr. | Pitcher | $125,000 |
| Roel Ramírez | Pitcher | $570,500 |
| Gerardo Reyes | Pitcher | $740,000 |
| Victor Vodnik | Pitcher | $765,000 |
| Taijuan Walker | Pitcher | $18,000,000 |
| Alejandro Kirk | Catcher | $11,600,000 |
| Alexis Wilson | Catcher | $750,000 |
| Nacho Alvarez Jr. | Infielder | $770,000 |
| Jonathan Aranda | Infielder | $766,500 |
| Nick Gonzales | Infielder | $775,000 |
| Joey Meneses | Infielder | $752,000 |
| Joey Ortiz | Infielder | $776,000 |
| Jared Serna | Infielder | $62,000 |
| Rowdy Tellez | Infielder | $1,000,000 |
| Luis Urías | Infielder | $1,100,000 |
| Randy Arozarena | Outfielder | $15,650,000 |
| Jarren Duran | Outfielder | $7,700,000 |
| Julian Ornelas | Outfielder | |
| Alejandro Osuna | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Alek Thomas | Outfielder | $1,962,500 |
| Total | $72,777,500 |
Italy: $64.9 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Sam Aldegheri | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Dan Altavilla | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Dylan DeLucia | Pitcher | $275,000 |
| Matt Festa | Pitcher | $1,000,000 |
| Gordon Graceffo | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Alek Jacob | Pitcher | $764,500 |
| Joe La Sorsa | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Michael Lorenzen | Pitcher | $8,000,000 |
| Ron Marinaccio | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Kyle Nicolas | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Aaron Nola | Pitcher | $24,571,429 |
| Adam Ottavino | Pitcher | $4,500,000 |
| Gabriele Quattrini | Pitcher | |
| Claudio Scotti | Pitcher | |
| Greg Weissert | Pitcher | $774,000 |
| J.J. D’Orazio | Catcher | |
| Kyle Teel | Catcher | $760,000 |
| Sam Antonacci | Infielder | $572,500 |
| Jon Berti | Infielder | $2,000,000 |
| Zach Dezenzo | Infielder | $763,200 |
| Andrew Fischer | Infielder | $3,500,000 |
| Giaconino Lasaracina | Infielder | |
| Miles Mastrobuoni | Infielder | $768,000 |
| Vinnie Pasquantino | Infielder | $5,550,000 |
| Thomas Saggese | Infielder | $760,000 |
| Jac Caglianone | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Dominic Canzone | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Jakob Marsee | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Nick Morabito | Outfielder | $1,000,000 |
| Dante Nori | Outfielder | $2,497,500 |
| Total | $64,896,129 |
Cuba: $33.3 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Frank Alvarez | Pitcher | N/A |
| Emmanuel Chapman | Pitcher | N/A |
| Josimar Cousin | Pitcher | N/A |
| Armando Duenas | Pitcher | N/A |
| Denny Larrondo | Pitcher | $550,000 |
| Yoan López | Pitcher | $700,000 |
| Raidel Martinez | Pitcher | N/A |
| Randy Martinez | Pitcher | $275,000 |
| Livan Moinelo | Pitcher | N/A |
| Darien Núñez | Pitcher | $570,000 |
| Julio Robaina | Pitcher | $220,000 |
| Osiel Rodriguez | Pitcher | $600,000 |
| Yariel Rodríguez | Pitcher | $6,400,000 |
| Luis Romero | Pitcher | $570,500 |
| Pedro Santos | Pitcher | N/A |
| Omar Hernandez | Catcher | $563,000 |
| Andrys Perez | Catcher | N/A |
| Erisbel Arruebarrena | Infielder | $7,500,000 |
| Yiddi Cappe | Infielder | $3,500,000 |
| Yoán Moncada | Infielder | $4,000,000 |
| Malcom Nuñez | Infielder | $300,000 |
| Alexei Ramirez | Infielder | $507,500 |
| Christian Rodriguez | Infielder | $180,000 |
| Alexander Vargas | Infielder | $2,500,000 |
| Yoel Yanqui | Infielder | $200,000 |
| Alfredo Despaigne | Outfielder | $2,100,000 |
| Yoelkis Guibert | Outfielder | N/A |
| Ariel Martinez | Outfielder | $2,000,000 |
| Leonel Moas Jr. | Outfielder | N/A |
| Roel Santos | Outfielder | $84,000 |
| Total | $33,320,000 |
Panama: $24.1 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Dario Agrazal | Pitcher | $567,900 |
| Logan Allen | Pitcher | $777,200 |
| Alberto Baldonado | Pitcher | $570,500 |
| Jaime Barria | Pitcher | $1,050,000 |
| Miguel Cienfuegos | Pitcher | N/A |
| Paolo Espino | Pitcher | $740,000 |
| Jorge Garcia | Pitcher | N/A |
| Miguel Gomez | Pitcher | $40,000 |
| James Gonzalez | Pitcher | N/A |
| Severino González | Pitcher | $545,000 |
| Javy Guerra | Pitcher | $724,500 |
| Kenny Hernandez | Pitcher | $570,000 |
| Ariel Jurado | Pitcher | $563,500 |
| Humberto Mejía | Pitcher | $570,500 |
| Abdiel Mendoza | Pitcher | $624,000 |
| Erian Rodriguez | Pitcher | $125,000 |
| Miguel Amaya | Catcher | $782,500 |
| Leonardo Bernal | Catcher | $680,000 |
| Christian Bethancourt | Catcher | $740,000 |
| Jonathan Araúz | Infielder | $720,000 |
| José Caballero | Infielder | $2,000,000 |
| Johan Camargo | Infielder | $720,000 |
| Leo Jiménez | Infielder | $760,000 |
| Edmundo Sosa | Infielder | $4,400,000 |
| Rubén Tejada | Infielder | $750,000 |
| Enrique Bradfield Jr. | Outfielder | $4,169,700 |
| Luis Castillo | Outfielder | N/A |
| Allen Córdoba | Outfielder | $548,500 |
| Jose Ramos | Outfielder | $30,000 |
| Jhonny Santos | Outfielder | $355,000 |
| Total | $24,123,800 |
Great Britain: $23.2 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Jack Anderson | Pitcher | $125,000 |
| Brendan Beck | Pitcher | $1,050,000 |
| Tristan Beck | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Donovan Benoit | Pitcher | $127,500 |
| Dylan Covey | Pitcher | $850,000 |
| Chavez Fernander | Pitcher | $75,000 |
| Gary Gill Hill | Pitcher | $597,500 |
| Miles Langhorne | Pitcher | $10,000 |
| Ryan Long | Pitcher | $125,000 |
| Andre Scrubb | Pitcher | $601,600 |
| Jack Seppings | Pitcher | |
| Graham Spraker | Pitcher | $1,000 |
| Najer Victor | Pitcher | $150,000 |
| Tyler Viza | Pitcher | $160,000 |
| Nick Wells | Pitcher | $661,800 |
| Owen Wild | Pitcher | $238,100 |
| Vance Worley | Pitcher | $1,500,000 |
| Will Cresswell | Catcher | $100,000 |
| Harry Ford | Catcher | $760,000 |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr. | Infielder | $10,200,000 |
| Nate Eaton | Infielder | $760,000 |
| Lucius Fox | Infielder | $700,000 |
| Ivan Johnson | Infielder | $397,500 |
| Ian Lewis Jr. | Infielder | $950,000 |
| BJ Murray | Infielder | $125,000 |
| Nick Ward | Infielder | $1,000 |
| Matt Koperniak | Outfielder | $62,000 |
| Kristian Robinson | Outfielder | $700,000 |
| Trayce Thompson | Outfielder | $1,450,000 |
| Justin Wylie | Outfielder | |
| Total | $23,238,000 |
Colombia: $22.4 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Elkin Alcala | Pitcher | N/A |
| Adrian Almeida | Pitcher | $170,000 |
| Austin Bergner | Pitcher | $157,200 |
| Danis Correa | Pitcher | $225,000 |
| Pedro Garcia | Pitcher | N/A |
| Rio Gomez | Pitcher | $10,000 |
| Yapson Gomez | Pitcher | N/A |
| David Lorduy | Pitcher | N/A |
| Luis Patiño | Pitcher | $720,000 |
| Jose Quintana | Pitcher | $6,000,000 |
| Jhon Romero | Pitcher | $700,400 |
| Reiver Sanmartin | Pitcher | $760,000 |
| Julio Teheran | Pitcher | $2,500,000 |
| Guillo Zuñiga | Pitcher | $750,000 |
| Jorge Alfaro | Catcher | $760,000 |
| Carlos Martínez | Catcher | $500,000 |
| Daniel Vellojin | Catcher | $10,000 |
| Carlos Arroyo | Infielder | $2,000,000 |
| Michael Arroyo | Infielder | $1,375,000 |
| Jordan Diaz | Infielder | $700,000 |
| Dayan Frias | Infielder | $507,500 |
| Reynaldo Rodriguez | Infielder | $103,491 |
| Donovan Solano | Infielder | $760,000 |
| Gio Urshela | Infielder | $2,150,000 |
| Brayan Buelvas | Outfielder | $100,000 |
| Gustavo Campero | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| Jesus Marriaga | Outfielder | |
| Harold Ramírez | Outfielder | $740,000 |
| Total | $22,458,591 |
Chinese Taipei: $16.7 Million
| Name | Position | Salary |
| Yi Chang | Pitcher | $66,000 |
| Kuan-Yu Chen | Pitcher | $280,200 |
| Po-Yu Chen | Pitcher | $1,250,000 |
| Hao-Chun Cheng | Pitcher | $200,000 |
| Ruei-Yang Gu Lin | Pitcher | $1,000,000 |
| Jo-Hsi Hsu | Pitcher | $3,200,000 |
| Chih-Wei Hu | Pitcher | $545,000 |
| Kai-Wei Lin | Pitcher | $250,000 |
| Shih-Hsiang Lin | Pitcher | $150,000 |
| Wei-En Lin | Pitcher | $1,350,000 |
| Yu-Min Lin | Pitcher | $66,000 |
| Tzu-Chen Sha | Pitcher | $375,000 |
| Yi-Lei Sun | Pitcher | $200,000 |
| Jyun-Yue Tseng | Pitcher | $27,000 |
| Jun-Wei Zhang | Pitcher | $26,000 |
| Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang | Pitcher | $500,000 |
| Shao-Hung Chiang | Catcher | $500,000 |
| Kungkuan Giljegiljaw | Catcher | $230,000 |
| Lyle Lin | Catcher | $125,000 |
| Yu Chang | Infielder | $850,000 |
| Tsung-Che Cheng | Infielder | $760,000 |
| Kun-Yu Chiang | Infielder | $500,000 |
| Hao-Yu Lee | Infielder | $600,000 |
| Tzu-Wei Lin | Infielder | $570,500 |
| Nien-Ting Wu | Infielder | $310,000 |
| Chen-Wei Chen | Outfielder | $530,000 |
| Chieh-Hsien Chen | Outfielder | $470,000 |
| Stuart Fairchild | Outfielder | $760,000 |
| An-Ko Lin | Outfielder | $230,000 |
| Cheng-Hui Sung | Outfielder | $840,000 |
| Total | $16,760,700 |
Methodology
This study ranks the countries taking part in the 2026 World Baseball Classics based on the sum of player salaries on each roster. Once the data was collected, the countries were ranked from highest to lowest total salary in their pool. The study aims to highlight the gap in salaries between participating teams. Salaries are presented as annual income in $USD and are correct as of 3/4/2026.
Sources
- Teams – https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/
- Player Salaries – https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/ & https://pacificleague.com/en/
As we moved further down the rankings, sourcing precise player salary data became more limited. In cases where publicly available contract figures were unavailable, we relied on credible secondary reporting and market estimates. Through research across local media reports, league data, and publicly discussed figures, we approximated total roster payrolls for Israel (~$25 million) and South Korea (~$11.2 million).
For teams including Nicaragua, Brazil, the Netherlands, Australia, and Czechia, where individual salary data was not publicly accessible, we estimated totals by identifying the average professional baseball salary within each country and multiplying that figure by the number of players on the official roster.
These estimates provide a directional comparison designed to illustrate overall payroll disparities across the tournament.
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