The 10 MLB Players Who Make the Most Money From Endorsements

With Major League Baseball playing a reduced season in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, baseball players’ salaries took a corresponding hit.

The season was shortened from 162 games to just 60, so players earned just 37% of their regular salary.

That cut also means that a player’s endorsement deals were a much bigger percentage of his total earnings in 2020. The players with the biggest endorsement deals, such as Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies, made out better last year than many others.

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Which players make the most from endorsements? Read on to see what GOBankingRates found.

Last updated: August 6, 2021

10. Jon Lester

Team: Chicago Cubs
Total Earnings: $15.8 million
Endorsement earnings: $250,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 1.58%

Lester, who now pitches for the Washington Nationals, won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox and one with the Chicago Cubs.

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Team: Washington Nationals
Total Earnings: $19 million
Endorsement earnings: $300,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 1.58%

Strasburg, who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Washington Nationals in 2009, was considered one of the most-hyped draft picks in history. Despite battling injuries throughout his career, Strasburg has over 1,700 strikeouts and led the Nationals to the 2019 World Series title.

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8. Max Scherzer

Team: Washington Nationals
Total Earnings: $15.3 million
Endorsement earnings: $300,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 1.96%

The 36-year-old has won three Cy Young Awards and the 2019 World Series. Scherzer is nearing 3,000 strikeouts. Among his many endorsements, Scherzer has done commercials for Papa John’s pizza with fellow DC sports star Alex Ovechkin.

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7. Anthony Rendon

Team: Los Angeles Angels
Total Earnings: $13.8 million
Endorsement earnings: $400,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 2.90%

Rendon, who joined the Angels after winning the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals, starred in a crossover commercial of sorts when he was highlighted in a Budweiser Super Bowl ad. He also endorses Rawlings and Adidas.

6. Gerrit Cole

Team: New York Yankees
Total Earnings: $13.8 million
Endorsement earnings: $500,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 3.62%

Cole came to the Yankees on an astounding nine-year, $324 million deal for the 2020 season.

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5. Clayton Kershaw

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Total Earnings: $17 million
Endorsement earnings: $650,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 3.82%

Kershaw, who finally broke through to win his first World Series title in 2020, endorses Skechers shoes and Hankook tires. He is in the third year of a three-year, $93 million deal.

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4. Nolan Arenado

Team: Colorado Rockies
Total Earnings: $13.7 million
Endorsement earnings: $700,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 5.11%

Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million deal with the Colorado Rockies in 2019 and has since been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.

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3. Justin Verlander

Team: Houston Astros
Total Earnings: $13.2 million
Endorsement earnings: $1,000,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 7.58%

Verlander is expected to miss the entire 2021 season as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. The strikeout machine has endorsement deals with Rawlings, Supercuts, Ford and Under Armour.

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2. Mike Trout

Team: Los Angeles Angels
Total Earnings: $15.8 million
Endorsement earnings: $2,500,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 15.82%

Trout is in the middle of an eye-popping 12-year, $426 million deal with the Angels and is considered the best player in baseball. He has deals with Nike, Rawlings, Topps and more. In 2014 he became only the second Major League Baseball player (after Ken Griffey Jr.) to land a Nike signature cleat.

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1. Bryce Harper

Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Total Earnings: $14.1 million
Endorsement earnings: $4,500,000
% of Total 2020 Earnings from Endorsements: 31.91%

Harper has been a star since appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school player. His biggest endorsement deals include Gatorade and Rawlings.

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Methodology: For this piece GOBankingRates used Forbes’ “Highest-Paid MLB Players 2020” list to discover: (1) athlete’s name; (2) team name; (3) total 2020 earnings; (4) total endorsement earnings for 2020; and (5) percent of total earnings in 2020 from endorsements. GOBankingRates then ranked players by factor 4. Forbes’ “Highest paid athletes of 2020” could not be used as only one MLB player is included in the top 100. All data was collected and is up to date as of April 28, 2021.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The 10 MLB Players Who Make the Most Money From Endorsements

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