Justin Verlander only made two starts this season, but his last was one to remember. In the final game of his career, Verlander went 5 1/3 innings and struck out six, ultimately finishing with a no-decision. When it was time for him to come out of the game, his seven-year-old daughter, Genevieve, ran out from the dugout to lead him off the field.
It was a beautiful moment for the Verlanders, and an excellent way to wrap up a fantastic career. Verlander made 10 All-Star teams, won three Cy Young Awards, has two World Series championships, and pitched three no-hitters. He’s one of two pitchers in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year, a Cy Young Award, and be named a league MVP.
Verlander will also hang up his cleats as the highest-earning pitcher ever. He’s amassed $411,254,888 throughout his career. That’s more than any other pitcher and makes him the second-highest-earning player in MLB history, behind only Alex Rodriguez, who earned $485,159,552 during his career. Coincidentally, three of the top four highest-earners—Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Max Scherzer—all played on the Detroit Tigers from 2010 to 2014. Verlander and Cabrera had longer careers with the team, though Scherzer signed with the Nationals in January 2015.
Justin Verlander with his daughter, Genevieve. (Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Verlander is currently the highest-earning pitcher, but will he hold that position? Among active pitchers, Scherzer has a shot to catch him. The Blue Jays pitcher has earned about $365 million at this point in his career. However, he’s still due $30 million in deferred payments, thanks to the contract he signed with the Nationals. Washington will pay him $15 million in 2027, and the Los Angeles Dodgers will pay the remaining $15 million in 2028. After that, Scherzer will have earned $395,074,999.
Scherzer recently said that he’s waiting to see how this offseason unfolds before deciding on his future. He’s 42 years old and made $5 million this past season. Even with the deferred money, he’d have to make about $16.2 million to surpass Verlander (probably over two or maybe even three seasons). It’s not impossible, though it seems unlikely.
After Scherzer, there are three other pitchers who have made at least $200 million in their careers. Gerrit Cole is still under contract for two more seasons with the New York Yankees. He’ll turn 38 by the end of the 2028 season, having earned about $336.2 million. He has an outside chance at scoring another two or three seasons worth a collective $75 million, but that could be a stretch.
Jacob deGrom has made nearly $220.8 million over his career, and he’s only got one year remaining on his deal with the Texas Rangers, during his age-39 season. He probably won’t earn enough over his final few seasons, though he’s making an additional $52.5 million in deferred money from the New York Mets between 2035 and 2038; the Mets will be paying him until he’s 50 years old.
Another former Mets pitcher, Zack Wheeler, is the only other pitcher to top the $200 million mark as of the end of the 2026 season. He’s getting $42 million from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2027, which will put him at about $244.3 million for his career. He’ll be 37 when he hits free agency next offseason; again, it seems highly unlikely that he’d reach Verlander’s mark.
One player will eventually pass Verlander, but we’ll be waiting for a while for it to happen. Shohei Ohtani is currently on a $700 million deal with the Dodgers. But he’s only making $2 million per season until 2033. The remaining $680 million is deferred from 2034 to 2043.
Two of Ohtani’s teammates, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal, could also eventually pass Verlander. Yamamoto is on a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers that ends in 2035. He’ll only be 36 when the contract is up. Skubal, meanwhile, has made a modest $46.8 million at this point in his career. But with multiple Cy Young Awards under his belt, analysts expect him to sign a long-term deal worth north of $400 million.
The Highest-Earning MLB Players of All Time
Through the end of the 2026 season, here are the 10 highest-earning players in MLB history:
- Alex Rodriguez — $485,159,552
- Justin Verlander — $411,254,888
- Miguel Cabrera — $393,188,685
- Max Scherzer — $365,074,999
- Albert Pujols — $341,810,741
- Zack Greinke — $340,974,948
- Mike Trout — $338,640,125
- Clayton Kershaw — $314,676,410
- Stephen Strasburg — $267,233,733
- Derek Jeter — $266,255,032
Of course, regardless of who’s at the top of the earnings leaderboard, all of these pitchers are doing quite well financially. For Verlander, it’s a nice record to end his career on—and one that leaves him behind only A-Rod among all MLB players in career earnings.
