Relationship of Payrolls and Success in MLB

With the 2012 MLB season over, the San Francisco Giants for the second time in three years have finished on top. The success of the Giants has been a surprise to some because of the lack of big names on their roster compared to other big market teams. Major League Baseball has often been criticized for the disparities of payrolls which allows bigger markets to acquire the big name players.

Looking at the playoff teams this season, not all of them ranked high in team payroll.

American League

New York Yankees rank 1st in payroll at $197,962,289.
Oakland Athletics rank 29th in payroll at $55,372,500.
Detroit Tigers rank 5th at $132,300,000.
Baltimore Orioles rank 19th at $81,428,999.
Texas Rangers rank 6th at $120,510,974.

National League

Washington Nationals rank 20th in payroll at $81,336,143.
Cincinnati Reds rank 17th in payroll at $83,309,942.
San Francisco Giants rank 8th in payroll at $117,620,683.
Atlanta Braves rank 16th in payroll at $83,309,942.
St. Louis Cardinals rank 9th in payroll at $110,300,862.

The payroll disparity in Major League baseball is obvious. The number one payroll is nearly $200 million dollars which is nearly four times the amount of the team that spends the least. Looking at the payrolls in baseball it is obvious that money is not the only factor involved in winning. Teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox who rank 2nd and 3rd respectively in team payroll failed to make the playoffs.

Final Thought
It is impossible to say that having the ability to spend more money is not a clear advantage in any sport. The better players demand a higher salary and only a hand few of teams are able to take on their cost. It is important to realize that being able to spend money does not ensure that you will have success. It is critical to understand that how teams spend their money is the true determinant of whether or not they will have a winning team. If rules were made that forced teams to spend similar amounts of money, the talent of a teams front office would become more critical in a teams success.

 @dmrosen7

Statistics from CBSSports.com