These were Juan Soto’s numbers in 2024: 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, .288 batting average.
If he continues to do that for the next 15 years, he will earn approximately $1.2 million for each home run. Or $467,890 for each RBI. Or $307,229 for each hit.
(Before taxes, of course).
Soto’s $765 million, 15-year deal with the New York Mets – the richest contract in terms of total value for a player in the history of major American sports – a massive move by the billionaire owner of the Mets, Steve Cohen), provides an opportunity to crunch the numbers in some very silly ways.
He will earn $314,815 per game. Based on his numbers this season, he would receive $671,053 for each extra base hit. Or $46,322 every time he swings the bat, whether he misses, sends a hit to the mound or Mr. Met celebrates in the stands after taking one out at Citi Field. Of course, that assumes Soto remains as healthy and productive as he was in 2024. If he misses a lot of time, those rates just go up.
“Thanks Uncle Steve,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo wrote on social media.
[Read more: Ten biggest contracts in MLB history: Juan Soto’s $765 million with Mets tops list]
Some of the figures from the world of sport, broken down by achievement, are simply staggering in this era. (And note that these examples are based on current earnings, without taking into account restructurings or any other potential changes.)
A look:
The two-time Cy Young winner will earn around $65 million in 2025, most of which will be a signing bonus that will arrive in January. He also has never made more than 32 starts in a season. If he makes 32 starts in 2025, he would receive (when signing bonus is taken into account) $2,031,250 per game. For comparison, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal earned $2.65 million over the entire 2024 season and won a Cy Young Award.
His record $700 million deal is no longer a record because of the deal with Soto, but Ohtani still holds the average total value mark of $70 million a year. The only member of baseball’s 50-50 club (54 home runs, 59 stolen bases in 2024) would earn, at last season’s pace, $619,469 every time he hits an out or steals a base.
It’s unfair to break down his stats this year because he’s injured, but Prescott’s current contract is worth an average of $60 million per season with Dallas. Based on his career average, that means over the life of his current contract, Prescott receives $13,680 per passing yard.
NFL: quarterbacks in general
The per game numbers in the NFL for starting quarterbacks are incredible. Patrick Mahomes’ current $450 million contract isn’t even at the top of the cash-per-game rankings: Prescott receives about $3.5 million for each regular-season game, while Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Jordan Green Bay love are out there. 3.25 million dollars per game.
At nearly $56 million this season, Curry leads the NBA salary race (at least for this year). The NBA’s all-time 3-point king will earn around $680,000 per game in 2024-25; If he was paid just for 3-pointers, he would receive around $161,908 each time he made one of those 3-pointers this season.
Brown is starting a five-year deal worth about $285 million, Tatum will start a five-year deal next year worth about $314 million. At those rates, the Celtics would be paying their two best players (at their current scoring rate) about $27,406 for each point scored. For comparison, Larry Bird, over the course of his career, earned about $1,100 per point.
Based on his MLS-guaranteed salary alone, Messi received just over $1 million per goal this season ($20.4 million, 20 goals). Again, just counting MLS salary (his full contract with Inter Miami is worth at least $150 million over 2.5 years), Messi earned $229 for every second he was on the field during the 2024 regular season.
Scheffler’s official earnings in 2024 were $29,228,357 (plus an Olympic gold medal, which is priceless). And that doesn’t include $34,037.5 billion in unofficial bonuses and winnings, including $25 million for winning the FedExCup. Adding it all up, that means the world’s No. 1 player earned about $11,243 per shot he took this season.
He will begin a contract next year that will pay him an average of $14 million per season for eight seasons. At his current scoring rate, he would earn approximately $119,393 for each goal or assist over that span.
Shesterkin just got the richest extension for a goalie: $92 million over eight years. At your current averages, every time you save, you’ll earn $5,084.
Information from The Associated Press.
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