LOS ANGELES — This week, Major League Baseball is set to generate a potentially record-setting pool of postseason player compensation at Dodger Stadium as the World Series heads to California for Games 3 to 5, featuring the Blue Jays and the Dodgers. This iconic venue, MLB’s largest, is expected to play a significant role in generating substantial revenue for players competing in the postseason.
In MLB, player contracts primarily cover their performance during the regular season, while postseason earnings come from a separate pool. This pool is formed from 60% of the gate receipts for the first four games of the World Series, each league championship series, and the initial three games of every division series; it also includes 50% of receipts from the first two games of each wild-card series.
The postseason pool’s size is influenced heavily by the respective ballpark capacities, and no venue impacts this more than Dodger Stadium, which holds 56,000 fans—making it MLB’s leader in attendance. Tickets for the World Series in Los Angeles start at nearly $900, including fees, adding to the optimism for another record-breaking pool.
Last year, after the Dodgers claimed the championship, the player compensation pool reached an unprecedented $129.1 million, exceeding the previous record by over $21 million, with the Dodgers taking home $46.47 million. The World Series champion receives 36% of this pool, while the other league champion grabs 24%, and the league championship losers share 24%. The remaining amounts are divided among the division-series and wild-card losers.
This year, the postseason features a diverse group of teams, including the Blue Jays and the Mariners, with Seattle competing in T-Mobile Park, MLB’s third-largest stadium. Collectively, this year’s playoff teams boast larger ballparks, indicating another record player pool is within reach.
As the postseason progresses, players engage in private discussions to allocate their earnings into full and partial shares, as well as cash awards. Notably, other club personnel could receive significant amounts from these distributions, making a substantial financial impact.
For younger players, particularly those not yet eligible for arbitration or free agency, the awards are especially meaningful. Last year’s totals suggested a full postseason share for the Blue Jays could be at least $350,000, a potentially life-changing sum when contrasted with a prorated 2025 major league salary of $57,204 for Toronto pitcher Trey Yesavage, recently called up from the minors. His compensation from the postseason could substantially exceed the league minimum for 2026.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider acknowledged the financial landscape, humorously noting that his own salary of about $2.5 million pales in comparison to the financial windfall Yesavage received as a draftee. The optimism surrounding the potential payouts this postseason showcases not only the competitive nature of the teams but also the significant financial opportunities available for players, bolstering hope and excitement within the league.