Paul Skenes is playing for peanuts with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the smallest payrolls in all of Major League Baseball, but they still have some talent that are getting paid peanuts.
Among those players is starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who was named as the best player on the Pirates making less than a million dollars this season by Bleacher Report writer Joel Reuter.
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Paul Skenes
Salary: $875,000
One day in the not-too-distant future—probably when he becomes a free agent for the first time after the 2029 season—Skenes might end up signing the largest contract ever given to a pitcher. For now, he is a prime example of what’s wrong with the current arbitration system, as his most sought-after baseball card recently sold for more ($1.11 million) than his 2025 salary.
Other notable players on this list include New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene, Washington Nationals star C.J. Abrams, San Diego Padres breakout sensation Jackson Merrill and Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki.
Skenes will have plenty of time to make money throughout his career, and if he continues to play like he did in his rookie year, he may soon get paid his yearly salary for just one start once he hits the start of the next decade.
BD community, do you think Skenes is the best player in the league making less than a million dollars this season? Let us know your thoughts and chime off in the comments section below.