Black and white baseball clipart
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second straight World Series in October, leading to controversy over their high payroll and expensive players. Here, members of the Hillsdale baseball team weigh in with their opinion on a potential MLB salary cap.
Hillsdale Baseball players discuss if big payrolls are ruining baseball
Big–market teams monopolize
Rocco Tenuta, junior: Major League Baseball should have a salary cap because it would make the game more fun to watch. Right now, big teams like the Yankees and Dodgers can spend way more money than smaller teams like the Pirates or A’s. That means the big-market teams usually just buy the best players and win more, which isn’t fun to watch.
If there were a limit on how much each team could spend, every team would have a better chance to compete, and it would be more interesting every year. A salary cap could also stop player salaries from getting too crazy and help keep ticket prices lower for fans.
Smaller teams would be able to keep their good players longer instead of losing them to richer teams. For example, a team like the Pirates cannot afford to sign a superstar like Paul Skenes, so he is going to leave Pittsburgh for a big-market team after his rookie contract is over. I think this is bad for baseball in general, and a salary cap would be a good idea.
Most teams spend too little
Nate Albanese, freshman: As a Cleveland Guardians fan, my team consistently has a payroll in the bottom quadrant of the league and it is very frustrating seeing teams like the Dodgers buy championships. But I am against the implementation of a salary cap.
For one, it would be a logistical nightmare. Players are already on mega deals that span years into the future that would definitely go against the proposed cap. If it were implemented, it would have to be many years from now.
Secondly, I do not see the problem with MLB as teams spending too much, rather teams are spending too little. A high payroll does not make a team inherently good, “low” payroll teams such as the Guardians, Brewers, and Tigers still manage to compete; however, if owners spent just a little more money to put these teams over the hump they would also contend for a World Series. The idea of a salary floor has been kicked around, and although it sounds interesting I have not looked into it enough to comment on it.
A bigger pie is better for fans
Winston Delp, junior: Major League Baseball should not impose a salary cap. The league’s “pie” — its total revenue and fan-engagement opportunity — is growing, so it’s beneficial when the top slice grows too. In fact, MLB reported record revenues of $12.1 billion for the 2024 season, representing more than a 33% increase from about $9 billion a decade ago. As the overall pie expands, the fan experience improves. We get better stadiums, more broadcast investment, and more top-level talent on the field elevating the entire product. Rather than limiting the big spenders so they match the conservative ones, we should allow investment and market differentiation because that growth lifts everyone. And when smaller-revenue teams respond with creativity, strong farm systems, shrewd trades, or unique branding, you still get the classic American underdog story — which only adds to the excitement for fans across the league.
