CLEVELAND, Ohio — Of the big four pro sports — football, hockey, basketball and baseball — only one has fans fixated on the payroll.
That’s baseball.
It’s a long debate in Cleveland about the Guardians’ lack of spending, payroll rankings, etc. It also happens in other smaller MLB cities.
Fans here don’t like to hear it, but Cleveland is the smallest market with teams in NBA, NFL and MLB. Overall, Cleveland is the 19th media market.
But it doesn’t matter in the other sports. That’s because the NBA, NHL and NFL all have some form of a salary cap.
The MLB Players Union will show stats about how smaller market teams win even though their sport doesn’t have a salary cap. One of their examples is Cleveland.
In the last 10 years, these teams have had the most wins:
Dodgers: 944Houston: 890Yankees: 872Cleveland: 843Milwaukee: 836.
In that span, only Milwaukee has not been to the World Series. The Dodgers and Houston have won the World Series twice. Cleveland and the Yankees went once to the World Series — and lost.
In that same 10-year span since 2016, the only American League players to have been to the postseason more often than Jose Ramirez (7 times) are Aaron Judge (10), Alex Bregman (9) and Jose Altuve (8).
Only three American League players have been to the playoffs more times in the last 10 years than Jose Ramirez.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.comPerception does count
This season, the Final Four in the MLB playoffs consists of two teams in the top five in payroll: the Dodgers and Toronto. Seattle is No. 16 and Milwaukee is No. 23.
The Guardians were No. 25 in payroll. They lost in the wild card series to Detroit, which ranked No. 17 in payroll.
In 2024, the Guardians were in the Final Four with the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets. They were the only small market team.
Spending more money is an obvious advantage. If nothing else, the Dodgers and Yankees are likely to buy their way into the playoffs nearly every year. But it doesn’t ensure a World Series title, or even a World Series appearance.
The playoffs are treacherous territory for every team in the postseason, regardless of payroll.
In the last 10 years, the following teams have won the World Series: Dodgers, Houston, Texas, Washington, Boston and the Cubs.
The baseball union will use that to show there is some type of parity. One or two teams aren’t dominating.
But the perception by MLB fans in smaller markets is “We have no chance because of payroll.”
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred will push for some type of salary cap after the 2026 season. APWhy a salary cap matters
In football, hockey and basketball, the issue is how teams deal with the salary cap, luxury tax, etc. But none of the fans in those cities have to deal with teams spending three times as much as other franchises — something that happens in baseball.
Having a reasonable salary cap matters to how the fans view the sport.
Yes, the bigger NFL markets bring in more cash. But it doesn’t stop Green Bay, Kansas City or … yes, even Cleveland … from having a legitimate chance to contend for the playoffs and a title.
A salary cap keeps some type of financial order — or at least, it appears that way to the fans and media.
Baseball’s labor agreement ends after the 2026 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred is not afraid to push for dramatic changes. Consider how he added the pitch clock, the extra-inning ghost runners and other new aspects of the game.
He wants a type of salary cap.
It also should (and probably will) have a “salary floor,” meaning teams have to spend a certain amount each year on players. The NBA, NFL and NHL all have some type of salary floors.
Manfred will probably trigger a work stoppage after the 2026 season. The union has vowed to never accept a salary cap.
In the three sports with salary caps, fans have a sense of fairness. Their team can win if it does a good job finding, developing and coaching the players.
In baseball, too many fans feel hopeless at the start of the season because of the sport’s flawed economic structure.
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