MLB Highest-Paid Shortstops – Salaries Ranking for 2022 Season

Shortstop is one of the most critical positions in baseball. From the time kids start playing Little League, the best and most athletic kid is put at shortstop. The position is the captain of the infield and needs to have great range as well as a strong arm. 

Many of these star shortstops can also hit for power, which hasn’t always been the case throughout baseball history.

Here’s a breakdown of the highest paid shortstops in 2022, followed by the table with salaries at the bottom. 

Carlos Correa leads the way in terms of highest paid shortstops and came up with the Astros in 2015, when he was awarded American League Rookie of the Year. He had an All-Star season in 2017 and went on to win the World Series with Houston that year. He earned his second All-Star selection as well as a Platinum Glove in 2021, his final season with the Astros before signing a three-year, $105 million contract with Minnesota.

Francisco Lindor also began his MLB career in 2015, but as a member of the Cleveland Guardians. He made the All-Star team every year from 2016 to 2019 and earned himself a Gold Glove in 2016 and 2019. On the offensive side, the switch-hitter collected a pair of Silver Slugger Awards in 2017 and 2018.

Lindor was traded to the New York Mets prior to the 2021 season and signed a 10-year, $341 million contract extension just before the season began.

Corey Seager continues our run of shortstops to make their debuts in 2015, though his coming out party wasn’t until the following year when he won NL Rookie of the Year in 2016. Seager was an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2016 and 2017, and was NLCS MVP in 2020 en route to a World Series title. Following the 2021 season, Seager signed a contract with the Texas Rangers for 10 years and $325 million.

Trea Turner has taken over Seager’s position at Dodger Stadium, and believe it or not also made his debut in 2015 with the Washington Nationals. Turner’s rise to stardom was a little slower, making his first All-Star appearance in 2021.

Turner was part of the Nationals’ World Series Championship team in 2019, and was traded to the Dodgers in 2021. Before the 2022 season, Turner signed a one-year, $21 million contract to avoid arbitration.

Xander Bogaerts came up with the Boston Red Sox in 2013 and has spent his whole career playing shortstop in the shadow of the Green Monster. He’s been named an All-Star and Silver Slugger four times each, and has two championships with the Red Sox in 2013 and 2018. Bogaerts signed a six-year extension in 2019 for $132 million.

Javier Baez was part of the Chicago Cubs’ World Series Championship team and played shortstop at Wrigley Field from 2014 to 2021. He represented the Cubs in the All-Star Game in 2018 and 2019, and won a Gold Glove in 2020. Baez signed a six-year contract with the Tigers prior to the 2021 season worth $140 million.

Brandon Crawford has spent his entire career since his debut in 2011 with the San Francisco Giants. He was the starting shortstop on the 2012 and 2014 World Series teams, and is a three-time All-Star. Crawford also has four gold gloves and a silver slugger. 

Didi Gregorious has had a successful career with four different franchises. He came up in 2012 with the Reds before spending the next two years in Arizona. Gregorius was the Yankees’ shortstop from 2015 to 2019 before signing with the Phillies. In 2021 he signed a two-year deal worth $28 million and hit 13 home runs that season.

Dansby Swanson made his Major League debut in 2016 with the Braves and was a key part of their 2021 World Series Championship team. He’s gotten increasingly better, and was named to his first All-Star team in 2022. Swanson was given a $10 million salary for 2022 in arbitration.

Tim Anderson also made his debut in 2016, and has spent his whole career so far with the White Sox. Anderson won the American League batting title in 2019 and made consecutive All-Star teams in 2021 and 2022. The 2020 Silver Slugger Award recipient signed a six-year contract worth $25 million back in 2017.