The 2025 MLB Draft, presented by Nike, already has its assigned values for each pick, allowing us to know how much a rookie player can earn when selected.
In this system, each Draft pick has a specific value that determines the maximum bonus a team can pay without incurring penalties.
This year, the Washington Nationals have the number one overall pick in the Draft, which comes with a record value of $11,075,900. This figure represents a 4.8% increase over the previous year, reflecting the growth in MLB revenues.
How much do rookies get paid in MLB?
Signing bonuses for players selected in the Draft are regulated by a bonus pool system, which sets a spending limit for each team based on the total of its picks during the first 10 rounds.
Each selection has a “slot value” assigned to it, and if a team spends beyond its limit, it faces financial penalties and even the loss of future picks.
For example, in addition to the value of the first pick, more than 11 million, other selections in the top 5 also offer seven-figure sums:
- Comanders: $6,000,000
- Angels: $10,252,700
- Mariners: $9,504,400
- Rockies: $8,770,900
- Cardinals: $8,134,800
Teams may choose to offer less to an early pick in order to redistribute the budget to later-drafted players who require a higher offer to sign.
Which MLB teams have the largest bonus pools?
The Baltimore Orioles top the list of teams with the largest total signing budget, with $19,144,500:
- Baltimore Orioles: $19,144,500
- Mariners: $17,074,400
- Angels: $16,656,400
- Nationals: $16,597,800
- Rockies: $15,723,400
- Marlins: $15,187,400
These amounts allow teams to pursue more aggressive strategies, sign more top-level prospects or compete for talent that would otherwise opt for college.
Which team has the lowest bonus pool in the 2025 Draft?
In contrast, the New York Yankees have the smallest 2025 Draft bonus pool at just $5,383,600, due to penalties for exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold.
How much have top players signed in previous years?
In the 2024 Draft, two players: Chase Burns (pick 2, Reds) and Charlie Condon (pick 3, Rockies), signed for $9.25 million each, surpassing the previous record of $9.2 million set by Paul Skenes (pick 1 in 2023 with the Pirates). With the new record in 2025, the No. 1 pick has the potential to sign for an even higher figure.
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