A summer evening at the ballpark, taking in a game as you enjoy a hot dog, remains a quintessentially American experience. But for all of the nostalgia that it stirs up, baseball has also been big business for almost as long as it has existed — and never bigger than today. The top players can expect to earn hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of their careers, driving intense competition to earn a shot at the big leagues.
Which part of America can claim the greatest number of native sons climbing to the top of the pile? To find out which state has bragging rights, GOBankingRates analyzed the 100 highest-earning players in league history through 2019, sourced from Spotrac, and found where each player attended high school. The final ranking demonstrates that while baseball talent comes from many different places, a few states are responsible for many of the game’s best-paid stars.
26. Nebraska
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Total players: 1 (Alex Gordon)
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Total earnings: $115,668,000
25. Wisconsin
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Total players: 1 (Jordan Zimmermann)
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Total earnings: $118,361,000
24. North Carolina
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Total players: 1 (Josh Hamilton)
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Total earnings: $146,925,552
23. Pennsylvania
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Total players: 1 (Mike Mussina)
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Total earnings: $147,017,167
22. Oregon
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Total players: 1 (Jacoby Ellsbury)
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Total earnings: $149,539,142
21. Ohio
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Total players: 1 (Ken Griffey Jr.)
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Total earnings: $154,444,250
20. Colorado
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Total players: 1 (Roy Halladay)
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Total earnings: $156,770,000
19. Maryland
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Total players: 1 (Mark Teixeira)
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Total earnings: $217,650,000
18. Minnesota
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Total players: 1 (Joe Mauer)
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Total earnings: $223,275,000
17. New York
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Total players: 1 (Manny Ramirez)
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Total earnings: $229,371,313
16. Indiana
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Total players: 2 (Scott Rolen and Jeff Samardzija)
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Total earnings: $222,450,002
Pictured: Jeff Samardzija
15. New Jersey
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Total players: 2 (Mike Trout and Rick Porcello)
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Total earnings: $237,877,792
Pictured: Mike Trout
14. Alabama
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Total players: 2 (Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy)
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Total earnings: $252,330,000
Pictured: Jake Peavy
13. Washington
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Total players: 2 (Jon Lester and Tim Lincecum)
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Total earnings: $267,223,423
Pictured: Jon Lester
12. Tennessee
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Total players: 2 (Matt Cain and David Price)
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Total earnings: $330,095,496
Pictured: David Price
11. Oklahoma
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Total players: 2 (Matt Kemp and Matt Holiday)
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Total earnings: $339,633,770
Pictured: Matt Kemp
10. Michigan
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Total players: 2 (Derek Jeter and Derek Lowe)
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Total earnings: $376,222,901
Pictured: Derek Jeter
9. Arizona
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Total players: 3 (Paul Konerko, Andre Ethier and Ian Kinsler)
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Total earnings: $353,229,708
Pictured: Paul Konerko
8. Illinois
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Total players: 3 (Jayson Werth, Jim Thome and Curtis Granderson)
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Total earnings: $388,103,340