In a season defined by expanded playoffs and skyrocketing revenue, the Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as the biggest winners off the field. Sources reveal the 2024 World Series champions secured a staggering $46 million slice of Major League Baseball’s record-shattering $129 million postseason revenue pool, setting a new high watermark for October earnings.
Dodgers Dominate October On and Off the Field
While the Boys in Blue were busy steamrolling their way to a World Series title, the front office was quietly cashing in on MLB’s revamped postseason format. The expanded 12-team playoff bracket, now in its third year, has proven to be a revenue windfall for baseball. And no team has benefited more than the Dodgers.
Despite the overall pool growing to an all-time high of $129.1 million, the Dodgers’ full postseason share of $477,441 actually decreased from the previous two years. However, LA made up for it in volume, voting to issue 96.49 full-share equivalents, up from 94.04 last year. That allowed them to maximize their piece of the pie.
How the Revenue Pie is Sliced
So how exactly is MLB’s newfound postseason wealth divided? The total pool includes:
- 60% of gate receipts from the first four World Series games
- 60% of gate receipts from the first four LCS games
- 60% of gate receipts from the first three Division Series games
- 60% of gate receipts from the first two Wild Card Series games
From there, shares are awarded on a sliding scale:
- World Series champion: 36%
- World Series runner-up: 24%
- LCS losers: 12% each
- Division Series losers: 3.3% each
- Wild Card Series losers: 0.8% each
For the division-winning Dodgers, that 36% cut of the largest pot in MLB history equated to a massive $46 million payday. A full share for LA came to $477,441 (before taxes, of course). In contrast, full shares for other postseason teams ranged from $354,572 for the AL champion Yankees down to just $9,548 for the eliminated Atlanta Braves.
Yankees, Astros Also Cash In
While no one topped the Dodgers’ postseason earnings, other October regulars still made out quite well:
- The AL champion Yankees received $354,572 per full share. They issued 87.38 full share equivalents.
- The Houston Astros, who pushed the Dodgers to six games in the Fall Classic, voted 71 full shares at $10,749 each.
- The Cleveland Guardians earned $182,663 per man for their ALCS run.
- The San Diego Padres and their $45,985 shares were the highest among Division Series losers.
For non-playoff teams, a full share of the modest Wild Card round pool amounted to around $10,000 to $12,000 before taxes. Hardly life-changing money for most big leaguers, but a nice bonus nonetheless.
The Big Picture for Baseball
While eye-popping playoff shares make headlines, they represent just a sliver of MLB’s total economic pie. Baseball-related revenue across the sport eclipsed $12 billion in 2024, with lucrative media rights deals, sponsorships, and merchandise sales leading the way.
Still, October’s annual cash influx has taken on added importance for players in light of recent collective bargaining tensions and luxury tax crackdowns. As front offices tighten budgets and scrutinize every dollar spent, those postseason checks provide a ever-growing supplemental income stream for the game’s top performers.
The Dodgers, with their payroll perpetually pushing $300 million, have the financial muscle to keep their roster stacked and take full advantage of the new October landscape. Nine postseason appearances in the last ten years, and now two titles in three seasons, is a testament to LA’s ability to spend at the top of the market.
The Dodgers have really cracked the code of this expanded postseason. They’ve built a powerhouse that dominates the regular season, but they’re also uniquely suited to handle the rigors of a month-long playoff run.
A rival National League executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity
It’s a model other big-budget contenders like the Yankees, Red Sox, and now-emergent Mets are racing to emulate. The Astros remain the primary thorn in LA’s side, having toppled the Dodgers in both 2017 and 2022 before falling just short in this year’s rematch.
But with a war chest that only seems to grow each year, and a star-studded roster built for the long haul, the Dodgers appear primed to keep cashing in on MLB’s playoff gold rush for the foreseeable future. How the rest of baseball responds may chart the course of the sport for the next decade and beyond.
