The Dodgers’ 2026 CBT payroll and the Mets’ payroll both stand out, with the Dodgers leading the way and the Mets’ figure surpassing several mid- to lower-market clubs, highlighting how taxes and CBT obligations shape each club’s spending.

Together, the Mets and Dodgers are MLB’s two largest payrolls in 2026, with Mets’ CBT payroll exceeding $375 million and the Dodgers’ CBT payroll around $413.5 million, pushing total player expenditures over $1.07 billion when taxes are included.

Despite similar spending, the Dodgers have enjoyed more on-field success in recent years, a gap the piece attributes to organizational excellence in scouting, player development, analytics, and a stable system under Friedman and his successors.

Sustainability of such spending is linked to the Dodgers’ massive local revenue streams from TV deals, attendance, and sponsorships and to the Mets’ ownership under Steve Cohen, who prioritizes spending to win even without identical revenue channels.

The spending patterns reflect broader strategies: the Dodgers blend aggressive talent acquisition with robust development, while the Mets emphasize infrastructure and payroll investment to chase championships under Cohen.

A central debate questions whether payroll disparities mirror MLB-wide revenue differences, with local versus national revenue sharing cited as a factor in sustaining these payrolls.

Four top contracts—Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette—drive the current market, influencing CBT AAV and overall payroll size.