How efficient were this year's Major League teams? Here is the amount spent (on payroll) per victory:
- $733,000, Milwaukee Brewers
- $874,000, Tampa Bay Rays
- $1,002,000, Arizona Diamondbacks
- $1,008,000, San Diego Padres
- $1,089,000, Oakland Athletics
- $1,224,000, Cleveland Indians
- $1,231,000, Houston Astros
- $1,271,000, Minnesota Twins
- $1,341,000, Pittsburgh Pirates
- $1,378,000, Cincinnati Reds
- $1,453,000, Miami Marlins
- $1,479,000, Chicago White Sox
- $1,505,000, Colorado Rockies
- $1,561,000, Atlanta Braves
- $1,687,000, Philadelphia Phillies
- $1,730,000, Washington Nationals
- $1,761,000, Kansas City Royals
- $1,827,000, St Louis Cardinals
- $1,871,000, Chicago Cubs
- $1,977,000, Seattle Mariners
- $2,004,000, Los Angeles Angels
- $2,148,000, Boston Red Sox
- $2,182,000, Baltimore Orioles
- $2,214,000, New York Yankees
- $2,216,000, New York Mets
- $2,255,000, Texas Rangers
- $2,327,000, Los Angeles Dodgers
- $2,339,000, Toronto Blue Jays
- $2,693,000, San Francisco Giants
- $3,121,000, Detroit Tigers
Teams in boldface made the playoffs. If every team had the same payroll, e.g., $100,000,000, the top 10 teams in this list would have made the playoffs. That inefficient teams such as the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are able to make the playoffs merely by spending more than most teams is a disgrace to the game. We need a salary cap.
