In the four major U.S. sports leagues — the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB — players are well compensated. The minimum annual salary in each league is nearly $500,000, and star players are paid far more, often signing huge contracts worth tens of millions of dollars per year. However, not every player turns out to be worth what he is paid. Some athletes deliver incredible value to their team, despite being paid relatively little.
Young players can become instant stars, yet they may not make a lot of money because they signed long-term contracts as unproven rookies. It is vital that teams make the most of their budget. Pro sports teams are limited by salary caps and luxury taxes, meaning they have a finite amount of money they can pay players. Teams that find diamonds in the rough have likely set themselves up for success.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed both the salary and performance of all players from the four major U.S. sports to determine the most underpaid athletes across the four leagues throughout the most recent season and the first half of the MLB season.
Click here to see the most underpaid athletes in every major sport.
Click here to see our methodology.
It can be tough to determine exactly what one player is worth. They may not have impressive statistics, but can contribute to team chemistry and offer leadership, which can be crucial factors to a team’s success. Unfortunately, there is no way to account for intangibles, so we ranked athletes based on the metric that best encapsulated their overall value to their team.
When young players are drafted, they typically sign a rookie contract that pays them well below their more experienced teammates. Players such as New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara have shown that even young athletes making less than $1 million annually can become highly productive players.
Underpaid players typically do not stay underpaid for very long. Athletes who are among the best at their position often receive large contract extensions from their team or seek out a new deal from a different franchise.
Brandin Cooks had an average salary of just over $2 million throughout his first four years, during which he played for the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots. That proved to be a great value, as he was one of just five players to rack up 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. The Patriots could have had Cooks for another season, but apparently did not believe they could sign him to a long-term extension, so Cooks was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Before the 2018 season, Cooks inked a five-year, $81 million extension with his new team.
Philadelphia 76ers small forward Robert Covington established himself as one of the best defenders in the NBA — a bargain at just over $1 million per year. Philadelphia decided to invest in Covington for the long term, signing him to a new contract worth $62 million over four seasons. Of the 30 players on the list whose 2017 seasons are over — those in the NBA, NFL, and NHL — 13 have received increased contracts or extensions and several others are actively negotiating new deals.
Source: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
40. Yanni Gourde
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Center, Tampa Bay Lightning
> 2017-2018 contract: 2 years, $2.0 million
> Key stat of last season: 64 points
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Source: Pool / Getty Images
39. Larry Nance Jr.
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Los Angeles Lakers / Cleveland Cavaliers
> 2017-2018 contract: 4 years, $6.1 million
> Key stat of last season: 8.7 points per game, 58.1% shooting
Source: Al Bello / Getty Images
38. Brandin Cooks
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Wide receiver, New England Patriots
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $8.4 million (after 2017 season: signed 5 year, $81.0 million extension with Los Angeles Rams after being traded)
> Key stat of last season: 1,082 receiving yards
Source: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images
37. Matt Chapman
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Third baseman, Oakland Athletics
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $547,500
> Key stat of this season: 2.6 defensive WAR (best in AL)
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Source: Elsa / Getty Images
36. Ivan Provorov
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Defenseman, Philadelphia Flyers
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $5.3 million
> Key stat of last season: 41 points
Source: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
35. Julius Randle
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Power forward, Los Angeles Lakers (after 2017-2018 season: signed 2 year, $17.7 million contract with New Orleans Pelicans)
> 2017-2018 contract: 4 years, $13.5 million
> Key stat of last season: 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds per game
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Source: Abbie Parr / Getty Images
34. Spencer Dinwiddie
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Point guard, Brooklyn Nets
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $2.9 million
> Key stat of last season: 12.6 points, 6.6 assists per game
Source: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
33. Mathew Barzal
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Center, New York Islanders
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $4.0 million
> Key stat of last season: 85 points
Source: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images
32. Brayden Point
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Center, Tampa Bay Lightning
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $2.1 million
> Key stat of last season: 12 game-winning goals (best in NHL)
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Source: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
31. Patrik Laine
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Right wing, Winnipeg Jets
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $7.3 million
> Key stat of last season: 20 power play goals (best in NHL)
Source: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images
30. Dario Saric
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Power forward, Philadelphia 76ers
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $7.3 million
> Key stat of last season: 39.3% 3-point shooting percentage
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Source: Harry How / Getty Images
29. Robert Covington
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Small forward, Philadelphia 76ers
> 2017-2018 contract: 4 years, $4.6 million (after 2017-2018 season: signed 4 year, $62 million extension with Philadelphia 76ers)
> Key stat of last season: 1st team all-defensive
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Source: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
28. Chris Sale
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
> 2018 contract: 5 years, $32.5 million
> Key stat of this season: 188 strikeouts (most in MLB)
Source: Rob Carr / Getty Images
27. Kyle Anderson
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Small forward, San Antonio Spurs
> 2017-2018 contract: 4 years, $5.6 million (after 2017-2018 season: signed 4 year, $37.2 million contract with Memphis Grizzlies)
> Key stat of last season: 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds per game
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Source: Al Bello / Getty Images
26. Andrew Norwell
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Guard, Carolina Panthers
> 2017 contract: 1 year, $2.7 million (after 2017 season: signed 5 year, $66.5 million contract with Jacksonville Jaguars)
> Key stat of last season: First team All-Pro
Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
25. Marc-Andre Fleury
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Goaltender, Vegas Golden Knights
> 2017-2018 contract: 4 years, $23 million (after 2017-2018 season: signed 3 year, $21 million extension with Vegas Golden Knights, effective 2019-2020 season)
> Key stat of last season: 2.24 goals against average
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Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images
24. Michael Thomas
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Wide receiver, New Orleans Saints
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $5.1 million
> Key stat of last season: 1,245 receiving yards
Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images
23. Alex Bregman
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Third baseman, Houston Astros
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $599,000
> Key stat of this season: .288 batting average, 20 home runs
Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images
22. Kevin Byard
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Safety, Tennessee Titans
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $3.6 million
> Key stat of last season: 8 interceptions (Best in NFL)
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Source: Elsa / Getty Images
21. Jacob deGrom
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Pitcher, New York Mets
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $7.4 million
> Key stat of this season: 1.68 ERA
Source: Claus Andersen / Getty Images
20. Mikko Rantanen
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Right wing, Colorado Avalanche
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $5.0 million
> Key stat of last season: 84 points
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Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images
19. Case Keenum
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
> 2017 contract: 1 year, $2.0 million (after 2017 season: 2018 season: signed 2 year, $36 million contract with Denver Broncos)
> Key stat of last season: 67.6% completion percentage, 22 passing touchdowns
Source: Jason Miller / Getty Images
18. Jose Ramirez
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Third baseman, Cleveland Indians
> 2018 contract: 4 years, $26.0 million
> Key stat of this season: .302 batting average, 29 home runs (Best in AL)
Source: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images
17. Kyle Freeland
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Pitcher, Colorado Rockies
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $550,000
> Key stat of this season: 3.11 ERA
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Source: Photo by Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
16. Ben Simmons
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Point guard, Philadelphia 76ers
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $18.5 million
> Key stat of last season: 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists per game
Source: Adam Hunger / Getty Images
15. Aaron Judge
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Outfielder, New York Yankees
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $622,300
> Key stat of this season: 25 home runs
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Source: Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images
14. DeMarcus Lawrence
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Defensive end, Dallas Cowboys
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $5.5 million (after 2017 season: signed 1 year, $17.1 million franchise tender extension with Dallas Cowboys)
> Key stat of last season: 14.5 sacks
Source: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images
13. Aaron Donald
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Defensive tackle, Los Angeles Rams
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $10.1 million
> Key stat of last season: 11 sacks, AP Defensive Player of the Year
Source: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
12. C.J. Mosley
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $8.8 million (Baltimore Ravens picked up Mosley’s fifth-year contract option — 1 year, $8.7 million)
> Key stat of last season: 96 tackles, 3 forced fumbles
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Source: Christian Petersen / Getty Images
11. Antti Raanta
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Goaltender, Arizona Coyotes
> 2017-2018 contract: 2 years, $2 million (after 2017-2018 season: signed 3 year, $12.8 million contract with Arizona Coyotes)
> Key stat of last season: 2.24 goals against average
Source: Adam Hunger / Getty Images
10. Luis Severino
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Pitcher, New York Yankees
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $604,975
> Key stat of this season: 14-2 record (Best in AL)
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Source: Jason Miller / Getty Images
9. Francisco Lindor
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Shortstop, Cleveland Indians
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $623,200
> Key stat of this season: 85 runs scored (Best in AL)
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Source: Clive Rose / Getty Images
8. Alvin Kamara
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Running back, New Orleans Saints
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $3.9 million
> Key stat of last season: 1,554 yards from scrimmage, 13 total touchdowns
Source: Harry How / Getty Images
7. John Gibson
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Goaltender, Anaheim Ducks
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $6.9 million
> Key stat of last season: 2.43 goals against average
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Source: Tim Warner / Getty Images
6. Clint Capela
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Center, Houston Rockets
> 2017-2018 contract: 4 years, $6.1 million (after 2017-2018 season: signed 5 year, $90 million contract with Houston Rockets)
> Key stat of last season: 65.2% shooting (Best in NBA)
Source: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images
5. Nikola Jokic
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Center, Denver Nuggets
> 2017-2018 contract: 3 years, $4.1 millions (after 2017-2018 season: signed 5 year, $147.7 million contract with Denver Nuggets)
> Key stat of last season: 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists per game
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Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
4. Karl-Anthony Towns
> League: NBA
> Position, team: Center, Minnesota Timberwolves
> 2017-2018 contract: 4 years, $25.7 million
> Key stat of last season: 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds per game
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Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
3. William Karlsson
> League: NHL
> Position, team: Center, Vegas Golden Knights
> 2017-2018 contract: 2 years, $2.0 million
> Key stat of last season: 23.4% shooting percentage (Best in NHL)
Source: Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images
2. Todd Gurley
> League: NFL
> Position, team: Running back, Los Angeles Rams
> 2017 contract: 4 years, $13.8 million (after 2017 season: signed 4 year, $57.5 million contract with Los Angeles Rams)
> Key stat of last season: 2,093 yards from scrimmage, 19 touchdowns (both NFL bests)
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Source: Rich Schultz / Getty Images
1. Aaron Nola
> League: MLB
> Position, team: Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
> 2018 contract: 1 year, $573,000
> Key stat of this season: 2.30 ERA, 12-3 record
Detailed Findings & Methodology:
In order to determine the most underpaid professional athletes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the value of professional athletes as well as the average salary each player made. Contract figures were based on the average salary paid to the player for the length of the contract. For each league, we used a different advanced statistical measure to determine a player’s overall value to their team. NHL players’ value was ranked based on Point Shares. Point Shares calculates the number of goals a player helped create on offense plus the goals he prevented on defense. Goaltenders are ranked based solely on their defense. Baseball players’ value was ranked based on Wins Above Replacement, or WAR. WAR determines the number of additional wins a player helps his team achieve when compared to a replacement level player at that same position. NFL players’ value was ranked based on Approximate Value, which judges groups of seasons and attempts to assign seasons a numerical value based on quality. Typically, an average starter will have an AV of 10, and a player with an AV of 16, 17, or higher will be in contention for the MVP. NBA players were ranked based on Win Shares. Win Shares determines how many wins a given player is responsible for in a season. These statistics came from the Sports Reference family of sites.
Salary information, which came from sports information sites like Spotrac and Over the Cap, as well as other media sources, was ranked based on the average yearly pay from each player’s contract at the start of the season. NHL and NBA players’ salaries were ranked based on the 2017-2018 season. NFL salaries were ranked on the 2017 season. MLB salaries were based on the 2018 season, and MLB statistics were as of during the all-star break. Players who missed a majority of the team’s games due to injury were not considered.
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