MLB payroll vs. wins (1986–2025): spending more doesn’t buy wins [OC] Made with Querri

As my Pirates finally decided to spend more this season (up 13.9% from last season), and although they are currently .500, it's a much-needed improvement from past seasons. I was curious if a year-over-year increase in spending really helps a team. What I found: no meaningful correlation; money isn't everything, except it is something… When plotting team ranking in spending vs wins, I found an r of -0.342, supporting what we all know, the Dodgers and Mets can continue to afford to throw boatloads at players, and win while doing so.

Tools: Querri

Data: Baseball Reference + Spotrac payroll data, 1986–2025 (2020 excluded due to shortened season) — 1,090 team-seasons total.