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Ranking World Series Winners By Best Value For Money Over Last 30 Years

Bill Speros for Bookies.com

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Ranking World Series Winners By Best Value For Money Over Last 30 Years

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Which MLB team has been the best money can buy over the last 30 years? Here's a look at the squads that offered the biggest bang for their buck across all World Series winners since 1992.

The Miami Marlins are among the worst-run franchises in baseball. But the top two “Best Teams Money Can Buy” since 1992 have worn Marlins uniforms.

The 2003 and 1997 Florida Marlins delivered the most bang for their buck among World Series champions during the past 30 years, according to a Bookies.com study of baseball payrolls adjusted for inflation from 1992-2021 and total team victories (including the postseason).

In terms of Cost Per Win (CPW) adjusted for inflation, the 2003 Marlins were the best bargain in baseball. Florida finished 91-71 in the regular season and won 12 games in the postseason, including four over the Chicago Cubs in a memorable NLCS.

The adjusted CPW for each of their 103 wins from that year is $751,389.13, or $480,882.35 in 2003 dollars. The highest-paid player on that team was catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who earned $10,000,000 in 2003, or what would equal $15,625,217.39 today.


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Best Value For Money World Series Winners Since 1992

Only four times in the past 30 years has the team with the highest payroll in baseball won the World Series in the same year: The 1993 Blue Jays, the 1999 and ‘09 New York Yankees, and the 2018 Boston Red Sox.

Here is a rundown of the World Series winners since 1992 ranked by their CPW in 2022 dollars. With inflation at a 40-year high, we've calculated the figures that way to add perspective and level the financial playing field across eras.

The teams are listed with their title year, total wins including the postseason, their adjusted and original CPW and payroll (PR), their highest-paid player that season, and that player's 2022 adjusted salary and original salary. Salary figures are rounded off in millions of dollars.

Top Baseball 'Bang For Your Buck' Teams Since 1992

YR TEAM '22 CPW '22 PR WINS CPW PR PLAYER '22 SAL. SAL.
2003 FLA 751,389 76,641,691 102 480,882 49,500,000 I. Rodrig. 15.625 10.00
1997 FLA 830,486 85,540,053 103 463,882 47,753,000 A. Fernan. 12.539 7.00
1995 ATL 844,241 85,268,329 101 447,515 45.199,000 G. Maddux 12.262 6.50
1992 TOR 860,346 89,475,970 104 419,843 43,663,666 J. Morris 9.221 4.50
1993 TOR 883,706 91,021,709 103 444,152 45,747,666 J. Carter 10.943 5.50
1998 NYY 891,226 111,403,211 125 505,279 63,159,898 B. Williams 14.640 8.30
2002 ANA 896,722 98,639,389 110 561,106 61,721,667 T. Salmon 14.640 15.42
1996 NYY 928,466 95,631,948 103 506,693 52,189,370 R. Sierra 11.361 6.20
2012 SFG 977,669 102,655,260 105 780,744 81,978,100 B. Zito 23.792 19.00
2005 CWS 1,006,097 110,670,639 110 683,436 75,178,000 P. Konerko 12.881 8.75
2010 SFG 1,252,292 128,986,044 103 949,794 97,828,833 B. Zito 24.392 18.50
2008 PHI 1,274,022 131,224,291 103 954,077 98,269,880 P. Burrell 19.029 14.25
2015 KCR 1,292,136 136,966,452 106 1,065,231 112,914,525 A. Gordon 16.679 13.75
2011 STL 1,334,248 134,759,084 101 1,043,897 105,433,572 M. Holliday 20.856 16.32
2001 ARI 1,344,366 138,469,721 103 1,137,892 85,247,999 R. Johnson 21.928 13.50
2017 HOU 1,334,646 149,480,381 112 1,137,892 127,443,900 J. Verlander 32.841 28.00
2006 STL 1,348,606 126,768,972 94 945,653 88,891,371 A. Pujols 19.966 14.00
1999 NYY 1,395,306 152,088,424 109 808,539 88,130,709 B. Williams 17.01 9.86
2000 NYY 1,583,358 155,169,114 98 948,350 92,938,260 B. Williams 20.631 12.35
2021 ATL 1,640,403 162,399,874 99 1,546,065 153,060,458 F. Freeman 23.342 22.00
2016 CHC 1,759,483 200,581,099 114 1,468,808 167,444,167 J. Lester 29.947 25.00
2004 BOS 1,777,496 193,747,104 114 1,167,876 127,298,500 M. Ramirez 34.245 22.50
2013 BOS 1,816,570 196,189,557 108 1,471,919 158,967,286 J. Lackey 24.621 15.95
2007 BOS 1,853,482 198,322,620 107 1,336,693 143,026,214 M. Ramirez 23.595 17.01
2014 SFG 1,891,424 187,251,017 99 1,557,433 154,185,878 M. Cain 25.301 20.83
2019 WSH 2,112,088 221,769,206 105 1,878,130 197,203,691 S. Strasb. 43.108 38.33
2020 LAD 2,140,743 119,881,625 56 1,927,096 107,917,397 C. Kershaw 18.116 16.30
2018 BOS 2,267,276 269,805,843 119 1,980,247 235,649,368 D. Price 34.436 31.00
2009 NYY 2,368,113 269,964,844 114 1,767,098 201,449,189 A-Rod 44.223 33.00

(NOTE: Payroll and salary figures via Baseball Prospectus and Spotrac. The 2022 figures have been calculated through the March CPI index. CPW (Cost Per Win) and PR (Payroll) figures rounded off to nearest dollar. There was no World Series in 1994 due to the players' strike.)

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Bombers Deliver On Both Ends

The highest adjusted CPW of all teams that have won the World Series since 1992 belongs to the 2009 New York Yankees.

Those Bombers won 119 games including the postseason in claiming their only World Series title of the 21st Century. They have a 2022-adjusted CPW of $2,368,112.65, which was $1,767,098.14 in 2009 dollars. The 2009 Yankees also have the highest inflation-adjusted payroll at $269,964,844 in today's dollars.

That 2009 Yankees roster included Alex Rodriguez. His 2009 salary of $33 million would equal $44,223,756.28 today.

The 2003 Marlins beat the Yankees in the World Series. The Yankees payroll that season was $152,749,814, or more than triple the Marlins total roster cost of $49,050,000.

The 2018 Boston Red Sox have the highest overall payroll of any team on this list in today's dollars. The Red Sox spent $235,649,368 in 2018, but it was well worth it. Boston won a franchise-record 108 games in the regular season before beating the Yankees and Astros in the AL playoffs. The Red Sox ousted the Dodgers in five games to win the World Series. Their 2018 payroll equates to $269,805,843 in 2022 dollars.

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About the Author

Bill Speros for Bookies.com
Bill Speros
Bill Speros is an award-winning journalist and editor whose career includes stops at USA Today Sports Network / Golfweek, Cox Media, ESPN, Orlando Sentinel and Denver Post.