The historic 2024 Dodgers postseason saw a historic financial milestone with bonuses reaching $129.1 million, the highest in league history. This figure, driven by the iconic World Series matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, reflects a 20% increase from last year’s $107.8 million.
The Dodgers, who emerged victorious, claimed the lion’s share of the bonus pool at $46.47 million, while the Yankees, as runners-up, received $24.7 million.
How do the Dodgers Postseason Bonuses work?
MLB postseason bonuses are funded by gate receipts from playoff games, with a specific percentage allocated to the bonus pool:
- 50% from Wild Card games
- 60% from the first three Division Series games
- 60% from the first four Championship Series games
- 60% from the first four World Series games
The players from each team vote on how to distribute their share, typically awarding full and partial shares or cash bonuses to team personnel.
Dodgers record-setting postseason bonus
The World Series champion Dodgers distributed 79 full shares, 17.49 partial shares, and additional cash awards. Each full share was valued at $477,441, slightly lower than the record-setting $516,347 distributed by the Astros in 2022.
Despite the lower individual value, the Dodgers distributed more shares than the Astros or last year’s champions, the Rangers, who allocated 76.56 shares.
Yankees share as runner-up
The Yankees, who fought valiantly but fell to the Dodgers, received $354,572 per full share, distributing 71 full shares and 16.38 partial shares. Their bonus pool totaled 24% of the postseason earnings.
How does this compare to previous postseasons?
The record-breaking $129.1 million pool highlights the growing financial impact of MLB’s expanded playoff format, introduced in 2022. Comparatively, they had a $107m pool in both 2022 and 2023.
The larger number of teams participating in 2024 contributed to the increased pool, making this year a landmark in postseason earnings.
For Dodgers fans, this financial success mirrors their team’s on-field dominance. The World Series win and the record-setting bonus pool cement LA’s position as a powerhouse in baseball.