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The New York Mets opened the 1985 season paying $10,834,762 to 21 players and closed 2016 at $133,889,129 across 27 players, a 12.4× rise in nominal dollars. The franchise’s biggest recorded single-season salary in this span is Yoenis Cespedes’s $27,328,046 in 2016.
| Year | Players | Payroll | Average | Median | Top paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 21 | $10,834,762 | $515,941 | $325,000 | Gary Carter ($2M) |
| 1986 | 28 | $15,393,714 | $549,776 | $255,000 | George Foster ($2.8M) |
| 1987 | 25 | $13,846,714 | $553,869 | $305,000 | Gary Carter ($2.1M) |
| 1988 | 25 | $15,269,314 | $610,773 | $537,500 | Gary Carter ($2.2M) |
| 1989 | 28 | $19,885,071 | $710,181 | $375,000 | Dwight Gooden ($2.4M) |
| 1990 | 32 | $21,722,834 | $678,839 | $240,000 | Frank Viola ($2M) |
| 1991 | 26 | $32,590,001 | $1,253,462 | $875,000 | Frank Viola ($3.2M) |
| 1992 | 26 | $44,602,002 | $1,715,462 | $840,000 | Bobby Bonilla ($6.1M) |
| 1993 | 30 | $39,043,667 | $1,301,456 | $500,000 | Bobby Bonilla ($6.2M) |
| 1994 | 31 | $30,956,583 | $998,599 | $175,000 | Bobby Bonilla ($6.3M) |
| 1995 | 41 | $27,674,992 | $675,000 | $125,000 | Bret Saberhagen ($5.6M) |
| 1996 | 33 | $24,479,500 | $741,803 | $198,000 | Pete Harnisch ($3.7M) |
| 1997 | 35 | $39,800,400 | $1,137,154 | $212,000 | John Olerud ($6.5M) |
| 1998 | 33 | $52,077,999 | $1,578,121 | $850,000 | Bernard Gilkey ($5M) |
| 1999 | 31 | $65,092,092 | $2,099,745 | $1,687,500 | Mike Piazza ($7.2M) |
| 2000 | 25 | $79,509,776 | $3,180,391 | $2,250,000 | Mike Piazza ($12.1M) |
| 2001 | 29 | $93,174,428 | $3,212,911 | $1,800,000 | Mike Piazza ($13.6M) |
| 2002 | 26 | $94,633,593 | $3,639,754 | $2,107,500 | Mo Vaughn ($12.2M) |
| 2003 | 28 | $116,876,429 | $4,174,158 | $1,650,000 | Mo Vaughn ($17.2M) |
| 2004 | 28 | $96,660,970 | $3,452,178 | $900,000 | Mo Vaughn ($17.2M) |
| 2005 | 27 | $101,305,821 | $3,752,067 | $1,150,000 | Mike Piazza ($16.1M) |
| 2006 | 27 | $101,084,963 | $3,743,888 | $912,500 | Pedro Martinez ($14.9M) |
| 2007 | 30 | $115,231,663 | $3,841,055 | $1,487,500 | Carlos Delgado ($14.5M) |
| 2008 | 30 | $137,793,376 | $4,593,113 | $1,993,750 | Carlos Beltran ($18.6M) |
| 2009 | 28 | $149,373,987 | $5,334,785 | $2,612,500 | Carlos Beltran ($19.2M) |
| 2010 | 28 | $134,422,942 | $4,800,819 | $1,375,000 | Johan Santana ($20.1M) |
| 2011 | 27 | $118,847,309 | $4,401,752 | $900,000 | Johan Santana ($21.6M) |
| 2012 | 27 | $93,353,983 | $3,457,555 | $875,000 | Johan Santana ($23.1M) |
| 2013 | 30 | $49,448,346 | $1,648,278 | $502,586 | David Wright ($10.2M) |
| 2014 | 27 | $85,556,990 | $3,168,777 | $1,100,000 | David Wright ($20M) |
| 2015 | 25 | $96,766,683 | $3,870,667 | $725,000 | David Wright ($20M) |
| 2016 | 27 | $133,889,129 | $4,958,857 | $2,500,000 | Yoenis Cespedes ($27.3M) |
| # | Player | Salary | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoenis Cespedes | $27,328,046 | 2016 (NYN) |
| 2 | Johan Santana | $23,145,011 | 2012 (NYN) |
| 3 | Johan Santana | $21,644,707 | 2011 (NYN) |
| 4 | Johan Santana | $20,144,707 | 2010 (NYN) |
| 5 | David Wright | $20,000,000 | 2014 (NYN) |
| 6 | David Wright | $20,000,000 | 2015 (NYN) |
| 7 | Carlos Beltran | $19,401,569 | 2010 (NYN) |
| 8 | David Wright | $19,364,801 | 2016 (NYN) |
| 9 | Carlos Beltran | $19,325,436 | 2011 (NYN) |
| 10 | Carlos Beltran | $19,243,682 | 2009 (NYN) |
| 11 | Johan Santana | $18,876,139 | 2009 (NYN) |
| 12 | Carlos Beltran | $18,622,809 | 2008 (NYN) |
| 13 | Jason Bay | $18,125,000 | 2011 (NYN) |
| 14 | Jason Bay | $18,125,000 | 2012 (NYN) |
| 15 | Mo Vaughn | $17,166,667 | 2003 (NYN) |
This page aggregates the Lahman database’s real salary rows (1985-2016) for every identity this franchise played under: New York Mets. Amounts are nominal US dollars exactly as recorded, with no inflation adjustment, because a deflator is an editorial choice and this archive refuses to invent one. The Lahman Salaries table was last updated for 2016, so nothing here reaches the current season.
The franchise’s heaviest recorded payroll was the 2009 season at $149,373,987 across 28 players.
Salary data: SABR / Lahman baseball database, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aggregated and published by Legends Deck. Nominal dollars; no inflation adjustment.