Little solace: Pirates payroll cost per win among lowest in MLB

PITTSBURGH — When it comes to the payroll cost of a win, the Pittsburgh Pirates remain one of the thriftiest teams in Major League Baseball.

But it likely comes with little solace to Pirates fans that the Pirates ranked 26th in Major League Baseball in payroll spending per win, especially considering the teams ranked 25th (Milwaukee Brewers) and 27th (Cleveland Guardians) both made the playoffs. One of those, the Brewers, managed to have the best record in baseball despite ranking 25th out of 30 teams in spending per win.

The Pirates spent $84.4 million in payroll costs for its 71 victories this season, meaning each win cost $1.189 million in player salary. If the Pirates and its fans are to find a silver lining, it might be that the least-frugal team by this metric, the New York Mets, also are sitting home during the playoffs, albeit by missing the postseason on the last day of the regular season.